The Books

		Cast the First Stone:  Murder In Memphis Three gay men are murdered - no suspects.  A video of Memphis Police officers beating a gay man goes viral.  The city council passionately debates protecting homosexuals under the city's non-discrimination law.  Demonstrators rally outside City Hall.  Emotions run hot.  A fourth gay man is found dead.  Retaliation from the LGBT community feels imminent.  Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd's team must solve all four homicides before there's a fifth. "The saga of  Memphis police detective Julia Todd continues with this rollicking fifth installment...Paavola confidently references and explores several hot-button issues, such as LGBT equality, hate crimes, homophobia, and so-called 'conversion therapy'.  The detective work is smoothly depicted throughout...[the]conclusion is handled with the author's usual care and features some surprising revelations.." - Kirkus Reviews (2015)    Blood Money: Murder In Memphis Two bodies are discovered within a mile of one another, one a teenage prostitute, the other an investment counselor. Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd and her team's investigations take them in two directions: Mexican cartels and Ponzi schemes. The two inquiries eventually intersect at a common theme -- the multi-billion dollar business of money laundering. A Mexican cartel orders hitmen to track down targeted Americans. Julia's name is on that hit list. This is Paavola's fourth book in the Murder In Memphis series. (2013)
		Which One Dies Today? Murder In Memphis This is the third book in the Murder In Memphis series: Car bombs, a serious weapon of choice--matching family members' pain when a loved one dies because their health insurance company's priority is its bottom line. A powerful motive for murder. Two car bombs are detonated, then a third--two people are killed, two maimed. Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd discovers that many health insurance companies have been using their version of death panels, denying life-saving medical treatment while their policyholder dies. Using one Iraq War demolitions specialist to catch another, two bombs are found and diffused. The bombers up the ante--pledging a suicide pact and adding police to the target list--Julia is number one. "After a flurry of explosions lights up the streets of Memphis, Lt. Julia Todd and her team of investigators have to play catch-up to stop the bombers before the next strike...but they always seem to find themselves a half step behind - too slow to stop the bomb but close enough to feel the flames...The action is...electric: There's no shortage of bombs and smart, intense sleuthing. A fun, keep-you-up-at-night thrill ride." -Kirkus Reviews (2012)
		They Gotta Sleep Sometime: Murder In Memphis Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd returns in the second installment in the Murder in Memphis series. She is concerned when she learns that three of her elderly aunt's high school classmates have died in their hospital beds within the past six months. Her investigation takes her to the halls of Central High School, class of 1948, where she discovers a clique who bullied students considered to be different. Now sixty years later, the dead bodies of these bullies are piling up. Todd and her team scramble to prevent a fourth murder, then a fifth. Many have been harassed by bullies. For some, being bullied can be traumatic, life-altering--characterized by fear, anxiety and social isolation, affecting every decision they will make in life. Revenge is one of those decisions. "...a brisk, engaging whodunit. [Lieutenant Julia] Todd is a well-drawn heroine...The plot sizzles as case leads and shady characters smoothly integrate themselves into the author's grand design and rousing conclusion. An assured soft-boiled sequel steeped in revenge, cold-blooded murder and contemporary calamities." -Kirkus Reviews (2011)
		The Chartreuse Envelope: Murder In Memphis James Paavola introduces the first novel in his "murder in Memphis" series: "The Chartreuse Envelope: Murder In Memphis." Wall Street meets Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. When the subprime mortgage strategies began to unwind in 2007, and the stock market experienced the first waves of economic collapse, Dr. Charleze Mitchell hatched a daring scheme to save her hedge fund - involving industrial sabotage, illegal stock price manipulation, and murder. Memphis Police Lieutenant Julia Todd matches wits with the brilliant and desperate hedge fund manager. Beginning with the appearance of a blood-stained chartreuse envelope, she systematically uncovers Mitchell's intricate plot, and the planned murder of three biomedical engineers. Both women are products of abusive parents. One child matured to be protective of others' rights, and one became self-protective and Machiavellian. These two women lead their respective teams in a high stakes game of the winner lives. "...intricately plotted mystery thriller...sleuthing is engaging...Paavola keeps the action coming and his characters consistently interesting..." -Kirkus Reviews (2010) "...well thought out...riveting...couldn't put it down." -Colonel Lori Bullard, Memphis Police Department Precinct Commander, Union Station (2010)
A portion of proceeds from the sale of books in this series goes to the Memphis/Shelby County Law Enforcement Foundation, a  501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to supplement training and equipment for officers.