Website of Crime Writer Sue Coletta
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and a proud member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Kill Zone — home to 11 top suspense writers and publishing professionals who cover the publishing biz, marketing how-to’s, and the craft of writing. Each day, they open the doorway into the world of the working writer. Sue also blogs on two other group writing blogs, Writers Helping Writers and StoryEmpire. You can learn more about the Kill Zone in About me.
Join Sue’s Newsletter and have multiple opportunities to win free books and the coveted Poe Pen (monthly giveaway), a handcrafted wooden pen made of Antebellum cherry with a crow (Poe) burned into the wood. Not available anywhere else.
In Murder Blog, Sue shares forensic advancements, research, true crime stories, interviews with law enforcement, writing tips, anything and everything about serial killers, and more. Bizarre animal facts are fan favorites. Please feel free to use her Crime Writer’s Resource, an invaluable tool for those with murders in their plot (also available in the menu bar for easy access). What you won’t find on this site are endless book promotions. That’s not the main focus of Murder Blog. If you’re curious about Sue’s books, they’re listed below. Escape into her thrillers or true crime by sampling the previews.
If you’re a lover of true crime, Pretty Evil New England is available everywhere books are sold. Or ask your local library for a copy.
“Riveting and haunting! Sue Coletta’s page-turning crime fiction is deliciously nuanced with delectable horror and dark humor. Unique and compelling characters make a sumptuous and satisfying meal. Save room for a decadent dessert of plot twists.” USA Today Bestselling Author Jordan Dane
TRUE CRIME by Sue Coletta
“Chilling. Coletta draws on a wide range of original sources to bring her subjects to life.” Publishers Weekly
“When one thinks of serial killers, one might think of Ted Bundy, or the Green River Killer, or even Jack the Ripper. It is not likely, though, that one will think of any women. But there are several female serial killers among the American pantheon of criminals, and Sue Coletta, an absolute master of the true-crime genre, brings to bear her brilliant writing and stellar research in this marvelous treatise by taking a hard look at female serial killers in New England during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.” Portland Book Review
For four centuries, New England has been a cradle of crime and murder—from the Salem witch trials to the modern-day mafia. Nineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson.
Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. In Pretty Evil New England, true crime author Sue Coletta tells the story of these five women, from broken childhoods, to first brushes with death, and she examines the overwhelming urges that propelled these women to take the lives of a combined total of more than one-hundred innocent victims.
The murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the would-be victims that lived to tell their stories.
“When one thinks of serial killers, one might think of Ted Bundy, or the Green River Killer, or even Jack the Ripper. It is not likely, though, that one will think of any women. But there are several female serial killers among the American pantheon of criminals, and Sue Coletta, an absolute master of the true-crime genre, brings to bear her brilliant writing and stellar research in this marvelous treatise by taking a hard look at female serial killers in New England during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
She tells the stories of Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson, even using their own words at times to really give readers the whole story. She has accessed interviews, newspaper articles, court transcripts, and more to bring readers into the times and places about which she is writing. Her writing is accessible and focused, appropriate for the topic, and the stories of these women are very compelling. She has chosen great subject matter for fans of true crime writing. Readers will still be left with questions unanswered, but they will be fully satisfied with these fascinating stories. Don’t miss this one.” ~ Portland Book Review
Rowman & Littlefield Group, Inc.
Read Chapter One.
Autographed paperbacks available.
Thrillers by Sue Coletta
Savage Mayhem
Book 9, Mayhem Series
*New Release Alert*
Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.
With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.
There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.
Even murder.
As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?
Barnes & Noble, Apple, Smashwords, Kobo, etc…
Savage Mayhem released in paperback and digital formats on April 11, 2024.
Merciless Mayhem
Book 8, Mayhem Series
International Impact Book Award Winner!
Shawnee and Mayhem continue to wreak havoc on the Killzme Corporation—the largest animal trafficking ring in the country—by killing one poacher at a time. The stakes grow increasingly higher when the nefarious group retaliates by putting a bounty on their heads.
Meanwhile, the traffickers set their sights on capturing Orca for profit and pleasure.
While racing a ticking clock, Shawnee and Mayhem alternate between undercover surveillance and clandestine battles to save their loved ones and the Innocent Ones from Killzme’s evil plans.
Skills get tested.
Tenuous alliances form.
Not everyone will make it out alive.
