book cover of Ripped Past
 

Ripped Past

(2026)
(The eighth book in the Oak Island series)
A novel by

 
 
Watch out for that big lug with a heater aimed at your head! Daniel O’Dwyer is back—and he’s a private dick in post-World War II Wilmington.

Ripped Past is the eighth book in the humorous Oak Island series which began with Ripped Tide, the 2017 McGrath House Indie Award Winner in the Humor Category.

In this madcap noir mystery, wise-cracking hero Daniel O’Dwyer hits the crime-ridden streets with his fedora tilted just right. He’s hired by Stormy, a knockout dame, to find her missing sister, Sunny. But the path forward winds far more than the nearby Cape Fear River. Before Daniel can find the girl, he's dodging bodies—from a man who croaks in the next booth at the Chew Chat jazz joint, to a stiff in a red dress stuffed inside his own office closet.

Ripped Past features a quirky cast of uncannily familiar characters, including a dandy smelling partner tracking a stolen fish fileting knife, a landlady obsessed with Clark Gable’s mole, and a mad scientist trying to breed atomic supermen. Ultimately, the hunt leads to a dangerous underground criminal with flashing red eyes, razor teeth, and a strange propensity to chew on wood.

Will Daniel and Stormy reach Sunny in time? Can he dodge the dead marine life thrown by Crazy Mary? And will Daniel ever get to make whoopee?

Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Christopher Moore. Mystery, a little romance, a little cozy, and a whole lot of crazy.

Praise for the Oak Island series:
"Carney's books remind me of Jimmy Buffett songs. They're filled with quirky characters, inane circumstances, and lots of good hearts." —Lisa Shiroff, author of Show Up Dead.

"Lance Carney has a great, deliciously warped sense of humor! There is a lot of Hiaasen in him." —Don Rich, author of the Coastal Adventure series.


Genre: Mystery

Used availability for Lance Carney's Ripped Past


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