Author Shane Gericke

The Emily Thompson Thrillers

Blown Away by Shane Gericke
Cut to the Bone by Shane Gericke
Torn Apart by Shane Gericke

20TH ANNIVERSARY REMAKE Coming 2026!

Read announcement

Blown Away by Shane Gericke

COMING IN 2026!

Blown Away

Book One

Emily Thompson is a young cop in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois. She’s great at her job, but her emotional life is mired in the mud of losing her husband, mother, and father in a series of tragic deaths. She vows to regain her balance as her 30th birthday present to herself, but just days before that Big Three-Oh, a serial killer decides to help her “celebrate” by staging a series of gruesome murders in the form of the Baby Boomer board games Emily played growing up: Monopoly, Timebomb, Chutes and Ladders, Duck-Duck-Goose, and more. The final game is Hangman, and the killer tells Emily she’ll swing from a noose he ties himself so she can join her family in the afterlife. If she and fellow crimefighters can’t crack this case, she’ll not live to blow out the candles. Joining Emily in this explosive blend of action, romance, and life are sheriff’s detective commander Martin “Marty” Benedetti, criminal profiler Ellis Marwood, and from her Naperville Police Department, Chief Kendall Cross, Captain Hercules Branch, and SWAT Commander Annie Bates, Emily’s best friend.

Barnes & Noble bestseller
Amazon Kindle bestseller
Reviewer’s Choice Award from RT Book Reviews
Winner, Debut Mystery of the Year from RT Book Reviews

Praise for Blown away

“A first-rate cops-and-psychos novelist. His plucky heroine evokes the spirit of Thomas Harris’ Clarice Starling.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Shane Gericke writes with the clear eye of a hard-nosed reporter and the sweet soul of an artist. His power of visceral and unforgettable.”
—New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds
“A rambunctious, devious novel full of chutzpah, high energy, and surprises. Forget roller coaster; this one reads like a rocket.”
—USA Today bestselling author John Lutz
Cut to the Bone by Shane Gericke

COMING IN 2026!

Cut to the Bone

Book Two

As a second serial killer comes to Naperville to match wits with Emily Thompson and her new romantic partner Marty Benedetti, the State of Illinois cleans and polishes the electric chair it took out of cold storage to execute a man who kidnapped a young pregnant woman from a supermarket parking lot, cut her baby from her womb with a butcher knife, and gave the squalling child to his girlfriend so she didn’t mar herself with stretch marks and morning sickness. He was caught, convicted, and now will be executed in Naperville, site of the new Illinois Justice Center. The two cases blend as one as Emily and her crew work mightily to keep Emily alive while blocking a tidal wave of death penalty protestors from overrunning Death Row on the day of execution.

Reviewer’s Choice Award from RT Book Reviews

Praise for Cut to the Bone

“An A-grade thriller by a Grade A writer. Shane Gericke is the real deal.”
—No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher
“A high-rev, page-turning thriller that offers a searing look at the very thin blue line separating good from evil.”
—No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Deaver
“Gericke’s writing is a blistering rush of sheer artistry.”
—Bestselling author Ken Bruen
Torn Apart by Shane Gericke

COMING IN 2026!

Torn Apart

Book Three

A third serial killer comes to town to see if he can murder Emily Thompson where two other serials failed. It’s up to Emily and her best friend Annie Bates to carry that load because stalwart comrades Marty Benedetti and Hercules Branch are in Wisconsin hunting deer. This story shows readers what it’s like to be hunted, not just through the human eyes of Emily, Annie, and Annie’s two daughters, but from the point of view of a heavily antlered buck who bestrides the mighty pine forests of Northern Wisconsin. He’s been shot at for years by hunters of every shape and sizes and he’s triumphed each time . . . until meeting a brutal narcotics-and-murder gang named the Zodiacs. The buck saves Branch’s life when the Zodiacs put a bullet in the police captain’s side and a dozen more into the deer, forcing Marty into a piney woods death march to get his best friend and their savior buck to civilization and hospital.

Finalist for the ITW Thriller Award for Best Novel

Praise for Torn Apart

“Keeps you turning the pages so fast you won’t notice that half the night’s already gone. Shane knows how to tighten the screws and keep the fear and tension building.”
—New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen
“Beautifully drawn characters, sharply observed detail, and exceptional writing. Has the impact of a large-caliber handgun fired at point-blank range.”
—No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
“One of those scary rides through criminality that can melt away a fifteen-hour flight. The scenarios (trust me on this one!) will haunt you for weeks.”
—New York Times bestselling author John J. Nance

EMILY GETS A REMAKE FOR HER 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

Coming 2026

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Blown Away, my debut cop thriller, which leaped onto Barnes & Noble and Kindle bestseller lists while the mighty RT Book Reviews crowned it the nation’s Debut Mystery of the Year. So, what better year than 2026 to reimagine, rewrite, and republish the entire trilogy with MORE Emily Thompson, MORE Marty Benedetti, MORE action, MORE romance, MORE fun? These are the new covers—ain’t they a peach?—and I’m busy giving Our Emily even more impossible hurdles to clear. In this 20th anniversary package, the bigger-and-better Blown Away will be joined by Cut to the Bone and Torn Apart, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Thriller Award. These new editions will be yours to own in just a few short months—and they’ll be joined in 2027 by a new book, the fourth in the series, where Emily and Marty hunt international terrorists to keep YOU and the rest of America from dying of… well, it’s a horrible fate, trust me, I hope E&M can save us, I’m too young and pretty to die.  Well, too young…