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Location: United States

Member Since: Jan. 13, 2012

2 readers have added this author as a 'Favorite Author'.

BV Lawson

Biography

Past career hats BV Lawson tried on include maid, super-speedy typist, classical musician, radio announcer, being in TV commercials (for all of one day), research assistant, TV features writer and working for the Discovery Channel. Now a full-time freelance writer, she's penned articles for various publications and won awards for her many published stories and poems.

Thanks to the influence of library genes handed down from her mother, she created the blog In Reference to Murder which contains over 3,000 links for mystery readers and writers. She's working on a series of crime fiction novels set in various locations in and around the mid-Atlantic, and when time permits, BV and her husband enjoy flying over Northern Virginia and the Chesapeake in a little putt-putt plane. Visit BV via her web site, bvlawson.com. No ticket required

Smashwords Interview

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Having a librarian as a mother meant there were always books in the house. I was a book junkie, and she was my supplier (in the best possible sense). Perhaps I turned to writing to feed my habit from a different angle, but it didn’t take long to get me hooked on it, too. After winning a poetry contest at age 10 and some essay contests, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately, life gets in the way of dreams sometimes, and it took me quite a bit longer than I’d hoped.

What was the catalyst for your Scott Drayco mystery series?

I enjoy private eye novels, but I’m not a fan of writing in the first-person, so I came up with a “private eye procedural” hybrid via my protagonist Scott Drayco, a former FBI agent turned freelancer who consults with law enforcement agencies. The setting—the Eastern Shore of Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula—is a short hop from D.C. (especially in a small plane), but it feels worlds apart in terms of culture and scenery. I was entranced after visiting the area, and as far as I know, this is the first mystery novel set there. Not to give too much away regarding the plot, but there is an Opera House and a Chopin manuscript involved, which arose out of my background in musicology.

Where to find BV Lawson online

Website: http://bvlawson.com/
Twitter: @BVLawson
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bvlawson
Blog: http://inreferencetomurder.typepad.com/

Where to buy in print

http://www.amazon.com/B.-V.-Lawson/e/B003SQKWHY

Series

The Scott Drayco Mysteries by BV Lawson

Trained as a concert pianist, Scott Drayco was forced to give it up after a violent carjacking permanently damaged his arm. Deciding to follow in his estranged father's footsteps, he became an FBI agent-turned private crime consultant, earning the reputation of being brilliant and sometimes unorthodox. "Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Book Prize. Will make you want to keep reading long past your bedtime!

Played to Death: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: Free!

Requiem for Innocence: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: $3.99 USD.

Dies Irae: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: $5.99 USD.

Elegy in Scarlet: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: $5.99 USD.

The Suicide Sonata: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: $5.99 USD.

Deadly Dance: A Scott Drayco Mystery

Price: $5.99 USD.

Beverly Laborde & Adam Dutton Mysteries by BV Lawson

A bitter con woman plots to take revenge on the man she feels responsible for her grandmother's death. Standing in her way is her growing attraction for a handsome, but jaded, Vermont police detective and the efforts of her nemesis to silence her ... forever. But if she can allow herself to trust her instincts—and the detective—she might just have a fighting chance.

Steal Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery

Price: Free!

Hide Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery

Price: $3.99 USD.

Burn Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery

Price: $3.99 USD.

Books

Melody of Murder: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 7. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 83,830. Language: English. Published: June 30, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

When detective Scott Drayco is kidnapped and given a mysterious puzzle to solve, his predicament is bizarre enough. But after he's released and one of his kidnappers is killed—a man who allegedly died five years ago—what began as a puzzling situation turns into an even stranger quest to get to the bottom of one of the oddest cases of Drayco's career.

The Scott Drayco Mystery Series Omnibus, Books 1-6 by BV Lawson

Price: $22.99 USD. Words: 514,070. Language: English. Published: May 3, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

Read the first 6 books in the Scott Drayco mystery series that Library Journal called “worth putting on your reading list." Finalists for the Shamus, Silver Falchion, Daphne, Library Journal Best Mystery, and Foreword Book Reviews awards. The box set includes 6 complete novels in the engrossing mystery series readers describe as “not a stereotypical detective” and “an extremely complex character."

