Books by Mel Lake
Being the only vampire at the scene of a vampire attack is, Mitchell Townsend will admit, not a great look.
Mitchell is a PI—has been for most of his hundred-plus years as a vampire—and right now his biggest case is his own.
The inconvenient murder victim happens to be the YouTube personality who spent the last month publicly branding Mitchell the "Undead Deadbeat Dad" to millions of subscribers. His body turned up with suspicious neck injuries. Mitchell's name is in his calendar. So yes, it looks bad.
Every vampire in Phoenix already thinks he did it. The police agree. And unfortunately, Mitchell’s embarrassingly short list of supernatural abilities does not include producing a credible alibi. Meanwhile, VampCon carries on around him: a hundred thousand fans in plastic fangs, blood product vendors hawking ethically sourced O-negative, and enough anti-vamp protesters outside to make the evening news. Mitchell’s only ally is his Gen Z assistant who has had to explain, with increasing desperation, what “going viral” means, and why a million views is not the win it sounds like.
He’s been canceled, he’s being framed, and somewhere in this convention center is the real killer—who, unlike Mitchell, is not currently the prime suspect.
Perfect for fans of What We Do In The Shadows and Only Murders In The Building, a sharp and funny paranormal mystery where the vampire is the last person anyone trusts—and the only one working the case.
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March 9, 2027
Technically Dead Detective Mysteries, Book 2
A ruthless tech mogul invited his enemies to a lavish weekend at a winery. Bad idea.
Mitchell Townsend is a vampire and a private detective, off the clock for once. The plan: a low-body-count getaway—moonlit vineyard strolls, private tastings, and quality time with his boyfriend, AJ. Then a tour of the grounds turns up a body. Their host's.
Eddie Bernardi had built a fortune in data centers and was angling to become a media emperor. He'd also given nearly everyone present a reason to want him dead. The anchor whose career he held in his fist. The movie star he wouldn't stop pursuing. The proprietor whose winery depended on his backing. The winemaker he publicly humiliated. All of them on the estate when he died. Even AJ makes the list.
Nobody can afford the headlines, so they turn to Mitchell. With AJ among the suspects, he has one night to pull the truth out of people who know how to lie beautifully—before the police and paparazzi descend.
A hundred-plus years undead, and Mitchell still can't get one decent vacation.
Blood Worth Bottling is the second novel in the Technically Dead Detective series—a sharp, funny closed-circle paranormal mystery where the pours are generous, the alibis aren't, and nobody checks out before dawn.
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August 17, 2027
TBD (2028)
Technically Dead Detective Mysteries, Book 3
Book Three of the Technically Dead Detective Mysteries series ... coming in 2028.
TBD (2028)
Technically Dead Detective Mysteries, Book 4
Book Four of the Technically Dead Detective Mysteries series ... coming in 2028.