Set in a world of cultural wonder, environmental threats, and looming danger, this heart-stopping eco-thriller will have you glued to the page from the first sentence to the last.
Ingram
Released Oct. 17, 2023, in digital and paperback formats. Audio coming in 2024!
Tracking Mayhem
Book 7, Mayhem Series
Award-Winning Series
Three unconventional eco-warriors are on a mission to save polar bears from the nation’s largest animal trafficking organization—one dead poacher at a time.
When eco-warriors, Shawnee, Mayhem, and Jacy Lee race across the country, dodging bullets and fighting their way through a gauntlet of danger, they soon realize they must risk everything to protect the bears before it’s too late. With courage, conviction, Native spirituality, and an innate connection to Mother Earth, the trio faces off against the notorious Killzme Corporation to stop the killing of Innocent Ones, the voiceless who can’t fight for themselves. But the stakes are high—blood will spill.
The war to save polar bears begins now. Can the eco-warriors evade Killzme’s relentless pursuit in time to make a difference?
Released June, 26, 2023, in digital and paperback formats. Audio coming in 2024!
Restless Mayhem
Book 6, Mayhem Series
Award-Winning Series
Amidst a rising tide of poachers, three unlikely eco-warriors take a stand to save endangered Eastern Gray Wolves—even if it means the slow slaughter of their captors.
Deep in the woods of Jackson, New Hampshire, an ancient evil lurks. Armed poachers patrol a secret enclosure, holding captive a pack of majestic Eastern Gray Wolves. But three unlikely eco-warriors are determined to free the wolves, embarking on a dangerous mission to end their torture. With courage and conviction, Shawnee, Mayhem, and Jacy Lee march onward, even if it means risking their own lives to take down the poachers and restore freedom to the wolves. It’s a battle between justice and injustice, and the eco-warriors are determined to win—no matter the cost.
But what if something even more evil lurks in those woods? What if Shawnee’s not ready to answer the cry for help?
Released April 26, 2023 in paperback and digital formats.
Unnatural Mayhem
Book 5, Mayhem Series
Award-Winning Series
With the fate of the Natural World at stake, can Shawnee and Mayhem stop trophy hunters before it’s too late?
Explosive news of a crow hunt rings out in the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire, and one hundred crows gather to put an end to it. With so many lives at stake—including Poe’s—Shawnee and Mayhem must work together to stop the trophy hunters before they obliterate the local murder.
Taking on twenty-five experienced hunters armed with shotguns is no small feat. If they fail, Poe may lead his brethren to their death.
No matter what it takes, this group must be stopped.
But what if Shawnee and Mayhem aren’t seeing the full picture? What if these men have secrets worth killing over?
Read Opening Chapter
Autographed Paperback Available.
I Am Mayhem
Book 4, Mayhem Series
Award-Winning Series
As bloody, severed body parts show up on her doorstep, Shawnee Daniels must stop the serial killer who wants her dead before she becomes the next victim.
But can she solve his cryptic clues before it’s too late? Or will she be the next to die a slow, agonizing death?
With crows stalking her every move, Shawnee can barely function. Things worsen when body parts show up on her doorstep. An unstoppable serial killer wants her dead. Mr. Mayhem threatens to murder everyone she loves, sending Shawnee a piece at a time.
As Mr. Mayhem sits in judgement, his cryptic clues must be solved before the final gavel drops. The game rules are simple—win the unwinnable or submit to a slow, agonizing death.
When Shawnee tries to fight back, she discovers her very existence is based on lies. But the full impact of the truth might become the headstone on Shawnee’s grave.
Autographed Paperbacks Available.
Silent Mayhem
Book 3, Mayhem Series
Award-Winning Series
HE has left a trail of beheadings. SHE is working for the cops but when he warns her she will be next, how can Shawnee Daniels believe—or trust—a vicious serial killer?
When a familiar crow drops a cryptic scroll at Shawnee Daniels’ feet, she’s compelled to open it, even though everything in her power warns her not to. Mr. Mayhem—the most prolific serial killer the North Shore has ever known—claims her life is in danger. He “claims” he wants to help her, but just last year he threatened to murder everyone she loves.
While Mayhem taunts her with oddly-placed feathers, like The Creator left at his crime scenes, an interstate killing spree rocks Massachusetts and New Hampshire. A madman is decapitating men and women, dumping their headless corpses on two area beaches. But what Shawnee soon uncovers shatters all she’s ever known, her memories shredded, the whispers of the past in shambles on the ground.
