THE MAYA STONE MURDERS (Book 1)

Micah Dunn investigates a murderous plot to discredit an archaeologist

In steamy downtown New Orleans, Gregory Thorpe is presenting an exhibition that could rewrite the history of the ancient Mayans. But when fake artifacts begin appearing alongside the authentic ones, Thorpe’s reputation is thrown into jeopardy. To trace the fraud, Thorpe hires Micah Dunn, a world-weary private detective whose tour in Vietnam cost him the use of one of his arms and provided fodder for decades of nightmares. PI work is boring, repetitive, and safe, but clearing Thorpe’s name will expose Dunn to the kind of danger he thought he left behind in the jungle.

Dunn has experience working with archaeology, and he knows the field is cutthroat. Thorpe is not well liked on the Tulane campus, and any of his colleagues or grad students could be responsible for the fraud. When one of the suspects turns up dead, Dunn realizes that someone in New Orleans will kill to keep the Mayan past buried.

“A sympathetic hero, semi-exotic atmosphere, and fast-paced action keep the pages turning.” —Library Journal

THE CAESAR CLUE (Book 2)

When his client is killed by a terrorist, Micah delves into her past

Until he gets the answering machine message, private detective Micah Dunn has never heard of Julia Morvant. Calling from Jamaica, she asks him to meet her at the New Orleans airport. She needs help, she says, and he can tell by her tone that she needs it badly. Dunn is a Vietnam vet whose left arm hangs uselessly at his side, but who excels in helping the desperate people who seem to flock to his city. He has just arrived at the airport when Morvant’s plane explodes in midair. Between the fireball in the sky and the alligators below, there is no chance of survival.

The flight was bombed, and Dunn becomes obsessed with the idea that his prospective client was the target. He knew nothing about her, but in death he will come to know her intimately—and risk his life to honor her own.

“The Micah Dunn stories are among the more literate crime novels brewing in Louisiana…their author’s interest in history, literature and archaeology add an unusual dimension to mysteries that are already a cut above the ordinary.” –New Orleans Times-Picayune

DEEP KILL (Book 3)

Micah drifts into the underworld for the sake of a wrongfully accused friend

Micah Dunn knows Calvin Autry to be an honest man. He’s also a fighter, persevering with his mechanic’s shop even after his wife left him and his business turned sour. But today, he is a broken man. A neighborhood child has accused him of child molestation, and Calvin begs Micah to clear his name. A private detective whose time in Vietnam taught him how to fight dirty, Micah knows that proving Calvin’s innocence will require him to fight dirtier than he ever has before.

Calvin’s enemies include dissatisfied customers, a scheming landlord, and a rival mechanic out to destroy what’s left of the Autry shop. But as Micah digs into Calvin’s past, he finds his friend is not as honest as he appears. He may not be a child molester, but Calvin Autry could be guilty of something just as evil.

“M.K. Shuman has delivered an exceptional story set in New Orleans…well-written, thought-provoking mystery…A tight, taut story of private eye Micah Dunn’s search for the truth.” —Mystery News

THE LAST MAN TO DIE (Book 4)

An archaeological dig turns up a skeleton whose death is recent history

The beaches are full on this sunny Biloxi afternoon, but Micah Dunn has no appetite for sunbathing. Watching a group of scientists excavate an ancient Native American site along the Mississippi, the private detective’s thoughts turn first to the archaeologist who broke his heart, and then to murder. Hoping for beads or pottery, the scientists have found a dirt-stained skeleton whose fillings tell them he was killed during the twentieth century, whose amputated leg suggests a veteran, and whose punctured skull says death by pistol.

The bones belonged to Max Chantry, a 1940s reform political candidate who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. But if New Orleans politicos killed him, why did he end up buried a state away? This case is ice cold, but solving it will put Dunn in the hot seat.