The Valorie Dawes Thrillers: Character-Driven Police Procedural Mysteries

Valorie Dawes is a woman on a mission.

That mission: to avenge the abuse she suffered as a child on the perps who continue to victimize the women and girls of Clayton, Connecticut.

If you like Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite, Michael Connelly’s Bosch, or Tana French’s In the Woods, you’ll love Under the Banner of Valor. Valorie Dawes is a smart, compassionate cop who’s not afraid to break some glass (ceilings) and kick some ass in pursuit of justice for ruthless killers.

Valorie Dawes was a happy, normal girl, looking forward to celebrating her thirteenth birthday with her favorite uncle, detective Valentin Dawes–her hero and namesake.

But then “Milt,” a family friend, raped her and threatened her into secrecy. Before he could learn the full truth, Uncle Val was killed on the job–on Val’s birthday, no less.

Now a rookie cop following in Uncle Val’s footsteps, Valorie encounters the seediest of criminals in her hometown of Clayton, Connecticut: an international baby-snatching ring. Ethnic street gangs. A child abuser who turns his sights on Val’s family. A serial killer who tattoos his victims and steals their shoes. And an interstate sex trafficking organization, deeply immersed in extreme right-wing politics.

Val has qualities that make her a natural detective. She’s tough, tenacious, intuitive, and smart. Determined to defend herself in any future situation, she took up martial arts, learned how to handle a gun, and competed in sports like track and soccer to build her wiry body into fighting shape.

You almost have to feel sorry for the criminals who take her on…almost.

New Book 5 coming soon: Under the Banner of Valor!

When a fanatical sniper takes aim at women entering family planning clinics, Val risks everything to protect her closest friend.

Coming soon (May 2024) in print and ebook formats. Audio book planned too!

Click on the book cover image for more details or to read a sample chapter.

Book 1: In Search of Valor	Book 2: A Woman of Valor	Book 3: A Better Part of Valor	Book 4: Mother of Valor

Val fights an international kidnapping syndicate on behalf of a new college friend–and harbors serious doubts about her future as a police officer.	Val battles racism and sexism in her hometown police department as she pursues a savage sex offender – and confronts her own #metoo past.	While jogging off duty along the riverfront, rookie cop Valorie Dawes discovers the body of a young girl—and ignites a manhunt for a serial killer.	Val must stop an imminent violent attack by a ruthless, cunning extremist group. Standing in her way is the sudden return of a person she barely knows: her mother.