Can she find the strength to move forward, or will the truth destroy her?
Paperback and digital formats.
Listen to the opening chapter, narrated by the author.
Read Chapter One.
Autographed Paperbacks Available.
Blessed Mayhem
Book 2, Mayhem Series
Winner of the Readers’ Choice Award in Mystery/Thriller
A cat burglar stumbles across a serial killer at work. SHE piques his curiosity, but HE doesn’t allow witnesses.
When Shawnee Daniels, a seasoned cat burglar, breaks into a seemingly affluent home in the middle of the night, she is expecting to find jewelry, cash, and other valuables. But what she finds instead is a grisly scene of torture and murder. A serial killer is at work, and Shawnee is now his latest target. With nowhere to turn and no way out, she must rely on her wits and street smarts to survive. In this chilling psychological thriller, there is no one to trust and no escape from the terror that lurks in the shadows.
Digital and paperback formats available.
Listen to the opening chapter narrated by the author.
Want a sneak peek? Read Chapter One
Autographed Paperbacks Available.
Wings of Mayhem
Book 1, Mayhem Series
Winner of Best Mystery/Thriller/Heist Award
When the cat burglar and the serial killer collide, HE looks forward to breaking her will, but SHE never gives up. Not ever. And especially not for him.
Shawnee Daniels — forensic hacker for the police by day, cat burglar by night — ignites the hellfire fury of a serial killer when she unknowingly steals his trophy box.
Shawnee Daniels breaks into the home of Jack Delsin, a white-collar criminal accused of embezzling money from his employees’ retirement fund. In Robin Hood-esque fashion, her intention is to return their hard-earned cash, but she stumbles across a shocking spectacle. Jack has secrets, evil secrets, secrets worth killing over.
A deadly game of cat-and-mouse torpedoes Shawnee’s life. Can she outrun the killer, prove she’s innocent of murder, and protect those she loves before he strikes again?
Described by readers as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS meets THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, WINGS OF MAYHEM is a whirlwind of heart-thumping, non-stop action that takes your breath away. Impossible to put down.
Available in paperback, digital, and audio.
Audio available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes!
Listen to the opening chapter narrated by the author. Please note: The full audiobook is NOT narrated by the author.
Want a sneak peek? Read Chapter One.
Autographed copies available.
“For someone not named Patterson, Harris or Lindsay, Sue Coletta has reinvented the serial killer genre without stepping over the tropes for which we flock to it. In “Wings of Mayhem,” she gives us a “Silence of the Lambs” style yarn that takes us into not one, but two criminal minds: one a twisted psychopathic genius hell-bent on sending sickly cryptic messages through the flesh of his victims (the plot recalls the latest season of “The Following” starring Kevin Bacon, which gave new meaning to “twisted” while being something you could not look away from), the other being our protagonist, who moonlights from her day job (I won’t rat that out here) as a cat-burglar who stumbles into the wrong crib, stealing the aforementioned serial killer’s fetishized “precious.” There is hell to pay for them both as a result.
The story spins ahead with escalating velocity and well-rendered literary layers, always leaving the reader pleading for more information while delivering just enough with exquisite timing, always nailing a clear and rationale dissection of what seemed in the moment like insanity or illogic. The craft of the writer is on display from page one, with intense pacing, deeply drawn characters and a matrix of plot elements that never lets you see the big picture as completely as you think you do, thus setting up an ending that demands you stick with it until the final, unexpected twist.
You think you get it, but you don’t. And when you do, you’re delighted that you didn’t.
Sue Coletta is on a path. She earned her ticket into the crowded arena of dark thriller contenders with her previous novel (“Marred”), and in “Wings of Mayhem” she announces her arrival with the wail of approaching sirens and the quiet horror of a blade swinging at your throat in the dark. Don’t miss this one. A star is born.” Critically Acclaimed Author Larry Brooks — review posted on Amazon
Read Chapter One.
MARRED
Book 1, Grafton County Series
New Hampshire Readers’ Favorite Mystery/Thriller Series
When bestselling author, Sage Quintano, escapes from a serial killer, he retaliates by kidnapping her twin sister. Can Sage rescue her sister, or will he end his reign of terror with a matching set of corpses?
A serial killer breaks into the home of bestselling author Sage Quintano, and she barely escapes with her life. Her husband Niko, a homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff.
