Bad Scene

USA Today Best-Selling Author

1978 San Francisco—a cult leader in Ecuador—one woman’s struggle to reconnect with her lost daughter before it is too late

When PI and ex-con, Colleen Hayes, learns that a local neo-Nazi group is talking about shooting the mayor, she thinks it’s just another rumor—until her source, a humble street newspaper vendor, winds up in SF General, beaten to a pulp.

To add to her grief, she discovers that her runaway daughter, Pamela, might have joined a shadowy religious group, building a church in South America near a volcano that is about to erupt. Death is the path to perfection according to the charismatic young preacher—and the date is fast approaching.

Colleen is desperate to find a way to stop her daughter from making the ultimate mistake before she—along with hundreds of others—lose their lives.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben’s gritty noir suspense

While all of the novels in the Colleen Hayes Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Vanishing in the Haight
Tie Die
Bad Scene
Line of Darkness (coming August 2022)

Praise for the Colleen Hayes Mystery Series

"Atmospheric and tense, this one sizzles with twists that entertain and magnetize, whetting the appetite for more." —Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author

"As beautifully written as it is expertly crafted, [the series] features characters drawn with the touch of a master artist and a story that sizzles even as it scintillates." —Jon Land, USA Today best-selling author

“[In Tie Die, Tomlinson] deepens the character of his multi-layered lead, Colleen Hayes, an unlicensed PI and ex-con who’s still on parole. Readers will want to learn more about this surprising and pragmatic woman.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Tomlinson's evocation of San Francisco at that time is spot on, and Colleen is an appealing kick-ass detective." —Booklist

"Max Tomlinson serves up the perfect mystery in this edgy new detective series set in ’70s San Francisco. Colleen Hayes, an ex-con in search of her missing teenage daughter, finally lands her first big case. There’s just one problem: she must find a killer who’s been lurking since the Summer of Love. Not to be missed." —James N. Frey, author of How to Write a Damn Good Thriller

"Max Tomlinson delivers a gritty, gripping story set in a fascinating time. Colleen Hayes is a deeply sympathetic sleuth, all too human. I can’t wait for her next adventure." —Evan Marshall, author of City in Shadow

"I’ve just three words to say about [Vanishing in the Haight] by Max Tomlinson—Wow. Just. Wow. Tomlinson’s taut, spare, evocative writing style is an absolute beauty. You couldn’t ask for a better guide through the dark, shadowy flashback haze of ‘70s San Francisco." —Tracy Clark, author of Broken Places

Will appear in:

Mystery Scene

Library Journal

Publishers Weekly

Foreword Reviews