Tangled Darkness

The Portland Murders: Book 1

Published Copy

Genres

LGBT Mystery, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Mystery, Women Sleuths, Suspense Thriller, Murder Mystery, Medical Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Debut, and Novels

Trigger Warnings

Violence, Death, Abuse, and Suicide

Type of Ending

Series

The Portland Murders — Book 1

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Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books

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Number of days to read

Publication Date

Jul 15, 2025

Page Length

333 pages

Available Formats

ePub and PDF

Tangled Darkness

The Portland Murders: Book 1

Published Copy

Blurb

In a twisted web of lies, she's either the spider or the fly.

When a psychiatric clinical assistant turns up dead, Dr. Leslie Schoen finds herself a suspect in the case—and facing allegations that could destroy her career.

As Detective Davis works the investigation, Leslie launches her own inquiries. She soon uncovers deception and illegal schemes involving stolen prescription opioids. It seems everyone around her is hiding something, and as she gets closer to the truth, the threats against her escalate. She struggles with keeping dangerous information from her pregnant wife, Izzy, and knows she needs to confront traumatic demons from her own past. But as she delves deeper into a web of lies, one thing becomes clear: someone will do anything to keep their criminal plans in the shadows.

With her family and even her life on the line, Leslie must outwit those who want her silenced before it’s too late. No one’s motives are what they seem, and the killer may be closer than anyone thinks.

Perfect for fans of Tess Gerritsen, Freida McFadden, Lucinda Berry, and Patricia Cornwell.

Details

Genres

LGBT Mystery, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Mystery, Women Sleuths, Suspense Thriller, Murder Mystery, Medical Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Debut, and Novels

Trigger Warnings

Violence, Death, Abuse, and Suicide

Type of Ending

Series

The Portland Murders — Book 1

Author Prefers A Review On

Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books

Reader Spots Remaining

Number of days to read

Publication Date

Jul 15, 2025

Page Length

333 pages

Available Formats

ePub and PDF

Author

Mary Desch penned her debut psychological thriller, TANGLED DARKNESS, after practicing psychiatry for years in Minnesota, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon. As a former general and addiction psychiatrist, she worked with people’s motivations, conflicts, trauma recovery, and addictive disorders. Naturally drawn to psychological suspense, Mary’s medical work primed her to create relatable fictional characters and situations of psychological and physical danger. Her childhood attraction to the Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine grew into a college love for detective fiction and a lifelong passion for mystery thrillers. Crafting a psychological thriller was a natural fit. TANGLED DARKNESS was named to the 2023 Chanticleer Clue Awards shortlist. When not investigating another facet of writing, Mary enjoys hiking and long dog walks with her wife and their rascal mini schnauzer, Portland food carts, golf, and the WNBA.

Publisher

Rowan Prose Publishing