Before they took down global conspiracies... See tough, wisecracking New York PI Dakota Stevens and his brilliant associate Svetlana Krüsh in three of their early cases.

In this exciting mystery trilogy, Manhattan PIs Dakota Stevens and Svetlana Krüsh solve cases in the Green Mountains of Vermont; Dutchess County, New York; and the mean and glamorous streets of L.A. Tangling with chainsaw artists, motorcycle gangs, ex-cons, crooked cops, nude celebrities, and Chinese gangsters, Dakota and Svetlana show that no matter where a case takes them, they'll solve it with style.

Dakota and Svetlana, Babysitting Detectives...

While caring for a friend's boys over Columbus Day weekend, besides learning that childcare isn't easy, Dakota and Svetlana uncover a mysterious cache of rare coins in the woods, a cabal of suspicious neighbors, and a crazy conspiracy straight out of a post-apocalyptic comic book.

A Missing Greenskeeper and a Seven-Foot-Tall Native American...

A number of bizarre incidents at a Dutchess County, NY golf course, culminating in the disappearance of the head greenskeeper, prompts the club's managing pro to call in Dakota to investigate.

Forget It, Dakota, It's Hollywood...

A studio executive's daughter is arrested for an armed jewel heist, but she claims it was only the pilot of a new reality TV series. Trouble is, her fellow cast members and the producers are gone and can't corroborate her story. Dakota and Svetlana must team up with the head of studio security, sexy "Barb" Soames, to prove the girl's innocence.

Readers Say:

"Orcutt has combined a classic hard-boiled with the page-turning frenzy of a Dan Brown novel."

"PI Dakota Stevens is a cross between Philip Marlowe and Jason Bourne and his partner Svetlana Krush is a chess Grandmaster with the body of a Victoria's Secret model."

"Just when you think you've solved the mystery, Orcutt surprises you with another unexpected twist."

"As for the characters--perfection. Flawed, funny, heroic and developed fully from the first page until the final page."

"I read A Real Piece of Work in three days. Didn't get much sleep...but it was well worth it."

"Dakota Stevens and his indispensable sidekick/chess champion Svetlana Krush are a delightful modern take on the noir detective style."

"The author's ability to paint a picture or scene with words is astounding. This book is ripe for adaptation to film."

"Orcutt weaves a story that keeps you hanging on until the very end."

"People in the reviews keep mentioning Spenser/Robert B. Parker, and they're right; but add a good streak of John Le Carré, turn the roaster up a notch, and maybe you're getting in the ballpark."

"Reading Orcutt is like chasing a lit fuse into a dark tunnel."

"I am now stalking this author on Amazon, anxiously awaiting the release of his next book in the series."
About the Author: CHRIS ORCUTT has written professionally for over 20 years as a fiction writer, journalist, scriptwriter, playwright, technical writer and speechwriter. He has also taught high school U.S. history and college writing. At Baruch College, City University of New York, Chris received the Distinguished Teaching Award, and as a newspaper reporter he received a New York Press Association award. Chris is the author of the critically acclaimed Dakota Stevens Mystery Series. The first novel in the series, A REAL PIECE OF WORK, achieved a #1 top-rated ranking in Literary Fiction for Kindle, and #4 in Mystery. IndieReader writes of the novel, "Action, lust, danger, style and witty repartee, Orcutt's A Real Piece of Work is a work of art." The novel received similarly strong critical acclaim from other reviewers, as did the sequel, THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT. The third installment in the series, A TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION, debuts on January 1, 2015. Chris's short story collection, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND, was selected by IndieReader as one of the Best Books of 2013. And his modern pastoral novel, ONE HUNDRED MILES FROM MANHATTAN, was selected by IndieReader as a Best Book for 2014. In a review of the novel Kirkus Reviews favorably compared Chris to Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Cheever. For more about Chris, visit his website: www.orcutt.net. For more about the Dakota Stevens Mysteries Series, visit www.orcutt.net OR www.dakotapi.com.