Mallory (Max Allan Collins) Books in Order

Mallory helps a frightened woman escape a violent man at an Iowa bus station, then learns she has died in a suspicious accident. Similarities to another death and possible official interference draw him into a dangerous local investigation.

Delivering meals to elderly residents leads aspiring mystery writer Mallory to discover a brutal killing in his Iowa hometown. He investigates burglars turned murderers despite the sheriff's opposition, while an old romantic attachment threatens to distract him.

At a Chicago mystery convention, Mallory finds his literary mentor Roscoe Kane dead in a hotel bathtub. Rejecting the verdict of an accidental drunken death, he investigates rival authors, family resentments, and publishing disputes to seek justice.

Mallory investigates an old school friend's apparent suicide in their small Iowa town. Tracing Ginnie Mullens's life from youthful rebellion to business success reveals connections to gambling and drug trafficking that some acquaintances would rather keep hidden.

Mallory attends a staged mystery weekend at a snowbound New York hotel and witnesses what appears to be an actual murder. When a disliked critic's body is found, the fictional game becomes a real investigation among stranded guests.