The Kidnapping And Murder (Derrick Mallow Mysteries Book 4)

A Gripping Detective Mystery with Supernatural Undertones

In mid-November 2028, Detectives Derrick Mallow and Sean McCall are still reeling from the aftermath of the Plutoian conflict. Fatigue clouds their minds, and even routine tasks feel unfamiliar. But a quiet morning at the Lake Tisdale Police Department is quickly shattered when Arthur McKinnon arrives earlier than usual—with urgent news: his grandson, Ralph, has been kidnapped.

Assigned as lead investigators, Mallow and McCall are pulled into a case that grows stranger with every step. Unexplained events begin to surface, testing not only their skills but their grip on reality. As clues blur and tension builds, Chief Adams becomes convinced that an old family curse has resurfaced—one that has haunted the McKinnon lineage for generations.

As the investigation deepens, the detectives must push past exhaustion, uncertainty, and forces they don’t fully understand. Time is running out, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Finding Ralph McKinnon may require more than logic—it may demand confronting something far more elusive.

Start reading The Kidnapping and Murder today and follow Mallow and McCall as they race against time in a case where nothing is as it seems.

Excerpt from the book

It’s mid-November 2028, and only two weeks until Thanksgiving. The world has been through a lot, but things are gradually returning to normal. On this day, the two detectives, Mallow and McCall, are waiting for the alarm clock to start blaring so they can begin another week’s work at the new Lake Tisdale Police Department in the center of town. At least, that’s what they thought.

A group of dogs is barking and running through the resort apartment complex parking lot.

Mallow wakes groggy, turns toward the nightstand, and gasps when he sees what time it is.

“Greta! Please wake up, we are two hours late for work. It’s ten AM,” Mallow shouts.

“Whaaaat?” Greta asks slowly.

“It’s ten o’clock. We have to get moving. Get dressed. I am going to call the chief,” Mallow says, distraught.

“Okay,” Greta says.

She yawns, then lies down and falls asleep again. Mallow is on his mobile phone, calling Chief Adams, but all he gets is voicemail.

“I can’t get the chief. I tried the others, but all my calls go straight to voicemail. Are you dressed yet?” Mallow asks.

He doesn’t get a reply; he only hears snoring.

When he enters the bedroom, he sighs and curses. He walks around to her side of the bed, picks her up, and sits her up on the bed. Her head is wobbling, and she looks at Mallow, perplexed.

“Why did you pick me up?” Greta asks groggily.

“Because we are late for work. I tried calling in, but all the numbers and mobiles go straight to voicemail.”

Thirty minutes later, they are in the old jeep on their way to work. Greta is looking straight ahead, smiling softly, and dozing off to sleep.

“Did you feed the canary?” Mallow asks.

He gets no reply. Greta is leaning against the passenger door, sleeping.

Mallow shakes his head and thinks, we shouldn’t have stayed up so late watching movies.

While driving, he remembers all the things that Greta had gone through during the Plutoian war and realizes that it is a blessing that she and the others are still alive. He thinks to himself, the canary has enough food and water, remembering that he overfilled the feed and water containers.

“Wake up, Greta, we are here.”

“Uh-huh, okay.”

“Not again.”

Mallow sighs and taps her on the shoulder, and then he decides the only way to wake her up is to blow the damn horn.

“What?” She rises quickly with her fist in a ball. “Did you blow the damn horn?” Greta asks vehemently.

“Yes, I did. It was the only way I could get you to wake up,” Mallow answers calmly.

They both leave the jeep and start walking toward the police department’s back entrance when Greta notices a black King Cab pickup truck parked in the accessible parking spot.

“Is that Arthur McKinnon’s truck?” she asks curiously.

“I believe it is his truck,” Mallow replies, wondering what is happening.

When they open the door and walk in, it suddenly appears that something bad has happened. Everyone inside is in pure disbelief and worry.

“Sorry we’re late, Chief. I forgot to set the alarm on the mobile, sir,” Mallow says.

The chief nods and gestures for the two detectives to follow him into his office.

Mallow and Greta say good morning to the others as they pass by on their way to the office. There are no verbal responses, only slight nods of their heads. Everyone is in a state of shock.