The Scott Drayco Mystery Series: Books 4-6 by BV Lawson

Price: $16.99 USD. Words: 259,790. Language: English. Published: May 3, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

Read books #4-6 in the Shamus Award-nominated mystery series that Library Journal called "worth putting on your reading list" and readers describe as “not a stereotypical detective” and "an extremely complex character." If you enjoy heart-tugging stories, twisty mysteries, and thrilling suspense, then you’ll love BV Lawson’s bestselling series.

Deadly Dance: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 6. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 89,640. Language: English. Published: April 30, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

When detective Scott Drayco tries to prove a man's innocence, he's pulled into a thorny puzzle with missing pieces that may involve Russians, potential trafficking, a mysterious commune, and blackmail. He's not sure who he can trust ... or whether a deadly dance with the devil will be his undoing

Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery Series Box Set: Books 1-3 by BV Lawson

Price: $8.99 USD. Words: 223,840. Language: English. Published: June 6, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General

Revenge is best served ... bold. When a con woman vows to avenge her grandmother's death, she has to outsmart a handsome detective plus the efforts of her nemesis to silence her...forever.

Burn Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: Beverly Laborde & Adam Dutton Mysteries, Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 75,300. Language: English. Published: May 31, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural

Detective Adam Dutton and con woman Beverly battle arson, fraud, and a new NAL villain, even as they fight the smoldering attraction between them.

Hide Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: Beverly Laborde & Adam Dutton Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 74,110. Language: English. Published: March 31, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural

When a police detective's godfather is framed for murder, he teams up with a con woman to find the real killer. But what if they're already too late?

Steal Away: An Adam Dutton & Beverly Laborde Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: Beverly Laborde & Adam Dutton Mysteries, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 74,710. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths

A con woman hoping to take revenge on the man she feels responsible for her grandmother's death has to fight her growing attraction for a handsome Vermont police detective and the efforts of her nemesis to silence her ... forever. But if she can allow herself to trust her instincts—and the detective—she might just have a fighting chance.

Ill-Gotten Games: a Scott Drayco Short Story by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 9,030. Language: English. Published: February 2, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General

The clock is ticking as detective Scott Drayco has to solve cryptic cellphone messages from a dangerous killer to keep an innocent man from going to jail.

The Suicide Sonata: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 5. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 88,370. Language: English. Published: October 29, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

Can a piece of music be cursed? A song linked to suicides is found with a victim's body, but was it really suicide—or a cleverly disguised murder?

The Scott Drayco Series: Books 1-3 by BV Lawson

Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 255,280. Language: English. Published: April 6, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

Read the first three books in the Shamus Award-nominated mystery series that Library Journal called "worth putting on your reading list" and readers describe as “not a stereotypical detective” and "an extremely complex character." If you like a heart tugging mystery and thrilling suspense, you’ll love BV Lawson’s bestselling series.

The Maltese Moon Rock: A Scott Drayco Novelette by BV Lawson

Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 16,950. Language: English. Published: November 16, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense

Crime consultant Scott Drayco and “the world’s most diminutive defense attorney” Benny Baskin find themselves on the Eastern Shore of Virginia fighting for the innocence of Baskin's client, jailed for the murder of his business partner. Against the backdrop of the Wallops Island rocket launch facility, Drayco soon discovers the motive for the man's murder might just be out of this world.

Elegy in Scarlet: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 4. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 82,660. Language: English. Published: October 29, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

NOTE: This is a sequel to book #4 in the Scott Drayco series, DIES IRAE, which should be read before ELEGY IN SCARLET if you want to avoid spoilers! When crime consultant Scott Drayco’s long-AWOL mother returns and is charged with murder, he’s dragged into a world of secrets, lies, and cons as he becomes obsessed with solving the mystery about her and his own past.

Hear No Evil: Five Scott Drayco Stories by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 17,160. Language: English. Published: August 13, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Themes & motifs » Psychological

Five tales featuring brilliant crime consultant Scott Drayco, a former pianist turned FBI agent who uses his music and law enforcement insights to solve cases others don't want to touch. From HEAR NO EVIL, where Drayco has to solve a murder in an empty concert hall in a snowstorm, to FM IS FOR MURDER, where a shock jock gets his comeuppance, these stories show why evil is often a song best unsung.

