By Carolyn M. Bowen

Happy October, readers!

Something about October makes a good mystery even more inviting. The days grow shorter, shadows stretch across the landscape, and we’re drawn to stories filled with secrets, unexpected twists, dangerous choices, and characters whose lives are never quite what they seem.

For me, October is the perfect month to revisit the world of the Family Legacy Series, where family ties run deep, loyalty comes at a price, and the past has a way of catching up.

If you enjoy international crime thrillers woven with romance, suspense, and complicated family relationships, I’d love to introduce you to two books that explore what happens when power, love, and betrayal collide.

Book 1: The Death of Me

What happens when the life you’ve left behind refuses to let you go?

David thought he had left his family’s criminal empire behind for good. Seeking a quieter life in Tuscany, he hoped to find a new purpose away from the dangerous world that had shaped his family’s history.

But a murder involving someone close to him changes everything.

Suddenly, David faces hard decisions about his inheritance, his family’s secrets, and the responsibilities he thought he had escaped. As danger draws him back toward the world he wanted to leave behind, trust becomes a precious commodity—and love brings its own complications.

Set against the evocative backdrop of Italy, The Death of Me explores the uneasy space between the life we choose and the legacy we inherit.

Sometimes, the past doesn’t stay buried. Sometimes, it comes looking for you.

Book 2: Legacy of Shadows

Family loyalty comes at a price.

In Legacy of Shadows, David’s family legacy grows more complicated as danger threatens the people and the world he has worked to protect.

Power, family obligations, hidden truths, and competing loyalties create a web of uncertainty. David’s choices reach beyond himself, putting relationships and the future of his family’s empire at stake.

With an international backdrop that connects Italy and the United States, this second novel expands the Family Legacy story, bringing together crime, romance, betrayal, and the consequences of decisions made in the shadows.

Because family is not always a refuge, the people closest to us can sometimes present the greatest challenges. And when the stakes are high, even love and loyalty can be tested.

An inheritance can give you power. It can also place everything you love in danger.

Two Books. One Powerful Family Legacy.

The Family Legacy Series explores the complicated bonds that connect generations—and the secrets that can threaten to tear them apart.

In The Death of Me, David confronts the life he tried to leave behind. In Legacy of Shadows, the consequences of family history keep unfolding.

Together, the books invite readers into a world of international crime, romantic suspense, family loyalty, and difficult choices.

If you’re new to the series, I suggest beginning with The Death of Me and then continuing with Legacy of Shadows to follow David’s journey.

A Little October Reading Invitation

As you settle into the cooler days of autumn, perhaps with a warm drink and a comfortable place to read, consider adding a little mystery to your reading list.

What secrets might a family keep for generations? How far would you go to protect the people you love? And can anyone truly escape the legacy of the past?

Those are the kinds of questions that keep me returning to the pages of the Family Legacy Series.

Thank you for being part of my writing journey and for supporting my books. Whether you’ve already met David or are discovering his story for the first time, I’m delighted to share this fictional world with you.

Happy October, and happy reading!

Until next time,

Carolyn M. Bowen
Author of the Family Legacy Series

Discover the books:

• The Death of Me — Book 1 of the Family Legacy Series
• Legacy of Shadows — Book 2 of the Family Legacy Series

What are you reading this October? I’d love to hear about the mystery and suspense novels on your autumn reading list. Leave a comment or connect with me on social media!