Retired police chief and new private eye Julius Haddock is enjoying the quiet life in the small Rhode Island seaside town of Little Penwick when the brutal murder of Rhode Island Attorney General Preston Knox shatters the peace. The high-profile killing happens just weeks before Knox’s expected election as Governor, and Julius’s own rocky history with the victim casts suspicion his way. But he has an alibi and the outgoing Governor taps the veteran cop for the state police task force investigating the murder. Now Julius must hunt for answers about who wanted Knox dead badly enough: and the list is long.

The investigation stirs up long-buried family secrets, political corruption, and small-town grudges that hit far too close to home, leaving Julius torn between the high-stakes murder case and the personal struggles unfolding in his own backyard—like a troubled local kid with his own family problems and coaxing the last surviving member of an old Little Penwick family to consider donating his precious land to the local Land Trust. As a true Swamp Yankee, Julius relies on stubborn determination, old-school instincts, and deep community ties to unravel the web of lies, but the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous the shadows become.

In the tradition of classic small-town cop mysteries, Family Affairs delivers a page-turning police procedural laced with suspense, layered family drama, and the authentic flavor of rural Rhode Island life. Think intricate investigations, tight-knit community secrets, stubborn local characters, and the personal cost of justice in a place where everyone knows your name—and your history.

Don’t miss this gripping addition to the Swamp Yankee Mystery series—grab a copy of Family Affairs today in your favorite format: e-book, trade paperback, or audiobook!