The initials of D.P. Lyle’s latest book represent Orange County, California’s third most populous county, nestled between Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Combined, these three densely tenanted areas have about 17 million residents, more than a third of the state’s population. The OC’s landmarks include Disneyland and Huntington Beach, the shire of surf and sun. And, like neighboring LA, movie stars.

Following 2020’s RIGGED, self-deprecating Jake Longly is “an old, washed-up athlete,” a former pro-baseball star. He and screenplay writer gal-pal Nicole Jamison jet from coastal Alabama to the Left Coast. “Her new film [Murderwood] was teed up to begin shooting in three weeks.”

"[T]he witty banter entices readers. THE OC dives into the thriller deep end, amid sharks of terror, torture and murder."

Nicole’s small-scale TV newshound friend, Megan Weatherly, has received increasingly disturbing emails. One that came “in a half hour ago, was definitely more aggressive.” Megan’s assistant, Abby, says, “That is major-league creepy.” Megan has a stalker.

At the TV station, Jake and Nicole read the anonymous messages and enlist Jake’s PI papa Ray and behemoth buddy Pancake Jeffers from Alabama for investigation and tech analysis. Pancake knew “his way into the dark corners of the cyber world.” As a private eye, though, he stands out like “a rhino running with a herd of gazelles.” Thus the need for non-descript Ray. Jake’s dad blends in like a shadow --- the perfect PI.

A few red-herring characters are tossed into the mix, but Lyle fans may note the telegraphed whodunit.

Perhaps because of the dark nature of celebrity stalking and innuendo of Nicole’s movie, Murderwood, this book lacks the humor found early in the series, excluding refrigerator-sized Pancake’s nonstop gorging and Jake’s alcohol consumption OCD. Still, the witty banter entices readers. THE OC dives into the thriller deep end, amid sharks of terror, torture and murder.

D.P. Lyle, MD has earned many awards, including Macavity, Benjamin Franklin Silver, Edgar, Shamus and Anthony awards. He has published 22 fiction and nonfiction books, and written for a score of TV shows, such as “Law & Order,” “CSI: Miami,” “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Women’s Murder Club.”