“I’m so terrified... that psycho’s going to kill me!” Maria Dersch prophetically predicted her death at the savage hands of her ex-boyfriend, Billy Ray Shaughnessy, who hid in her attic for two and a half days with an ax before sneaking down in the dead of night, chopping Maria and her new lover to death.

In The Attic is based on a true crime story - an intense, shocking, and unforgettable psychological crime thriller - and a real double murder case author Garry Rodgers investigated as a homicide detective. It’s also told from the killer’s point of view through his lyrical, psychotic, and homicidal thoughts.

In this lightning-paced, mind-twisting, psychological ride, you’re suspended in a six-day investigation and search for Billy Ray after Maria reported a violent, knife-point, sexual assault committed by him on a Friday afternoon. Over the weekend, police and friends made a frantic attempt to lock Billy Ray from the house and track him down to prevent escalation. They failed.

In The Attic allows a terrifying yet fascinating access to a psychopathic, anti-social mind—a mind diagnosed as one of the most outstanding cases of mental disorder a team of forensic psychiatrists ever saw.

Here’s what readers of In The Attic are saying:

“Aghast! This is one of the best written and easily the most horrifying suspense story I have read. The writing is so clear and so compelling that you are immediately drawn in. I. Could. Not. Put. This. Down.”

“The author’s seamless POV transitions are genius. You’re given a disquieting look into the deeply disturbed, misogynistic psyche of a killer and the concern of a dedicated, seasoned police officer.”

“As events unfolded, I found myself praying the victim would somehow survive, which is absurd, as you know going in, the story is about a double murder. Garry Rodgers’ writing is so fluid, he places you in the detective’s shoes without effort—you’re there, you’re experiencing scenes as they unfold. I’m not prone to nightmares by something I’ve read, but Garry Rodgers has succeeded where others left little, or no impact.”

“Do not let the horrific and graphic nature of this novel dissuade you. This is a must-read for crime novel enthusiasts. I felt driven to finish this book in record time. True story, great writing, emotional investment. What more could you want from a title?"

"In my opinion, Garry Rodgers is slated to become one of the most outstanding crime writers of our time.”

”If you've ever read The Widow by Fiona Barton or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, my feeling while reading In The Attic was akin to my feelings while reading Widow and Train. I don't just think it's a great read, I think it's an important story—of mental illness, abuse, and how the limitations in social services can sometimes coalesce at the wrong moment, hurting all involved.”

“It sounds like a cliché, but I couldn’t put it down. I was gripped from the first sentence, and was not so much reading as inhaling the story until it was done. I took a long, cathartic shower to get my head back in my own world, so I could write sensibly about my experience as a reader of this gripping story.”

"No awareness that I was reading a book, more like I was completely inside the story"

The Truth Lies Buried. Under The Ground is a psychological suspense thriller based on the true crime story of Kristen Madsen—a troubled eighteen-year-old victim last seen with her ex-boyfriend, Esa Raasanen in a small city on Vancouver Island at Canada’s southwest coast.

Conventional police procedural techniques fail to find the buried truth in the mystery of Kristen’s disappearance, so a highly-complex criminal undercover operation sets upon Esa. It slowly sucks him into a fictional—yet completely believable—world of organized crime run by a shadow figure known only as "The Boss." The truth is uncovered through a sophisticated psychological manipulation of Esa, carefully planned and scripted by an undercover team who developed the amazing "Mister Big Sting".

Under The Ground sweeps you through the emotional turmoil in an abusive relationship to the high-rolling lives of convincing “criminals” who preyed upon Esa’s lust, greed, ignorance, and brutally violent, psychopathic personality. With skillful handling and focused purpose, "Jake", the lead undercover operator, builds a trap for Esa Raasanen which can only be escaped by confessing to “The Boss” about what truthfully happened in Kristen Marsden’s murder.

Where she lay and what he’d done shocked the entire investigative team of detectives and undercover operatives.

Here is what readers say about this suspenseful psychological thriller:

"She’s “under the ground,” prophetic words of a streetwise homicide cop by Garry Rodgers is a not-to-be missed thriller. Based on a true story, involving real-life undercover tactics and a time-consuming, demanding undercover investigation this book is captivating, addicting, and frightening."

"Under the Ground reveals the lengths to which the detectives and police force went to catch a vicious murderer. Their psychological manipulation of the murderer was ingenious - and will be of great interest to True Crime buffs, like myself. I highly recommend Under the Ground to fans of the True Crime genre - and to readers of quality non-fiction books everywhere."

"A true page turner. The undercover sting is pure genius."

“A good book for those dark nights when you're alone!”

“A must for all crime fans.”

What if six members—three generations—of your family were slain in a monstrous mass murder?

From The Shadows is based on the horrific true crime story of grandparents, Ed and Patricia Bartley, parents Gunner and Trisha Jephsen, and their two prepubescent girls who disappeared on a Vancouver Island camping trip. Ella was just eleven. Lily was only nine.

This terrible tragedy shocked North America and riveted the Canadian public as Serious Crimes investigators scoured British Columbia’s west coast for any sign of the Jephsen and Bartley families. Where they were, what happened, and who did it captivated all.

Police used massive resources and all available investigation aids to locate the bodies and track down suspects. That included major media cooperation, highly-creative techniques, and the questionable help of an unsavory for-hire agent.

Then, a break came. In a “never saw it coming” conclusion, detectives learned why the Jephsens and Bartleys were savagely slaughtered then carefully concealed after being stealthily stalked and wantonly watched by eyes that looked on from the shadows.

What readers say about From The Shadows:

~ From The Shadows is Garry Rodgers’ best book yet. This author keeps getting better!
~ I thought From The Shadows was an awesome read — very hard to put down.
~ Really nice job of putting the reader on a skewer and roasting them slowly.
~ Horrifying true crime story with a wicked twist! Cannot make this stuff up.
~ Excellent, excellent book! I love reading all Garry Rodgers’ work.
~ Absolutely loved it! Would make a great TV series.
~ Wow, what a read! What a ride! Wow!

Dead men do tell tales. An unidentified and decomposing body found dumped down a secluded bank beside a rural Vancouver Island road becomes the most baffling and bizarre homicide case of a detective’s long career.

“Beside The Road” becomes the file name for the rotting John Doe as the Serious Crimes investigation team uses nearly every available tool to figure out who this person was… and what happened to him. This based-on-true-crime story shows you how real police procedures and leading-edge forensic techniques slowly develop a subject profile. Informants, paid agents, wiretaps, digital re-creations, major media involvement and creative stimulations that manipulate suspects finally pay off. So does good old fashioned detective work like skilled interviews, acting on tiny details and operating with effective teamwork.

This dead man does tell a tale—a forensic tale of his true identity and why he was killed. It’s a tragic tale, and one filled with can’t-put-down suspense that ends with a baffling twist you’ll never see coming. It’s just that bizarre.

Beside The Road is the fourth book in retired homicide detective and forensic coroner Garry Rodgers’s based-on-true-crime series. It follows the highly-acclaimed stories In The Attic, Under The Ground and From The Shadows. If you like crime writing with Louise Penny authenticity, Joseph Wambaugh characterization and James Patterson pace, then Beside The Road is for you. Here’s what readers say about Garry Rodgers’s work:

~ I think Garry Rodgers is destined to be one of Canada’s best true crime writers.
~ I was blown away by the first books in this series. The fourth is even better.
~ It was like I was right there with the Serious Crimes investigation team.
~ Like watching a movie in my head and hearing it, too. Outstanding!
~ I could not put these books down—could NOT put them down!