P.M. Carlson

The second Marty Hopkins mystery
Indiana Deputy Sheriff Marty Hopkins has missing persons on her mind: her husband has left to chase his dream of fame; her ten-year-old daughter wants to follow her father; and fourteen-year-old Johnny Donato is missing. Johnny’s case takes a grave turn when his mutilated body is found floating in the White River. Marty investigates the locals and also a group of newcomers, a teenage church group working on an archaelogical dig of a utopian village. But the river, swollen with the summer rains, seems to hide a more sinister truth. Marty is a cop but she’s also a mother, and soon a second tragedy triggers every parent’s nightmare. Someone is out there, someone haunted by dreadful torments, roaming the countryside, stalking new prey.



“Carlson’s characters are sharp and strong, and the story’s unexpected twists and turns will leave you reeling. This author proves that life in the country can be just as shady as anything found in Sara Paretsky’s Chicago.” New Woman Magazine

“Shocking. . . .In Marty Hopkins, Carlson has created a heroine who exemplifies today’s independent working woman struggling to balance the diverse and challenging demands of work and home. . . .” Park Slope Courier

“With exquisite skill P.M. Carlson builds a tale of obsession and pride in BLOODSTREAM. The story is vivid and the plot unfolds in a masterful way.”
Romantic Times

“As the river and the suspense rise to a crescendo, Mary endures watery danger of her own before solving this affecting puzzle.” Publishers Weekly