Dead Point

Fans of Sheriff Walt Longmire will fall in love with Sergeant Maggie Blackthorne, the spirited protagonist with a tragic past and an acid wit.

"...an engrossing neo-Western thriller in which justice and morality clash." -Foreword Reviews

When Maggie Blackthorne returns to her hometown after nearly twenty years to serve as an Oregon State Police Sergeant, she expects to deal with the usual suspects-drunk drivers, oxy slingers, and the occasional rural scofflaw.

But after she stumbles upon the bullet-ridden bodies of twin brothers, she realizes she's stepped into something much more sinister. With little homicide experience, Maggie and her partner, Trooper Hollis Jones, find themselves thrust into the murder investigation.

And when a third man turns up dead, Maggie fears it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. As they race to piece together what happened, Maggie and Hollis discover a tangled web of theft, deceit and deals gone bad.

Faced with multiple motives and several persons of interest, Maggie and Hollis finally catch a break-but are they willing to risk everything to put the murderer behind bars?

LaVonne Griffin-Valade writes captivating mysteries set in the Pacific Northwest. Recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Sandra Brown.

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Praise for DEAD POINT:

"Lush descriptions, wonderful characters, and plenty of twists will have readers enthralled by Griffin-Valade's stellar debut." -LynDee Walker, Amazon Charts bestselling author of No Sin Unpunished

"...a sure-footed, beautifully written debut novel...a strong, smart, lead, a setting that is almost a character itself...and a twisty plot that drives to an exciting, satisfying conclusion. I loved this book." -Susan Hunter, author of Dangerous Habits

"... will have you seeing the rimrock, smelling the sage and greasewood, and feeling the dry cold of the eastern Oregon desert. An excellent read that will leave you wanting more." -James Chandler, author of Misjudged

"Trash-talking, tough as leather, determined, and smart Maggie Blackthorne is just the kind of hero I want to follow in adventure after adventure. I'm looking forward to more of Maggie!" -Shannon Baker, author of the Kate Fox series

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What readers are saying:

"Excellent read."
"Wow, what a great story."
"Could not put this book down!"
"I loved the main character, with all her flaws."
"The descriptions of the landscape are spot on and stunning."

About the Author
LaVonne Griffin-Valade was born and raised in the high desert country along the John Day River of eastern Oregon--a place that stoked her imagination and inspired her to become a lifetime writer of short stories, essays, poetry, and novels. She has worn many professional hats: elementary school teacher, mentor, education equity advocate, and Auditor of the City of Portland. Griffin-Valade has published essays and pieces of fiction in multiple publications including the Oregon Humanities Magazine and the Clackamas Literary Review. After receiving her MFA from Portland State University in 2017 she moved to fiction writing. LaVonne lives in Portland, Oregon and works as a full time writer. Dead Point, the first book in the Maggie Blackthorne series, is her debut novel.