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BREATH PLAY

Some secrets are buried in the deep. Others float to the surface.

When private investigator Dan Burnett and his girlfriend, Mia, stumble upon a young woman’s body washed ashore in Mamaroneck, New York, he calls it in to 911 and assumes his responsibilities are over.

But days later, another woman turns up—then another. Each victim shares two things in common: they're all nurses, and they’ve all been found floating in Long Island Sound.

With the entire New York area gripped by an apparent serial killer, and the police scrambling for leads, one victim's desperate parents turn to Dan for answers. He teams up with an old friend, Willy Grant, the NYPD detective assigned to the case.

Together they search for any other link between the young women, and as the death toll rises, Dan uncovers a chilling pattern tied to a dangerous sexual kink—and a prime suspect who vanishes just as the police close in.

For those familiar with the Dan Burnett series, this installment further explores Dan’s relationship with Mia and his daughter, Hannah, as they each pursue their careers.

Deeply emotional and loaded with twists, Breath Play is a gripping addition to the Dan Burnett Mystery Thriller series—perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Lisa Gardner, and Robert Crais.

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REVIEWS FOR BREATH PLAY

  • "Breath Play is a taut, atmospheric thriller that plunges deep into the shadows of Long Island Sound—and doesn’t come up for air until the final page. Larry Terhaar delivers another compelling entry in the Dan Burnett Mystery Thriller series, and it's a gripping one."

    — L.H. — Netgalley

  • "The life of a PI isn't just one mystery at a time, and Terhaar captures that beautifully. The suspense crept in slowly, building until I realized I was completely hooked. This book isn't just for crime fiction fans; it's for readers who love characters with heart, and thrillers that don't rely on explosions to keep your attention. If you're someone who enjoys character-driven mysteries with a slow burn and a touch of romance, Breath Play will stick with you."

    — Literary Titan Book Reviews

  • "When Dan Burnett finds a young woman's body rolling in the surf in Long Island Sound, his proclivity for uncovering trouble is unmistakable. In Breath Play, he becomes involved in a probe throughout Westchester County, NY, for the circumstances that led to the deadly beach find. Readers may not expect speedboats, breathless pursuits, and a story that grows beyond U.S. borders, but Larry Terhaar couples swift action with the unexpected to keep readers guessing on many levels."

    — D. Donovan — Midwest Book Reviews

  • "Quiet, deliberate, and deeply human… A retired NYPD detective finds himself circling the edges of a chilling murder spree in Larry Terhaar’s measured, character-driven thriller. Dan Burnett’s life on Long Island Sound has a gentle rhythm with his girlfriend, Mia—until they discover the body of a young nurse missing for a month. As more nurses wash up, the tension comes not from breakneck pacing but from the steady tightening of patterns, the knowledge that the killer is methodical and will almost certainly strike again. A gripping thriller where the bodies may be in the water, but the real undercurrent is in the lives tethered to the investigation."

    — The Prairies Book Reviews

SNEAK PREVIEW

Read the first few chapters here:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Terhaar

LARRY TERHAAR

Larry Terhaar is the multiple award-winning author of the Dan Burnett mystery series, including the bestselling novel Tracking Ariana. His fiction combines suspense, legal intrigue, and compelling characters drawn from real-world issues and contemporary events.

After a rewarding career in real estate development, Larry and his wife, along with their Australian Shepherd, spent over a decade sailing throughout the Western Atlantic and Caribbean, from Maine to Grenada, living aboard most of the time.

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READ MORE ABOUT LARRY

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