The Melungeon Witch: The Five Collected Stories by BV Lawson

Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 24,600. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

Five romantic suspense short stories set between the two World Wars in the Appalachians near Sneedville, Tennessee featuring mysterious Melungeon healer Cephea Collins and Sheriff Daniel Praeger.

The Melungeon Witch's Scandal by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 5,320. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

When a single, pregnant woman is attacked, Melungeon healer Cephea Collins comes to her defense and her aid. After all, Cephea herself knows a thing or two about being an outcast in society. As Sheriff Daniel Praeger's ex-wife makes a last-ditch attempt to drive Daniel and Cephea apart, Cephea begins to wonder if there will be a happy ending for anyone.

The Melungeon Witch's Gold by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 6,100. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

A mysterious stranger is found with a bag of gold—and shot with a poisoned arrow. When a man and woman arrive in town with claims the gold was stolen, Sheriff Daniel Praeger must uncover the truth while Melungeon healer Cephea Collins tends to the wounded and unconscious victim. Will the growing feelings between Daniel and Cephea help solve the puzzle or drive them further apart?

The Melungeon Witch's Ghost by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 6,020. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

When Sheriff Daniel Praeger's three-year-old son finds a "sleeping man" in the woods, Daniel realizes the man has been murdered—and was himself accused of murdering his own wife a year ago. With the dead man's uncooperative family and Daniel's ex turning up the heat, can Daniel keep his son and Cephea safe while sorting out his own conflicted emotions?

Return of the Melungeon Witch by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 5,680. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

Melungeon healer Cephea Collins finds herself falling for Sheriff Daniel Praeger, but those feelings are put to the test when he asks her help on a case involving the murder of his ex-girlfriend's brother. As the ex makes it clear she wants to rekindle her relationship with Daniel, Cephea learns that love can be as deadly as any of the poultices and poisons she uses in her craft.

The Melungeon Witch by BV Lawson

Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 3,170. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Romance » Paranormal » General

When a girl is found murdered in a small Appalachian town after meeting with mysterious Melungeon healer Cephea Collins, suspicion falls on Cephea. It's up to Sheriff Daniel Praeger to uncover the truth, but his investigation may dig a little too close to home when he finds himself falling for the main suspect, and his beliefs about science and witchcraft are turned upside down.

Dies Irae: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 3. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 85,370. Language: English. Published: October 15, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General

(5.00 from 1 review)

Three years ago, Scott Drayco left the FBI after an incident involving his partner, Mark “Sarg” Sargosian. Now a freelance crime consultant, Drayco never imagined his estranged former FBI partner would turn up on his doorstep, pleading for help. But Drayco must race against the clock to solve a music code sent to a murdered college student—before his partner’s daughter becomes the next victim.

Requiem for Innocence: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 83,360. Language: English. Published: April 30, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

(5.00 from 1 review)

- Four adult murder victims in Washington, DC, all wheelchair-bound - An attack on an innocent disabled girl on Virginia's Eastern Shore - A list of suspects that include a badly-disfigured man, his enigmatic Goth son, and a slippery and dangerous adversary Crime consultant Scott Drayco must battle greed, guilt, and guile to uncover the truth. But is he dealing with one murderous monster or two?

Played to Death: A Scott Drayco Mystery by BV Lawson

Series: The Scott Drayco Mysteries, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 87,440. Language: English. Published: July 12, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller

(5.00 from 3 reviews)

When crime consultant Scott Drayco is bequeathed a rundown Opera House in a down-on-its-luck seaside village, his hopes for a quick sale are dashed after a client is murdered in the Opera House—the letter “G” mockingly carved into his chest. Drayco must untangle a web of jealousy and betrayal reaching into the darkest days of history before tensions in town explode and he becomes the next victim.

False Shadows: Eight Scott Drayco Mystery Stories by BV Lawson

Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 27,130. Language: English. Published: December 30, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories

Scott Drayco had everything going: handsome, brilliant, a talented classical pianist. After a violent act scarred him, he turned to an FBI career and now freelances as a crime consultant, taking on cases others won't touch. From a suspected serial killer who plays mind games with Drayco, to murder and revenge at 20,000 feet, these 8 stories delve into dark mysteries of the human soul.

BV Lawson's tag cloud

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