Stephanie Evans - Acclaimed Writer of Mysteries & Domestic Thrillers

About Stephanie

Her first novel won the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, and was published in June 2012 by Berkley Prime Crime. Faithful Unto Death earned a Library Journal starred review and Debut of the Month; it was a Houston Chronicle Ultimate 2012 Summer Book List pick and an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. Safe From Harm (March 2013–Berkley Prime Crime) is the second book in the Sugar Land Mystery Series. Kirkus Reviews wrote of it, “As charming and wry as Evans’ bright debut (Faithful Unto Death, 2012), filled with reasons to own dogs, love your children and your wife, and have faith.”

Faithful Unto Death

(A Sugar Land Mystery)

Book #1 in the Sugar Land Mystery series.

No one knows that better than Walker “Bear” Wells, a former college football player now serving as a minister in this upscale Texas town, where famous athletes mix with ranchers and the local parish priest wants to arm wrestle. It’s a beautiful master-planned community, but people can’t be held to neighborhood restrictions, and Bear deals daily with emotional and spiritual problems, in both his flock and his own family.

But never murder. Not until a man is found dead on the nearby golf course, his skull crushed.

Bear has no interest in playing detective. His job is praying for the dead, not searching for their killers. But every time he turns around, another facet of the investigation tangles with his own life…like the fact that the murdered man’s son—and a main suspect—is currently dating his own rebellious teenage daughter.

He made a promise to do the right thing. But keeping promises may be what led to murder…

Safe From Harm

(A Sugar Land Mystery)

Book #2 in the Sugar Land Mystery series.

In a mystery featuring Texas minister Walker “Bear” Wells, a teen tragedy hits too close to home…

The ominous text message Bear Wells received from his teenage daughter Jo simply said: “Come home.” The Texas minister never imagined he’d rush back to find her cradling the dead body of her estranged friend Phoebe. While the death rocks Sugar Land, the apparent suicide seems like an open-and-shut case. But nothing is settled in the Wells household, especially for Jo. The deeper she digs into Phoebe’s life, the more she realizes nobody knew her at all.

Bear found it hard enough dealing with Phoebe’s skimpy Goth outfits, painful-looking piercings, and the outrageous scandals she brought to his idyllic Sugar Land congregation, but now it’s his daughter who’s acting out. Jo knows Phoebe caused major problems between her picture-perfect father and stepmom, but she has no idea what’s at stake or whose lives are in jeopardy. Bear’s painfully aware that his last private investigation resulted in a bullet wound, so when Jo sneaks out alone to confront her primary suspect, he’s not only praying that he’ll find her in time—he’s asking forgiveness for what he may have to do to save her.