Sage buries secrets from that night, secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.
Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller torments Sage — she can’t outrun the past. When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing Sage searches Niko’s case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.
Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror with a matching set of corpses?
Paperback and digital formats.
Autographed paperbacks available.
Listen to the opening chapter narrated by the author.
Read Chapter One.
CLEAVED
Book 2, Grafton County Series
New Hampshire Readers’ Favorite Mystery/Thriller Series
The SLEEPY little town of Alexandria JUST WOKE UP. Even after Sheriff Niko Quintano fights a blizzard and finds the victims of a serial killer nailed to trees, he brushes off Sage’s concerns about her safety. Until she vanishes.
Author Sage Quintano writes about crime. Her husband, Niko, investigates it. Together they make an unstoppable team. But no one counted on a twisted serial killer who invades their life, uproots their happy home, and splits the threads that bond their family unit.
Darkness swallows Sage when the killer kidnaps her son, Noah, from their bed. Is Noah who he wants? Or is the killer using him as a pawn in a twisted game of cat-and-mouse?
Women impaled by deer antlers, bodies encased in oil drums, nursery rhymes, and the Suicide King. What connects these cryptic clues? For Sage and Niko, the truth may be more terrifying than they ever imagined.
Available now (see links below). Paperback and digital formats.
Autographed paperbacks available.
Listen to the opening chapter narrated by the author.
“I’ll definitely be in line for her next one. She’s on my auto-buy list.
Be prepared to stick with this one. It’s hard to put down. The pace starts at page 1 with a harrowing scene and continues its breakneck speed til the end. I love the titillating edge of horror woven into each of Coletta’s stories. Her vivid descriptions make me giddy. The suspense scenes put the reader front and center. I would characterize her style to be intense mystery/suspense with the best taste of horror, for readers like me who enjoy a visceral reaction when they read. But if you’re afraid of too much horror, don’t worry and try this book. The great characters and fast pace will suck you in until the last page.
The characters in this book are complex and layered with humor as a respite from the intensity. As a reader, you feel that you KNOW these people. Coletta writes about flawed yet endearing characters, put into dangerous situations. One character, Sage Quintano, is written in first person, which really puts the reader in her head. The other main characters are in deep third point of view. Each voice is distinct, another strength of this author. I highly recommend Sue Coletta’s books. CLEAVED is a must read.” USA Today Bestselling Author Jordan Dane — review posted on Amazon
SCATHED
Book 3, Grafton County Series
New Hampshire Readers’ Favorite Mystery/Thriller Series
His name is Paradox and he poses his victims in RED cocktail dresses. He will kill again if his clues aren’t solved within 24 hours. Can Niko and Sage stop him before the clock runs out?
On a picturesque fall morning in Grafton County, New Hampshire, a brutal murder rocks the small town of Alexandria. In the backyard of a weekend getaway cabin, a dead woman is posed in red-satin, with two full-bloomed roses in place of eyes.
In her hand she holds a mysterious envelope addressed to Sheriff Niko Quintano. Inside, Paradox vows to kill again if his riddle isn’t solved within 24 hours.
With so little time and not enough manpower, Niko asks his wife for help. But Crime Writer Sage Quintano is dealing with her own private nightmare. Not only did she find massive amounts of blood on the mountain where she and her family reside, but a phone call from the past threatens her future–the creepy mechanical voice of John Doe, the serial killer who murdered her twin sister.
Together, can Niko and Sage solve the riddle in time to save the next victim? Or will the killer win this deadly game of survival?
Listen to the opening chapter narrated by the author.
Want a sneak peek? Read the Opening Chapter.
Autographed paperbacks available.
RACKED
Book 4, Grafton County Series
New Hampshire Readers’ Favorite Mystery/Thriller Series
It always STARTS with a cute child’s toy. It ENDS in mind-numbing terror. When Sage and Niko’s son, Noah, receives a cute toy from a stranger for Christmas, their world STOPS. Shatters. Will Noah be the next?
Five missing boys and an adult corpse found in the town’s water shed was only the beginning for Sage and Niko Quintano. After a hooded-stranger gives their son, Noah, a stuffed animal—the exact Christmas moose given to all the missing boys days before their abductions—their lives spiral downward into uncertainty.
Could Noah be the next boy to go missing?
As they piece together each cryptic clue, the future looks more and more grim. But what they soon discover blows everyone’s mind, the truth teetering on the unfathomable.
