Love Floats by D. W. Thompson
Author D. W. Thompson
About Author D. W. Thompson…
D.W. Thompson is the pen name of award-winning author David W. Thompson in the mystery
genre. As a multi-genre author, he’s accepted membership in the Mystery Writers of America,
the Horror Writers Association, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. David
lives in picturesque Southern Maryland with nearby family and dear old friends. (You can read
his paranormal tales and historical fiction listed under David W. Thompson and Paranormal
Romance under Davina Guy).
When he isn‘t writing, Dave enjoys time with his family, kayaking (flat water, please), fishing,
hiking, archery, gardening, winemaking, and pursuing his other creative passion: woodcarving.
Love Floats by D. W. Thompson
This is a spotlight on “Love Floats” by D. W. Thompson
Love Floats Blurb
Emma Love needs relief after a winter of chasing unfaithful spouses. Feeling her involvement destroyed lives, she backs away to embrace her fair-weather occupation of leading kayak tours. But threats to her and her family force her to investigate, putting her detecting skills to the test. She enlists help from her old and new-again boyfriend, Deputy Sam Mattingley, and a host of friends, including those beyond the living veil.
As the layers of secrecy are peeled away, Emma contends with the realization that the mystery shrouding the Pratt/Johnson murders and her cousin’s marriage is more intricate than imagined.
Can she navigate the clues and exonerate her cousins?
And are they the culprits—or the prey?
What readers can expect from Love Floats
This is what the Readers’ Favorite reviewer had to say:
“In Love Floats, D. W. Thompson introduces Emma Love, living in the quiet town of Newtowne. She’s
a private investigator looking to slow down a bit and put more energy into running her kayaking
tours. Her plans for a calmer life are disrupted when a moonlight kayak tour turns deadly. After
gunshots ring out on the water, Emma and her group discover the body of a young woman who
doesn’t belong in town. When the police open their investigation, Emma can’t help but get pulled
back into detective work, especially as the leads start getting personal. A poisoned pastry, a bakery
break-in, and a town pastor vanishing without a trace all hint that this murder was planned. As the
clues come together, Newtowne feels tighter with worry—will Emma uncover the truth before she
becomes the next victim?”
“Love Floats by D. W. Thompson blends cozy mystery elements with darker undercurrents, using a
calm coastal town as a place where secrets are hard to keep hidden. The writing is clear and easy to
follow, with a measured pace that builds unease and suspense. Emma is a capable but tired
protagonist, someone pulled between responsibility and self-preservation, which makes her choices
believable. The story really digs into small-town life with gossip, old relationships, and long-standing
grudges, which makes the mystery compelling. It reminded me of series like the Hannah Swensen
Mysteries, where familiar spots like bakeries and local tours can suddenly become dangerous. If you
enjoy mysteries with strong women at the center, everyday places that turn suspicious, and tension
that builds slowly, Love Floats is easy to read and really enjoyable.”
Love FloatsPurchase Links
An excerpt from Love Floats…
I waved my kayakers toward the bank.
“Stay low and hug the shore.”
“Where are you going, Emma?” Sofia asked.
“I’ll be right back.” I brushed aside my cotton button-up shirt and reached into the belly-band holster. The cold steel of the handgun was a comfort.
The paddle sounded as soft as the gentle waves lapping on the bank. I pulled the kayak through the water toward the gunshot. The inlet there was shallow and murky. Cattails and phragmites reeds were thick around its opening, and the heavy fog cast a pallor over the pristine waterway. The air smelled of rotting leaves and swamp mud.
I pulled the kayak up on the bank and stepped into the oozing mud near the shore.
Another shot sounded and slapped the water a few yards from where I stood. I held my semi-auto 9mm in hand and pointed it at the clouds. Boom!
“Emma!” Sofia yelled behind me.
“Who are you?” I yelled. “I’m armed. Come out.”
I heard a rustling in the reeds. A shadowy figure raced away through the thick, foggy marsh. The rapid sloshing footfalls indicated at least two sets of feet. I could make out the white jacket the one closest to me wore.
