Devil's Playground

Deputy Samantha Cody finally bagged her man. The jury’s verdict: three counts of murder in the first with special circumstances and a recommendation of death by lethal injection. Only Judge Westbrooke’s final decree stands between Richard Earl Garrett and death row. After three weeks of an exhausting trial and being haunted by images of the three sacrificially mutilated children, Sam’s only wish is to wash her hands of Garrett, whose only defense is “the devil made me do it.” Just as the chaos in Mercer’s Corner settles down enough for Sam to focus on her dream of entering the world of women’s professional boxing, the jury foreman and two members of the jury die under suspicious circumstances. When more murders occur, each with Garrett’s signature, a cadre of characters flocks to the tiny California high desert town, from pseudo-Satanic followers to a crazed reverend with his First Church of God disciples. Soon the town is whipped into a lynch-mob frenzy, and Sam’s world of hard facts and pragmatism has quickly spun out of control.

"When it comes to heart-stopping suspense, heart-breaking emotion, and cold-hearted terror, nobody can top DP Lyle...and this is the thriller that proves it. When a heart surgeon operates on a snake-charming preacher, she does more than cut open his flesh with her scalpel... she reveals a dark secret and unleashes a deadly power that could kill her unless ex-cop Samantha Cody can help her get to the truth" Lee Goldberg, Edgar nominated author of the Monk mysteries and co-author with Janet Evanovich of The Chase, "Lyle adroitly balances spot-on medical science and technology with adroit plotting and masterful characters. A mix of Michael Crichton and C. J. Box that adds up to seasoned and savory brain candy" Jon Land, The Providence Sunday Journal

D. P. Lyle, MD is the Macavity Award winning and Edgar? Award nominated author of many fiction and non-fiction books, short stories, and essays. He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Judging Amy, Peacemakers, Cold Case, House, Medium, Women's Murder Club, 1-800-Missing, The Glades, and Pretty Little Liars. For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California.