What does it all mean? Where do they go from here?
Paperback and digital formats.
Want a sneak peek? Read the Opening Chapter.
Autograph Paperbacks Available.
HALOED
Book 5, Grafton County Series
New Hampshire Readers’ Favorite Psychological Thriller/Mystery Series
She may be paranoid, but is she right?
A string of gruesome murders rocks the small town of Alexandria, New Hampshire, with all the victims staged to resemble dead angels, and strange red and pink balloons appearing out of nowhere.
All the clues point to the Romeo Killer’s return. Except one: he died eight years ago.
Paranoid and on edge, Sage’s theory makes no sense. Dead serial killers don’t rise from the grave. Yet she swears he’s here, hungering for the only angel to slip through his grasp—Sage.
With only hours left to live, how can Sage convince her Sheriff husband before the sand in her hourglass runs out?
Autographed Paperbacks Available!
Read the opening chapter.
Novellas by Sue Coletta
FRACTURED LIVES
Book 2.5, Mayhem Series
A Mayhem Series Crossover Novella in Elle James’ Kindle World: BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS
Three couples, the perfect Maine vacation, and a fateful night that blew everyone’s mind.
Couples are going missing in Sunset Cove at Long Lake, and the authorities seem more concerned with not tarnishing the reputation of their popular tourist destination. Until … while out for a spin on her wave runner, Shawnee Daniels pulls alongside a deserted canoe.
Blood stains the seat.
When retired SEAL Brandon “Boomer” Rayne wakes to an empty bed—his bride-to-be Daphne nowhere inside their rented cabin—he enlists the help of the only people he’s met in the state: the couple next door, Shawnee Daniels and Revere, Massachusetts Detective Levaughn Samuels.
Uncertainty bonds the two neighbors, forced together by tragedy. Their predicament turns even deadlier when the half-nude body of a female washes ashore. No obvious signs of homicide exist. How did she die? Does her death relate to Daphne’s disappearance?
Time’s running out.
Can they piece together the mystery to find Boomer’s fiancé? Or will an elusive serial killer determine their fate?
Available on Amazon.
Read the first two chapters HERE
Autographed paperbacks available.
HACKED
Book 1.5, Mayhem Series
A Mayhem Series Crossover Novella in Susan Stoker’s Kindle World: SPECIAL FORCES: OPERATION ALPHA
When the FBI asks Shawnee Daniels to help stop a serial killer who remotely hacks vehicles and crashes them while the owners are behind the wheel, she faces the greatest challenge of her life.
Available on Amazon.
Read the first two chapters HERE.
Autographed Paperbacks Available.
Free flash fiction collection.
FREE for joining my community. This promotion ended in 2023. Instead, I’ll send you Fractured Lives for joining my community.
FREE for joining my community. This promotion also ended in 2023. Instead, I’ll send you Fractured Lives for joining my community.
Take a crime fiction tour of the nation in Murder U.S.A. anthology. Always free on Amazon.
Writing Guides by Sue Coletta
Looking for inspiration on how to murder your characters?
With this handy research guide, no longer will you need to search for ways to murder your characters, or stare at a blank screen while you mull over the character development of your antagonist. Each murder method listed in 60 Ways to Murder Your Characters comes with how you can use these murder methods in your novel, short story, or flash fiction.
From the basics, like a shotgun blast to the head, to the more creative ways to commit murder on the page, this research guide will help bring your crime scenes alive.
Let’s face it. Being an author isn’t an easy endeavor. Crime writing is even harder, because we need to ensure our stories ring true. That’s why I’ve given you the exact measurements for how to dissolve a body in lye or acid, for example. If I can help your stories ring true, then I consider it a win.
Need Research to Help Your Stories Ring True?
Look no further. In Crime Writer’s Research, you’ll find countless hours of research that I’ve compiled into one handy guide to help other crime writers or any author who has a murder, crime, or police procedures in their books. Let my passion for crime lend credibility to your story.
In Crime Writer’s Research you’ll find information about serial killers, police procedures, a rare never-before-seen interview with a real-life undercover operative, writing tips, forensics, and so much more. Available on Amazon.
One hundred different authors contributed a flash fiction story for this anthology. Look for my story, BETRAYED.
Learn more about One Hundred Voices by going to One Hundred Voices under “My Books” in the menu bar. Use my discount code and save 10%.
