Stateline (Paperback or Softback)

A hard-boiled crime thriller in which a nearly broke private detective takes a grieving tycoon's bounty to hunt his son's killer. Gritty noir suspense of crooked cops, a murdered groom, a haunted past and survival from snowy mountains to lonely desert.

Cancel the wedding, the groom is dead.

When a tycoon’s son is murdered the night before his wedding, the enraged and grief-stricken father offers private detective Dan Reno a life-changing bounty to find the killer. Reno, nearly broke, figures he’s finally landed in the right place at the right time. It’s a nice thought, but when a band of crooked cops get involved, Reno finds himself not only earning every penny of his paycheck, but also fighting for his life.

Who committed the murder, and why? Which cops can he trust, if any? Haunted by his murdered father and a violent, hard drinking past, Reno wants no more blood on his hands. But a man’s got to make a living, and backing off isn't in his DNA. Traversing the snowy alpine winter in the Sierras and the lonely deserts of Nevada, Reno must revert to his old ways to survive. Because the fat bounty won’t do him much good if he’s dead.

Stateline is a gritty, adrenaline-fueled ride from start to finish, packed with vividly portrayed characters. Brilliantly written, it'll keep you turning the pages late into the night.

What readers say about Stateline (from Amazon reviews):

STATELINE is book eight in the Dan Reno Novel Series, a crime for fans of Lee Child and Michael Connelly.

Praise for the series:

★★★★★ “This is a super, hard-hitting murder mystery. I would give it more than five stars, if possible. The action never stops. Never have I read a murder mystery better than this one. It is terrific.”

★★★★★ “The author is pretty much a master and he covered everything here, leaving no loose ends. It’s a really great book, artfully conceived and put together.”

★★★★★ “The scenes are so well written it almost feels like you are standing in the snow in Lake Tahoe or running for your life in Vegas.”

★★★★★ “It is classic noir, very good, coherent and rapid without being rushed.”

★★★★★ “This is the best crime novel I have ever read. His writing style is so intriguing. He is great at the plot and even better at the ending.”

★★★★★ “Dan Reno kicks ass, takes names, and still has time for some of the best one-liners I've ever read. Dan Reno rocks!!”

★★★★★ “If you like murder mysteries and sleuthing tales, and aren't squeamish about sex, violence, or language, you WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!”

★★★★★ “I love to read old school hard-hitting crime novels. That what's you get with Dan Reno. Hard hitting, take no prisoners. We need more men like Dan Reno.”

★★★★★ “Excellently plotted thriller, never loses momentum and a sort of inverted, manic vitality.”

★★★★★ “Dave Stanton is what l would call a writer. That is the style of writing l REALLY enjoy.”

★★★★★ “I've been searching for a really good hard-boiled detective writer for quite a while. I found what I was looking for in Dave Stanton's Stateline.”

★★★★★ “Great book! Gritty and grownup, Stateline breaks the mold of popular fiction. By giving human flaws their due attention, the characters become rich and believable.”

★★★★★ “Wow! Talk about a fast-paced, keep-you-guessing, mystery that will have you glued to it until the end. I'm definitely looking for more to read by Dave Stanton!”

★★★★★ “Stanton's characters Dan Reno and Cody Gibbons reminded me of James Lee Burke's characters Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell. And if that isn't high enough praise I found Stateline to be as enjoyable as CJ Box's Joe Pickett novels. This dude can write.”

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He received a BA in journalism from San Jose State University in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, debt collector, and technology salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley, and lives with his wife, Heidi, in San Jose, California. Stanton's eight novels all feature private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but for those who want to know, the order is: Stateline, Dying for the Highlife, Speed Metal Blues, Dark Ice, Hard Prejudice, The Doomsday Girl, Right Cross, and The Asylum Thread. You can get a complimentary copy of Wrong Turn at Carson, a Dan Reno short story, by signing up for Dave’s mailing list at: www.danrenonovels.com. You can find Dave on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DanRenoNovels/