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Welcome to the world of forensic mystery author P.L. Doss

“… [A]n electrifying read … With the combination of indoctrinated, organized racism, political ideologies, procedural gravitas, and fully fleshed out action characters, Southern Cross is a solid fourth book in the Joplin/Halloran Mysteries series.”
- Asher Sayed for Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“… [A] captivating mystery that intertwines themes of justice, loyalty, and small-town intrigue … intricate twists and turns kept me captivated from the start to the finish The story was … as thought-provoking as it was thrilling. I enjoyed this book and turned the pages as fast as I could … I was never disappointed at what happened, and the ending was brilliant.”
- Alma Boucher for Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“The plot has plenty of twists and turns, keeping you on your toes all the way through, and the ending will come as a surprise. This is a combination of murder mystery and political thriller that covers a lot of real historical events, like the Trail of Tears and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. There is plenty of humor throughout to lighten the load a little, and it’s the perfect book for anyone who loves a good mystery story.”
- Anne-Marie Reynolds for Reader’s Favorite Reviews

It’s mid-August of 2016, and the Hallorans invite Hollis and Carrie Joplin to spend the weekend at Healey and Caldwell’s golf retreat at Wolfscratch in the North Georgia mountains. Although a very pregnant Carrie is happy to escape Atlanta’s steamy heat, Hollis is afraid she’ll overdo it on the hiking trails. But when the four of them discover a dead body at the Upper Falls, that’s the least of his worries.

When the local authorities refuse to investigate what Hollis is certain is a homicide, it sets off a chain of events that will lead him to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and from there to a white supremacy group called The Cause, dedicated to righting perceived wrongs resulting from the Civil War. Many of the members are participating in a reenactment of the Battle of Tunnel Hill, a town not far from Wolfscratch.

Working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Hollis Joplin and Tom Halloran find themselves up against a domestic terrorist plot that threatens to open old wounds and spill more blood.

“The dead tell us more than the living sometimes. And they don’t lie.”
- Hollis Joplin

“I tend to leave out the human factor. Something Hollis never does.”
- Tom Halloran

The Joplin/Halloran Mysteries

Hollis Joplin, veteran investigator with the Milton County Medical Examiner’s Office, isn’t thrilled when he meets Tom Halloran, hotshot attorney, in Enough Rope. Halloran butts into investigations, interviews witnesses against direct orders, and otherwise makes himself a pain in the behind.

So Joplin’s really not thrilled when Halloran turns out to be the attorney of the dead woman who’s not dead in Blood Will Tell. When both men find themselves dealing with nearly identical mysteries in The Devil’s Bidding, the only way they’ll find the answers they need is to share information — something that doesn’t come easily to either of them. And in Southern Cross, their friendship may no longer be in question, but their lives are another story.

Yet even the world-weary, drinks-too-much-Yuengling, prone-to-the-Blue-Funks Joplin has to admit Halloran asks good questions, and occasionally comes in handy when he needs some unobtrusive and unofficial surveilling. Besides, Halloran’s wife Maggie is like the sister Joplin never had.

Maybe partners come into your life when you need them, whether you want them or not.