Books and Short Stories
Writing as W.H. CameronCrossroad
A Mystery
On a desolate road in the Oregon high desert, an apprentice mortician stumbles upon a horrific car crash–and into a vortex of treachery, long-buried secrets, and growing menace.
Melisende Dulac is a fish out of water after relocating from the East Coast to a small community in the Oregon high desert. But just as she’s beginning to think of Barlow County as home, her life takes an ominous turn when she comes upon a grisly multiple car wreck and three shattered bodies on an isolated road outside of town. Near the scene, Melisende trips over a fourth body, that of a newborn girl lying a physics-defying distance from the wreckage. There is no one to claim the infant, nor a clear indication she was even part of the accident.
The crash offers plenty of opportunities for an apprentice mortician–but when the victims’ bodies are stolen from her family’s mortuary, Melisende is branded suspect number one. Then, Portland lawyer Kendrick Pride arrives on the scene on behalf of one of the victim’s families–or so he says–and Melisende begins to see that there’s much more to this enigmatic figure than meets the eye.
As the shadows gather and the mystery deepens, Melisende must race to find the truth–or be swallowed by the darkness.
- Honorable Mention, 2020 Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery
- Check out location maps for Crossroad and other Melisende Dulac stories
- Learn about Bouton Funerary Service
- Learn about the Barlow County Sheriff’s Department
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Short Stories and Novellas
Waldo’s Gold
When a grave at the Pioneer Cemetery is robbed, Melisende Dulac sets out to track down the perpetrator and, in the process, solve a century-old mystery.
Christmas Spirit
On Christmas Eve, a mother is accused of drowning her child, and a shocking discovery forces Melisende Dulac to confront her own ghosts of Christmas past.
Hey Nineteen
During one of her first solo body removal jobs as an apprentice mortician, Melisende Dulac discovers an old man’s sad end may not have been all that natural.
Heat Death
In 1971, days before shipping out to Vietnam, a young Skin Kadash joins his best friend for a “so long to the world” blow-out at a cabin in the mountains, unaware they’re pawns in a murder plot.
Daisy and the Desperado
Skin Kadash is thrust into the middle of a decades-long feud between irascible neighbors.
Privacy Fence
In a darkly comic clash of neighbors over the height of a fence, the solution for one seems to be kidnapping . . . and possibly even murder.
The Missus
A brotherhood of cops, a boy accused of murder, and the broken-down detective who broke ranks to sort it all out.
Diaries of Misspent Youth
Three stories of youthful indiscretions: In “Yo, Karl,” a young man’s dark reputation controls his fate. In “The Soul of the Sea” a boy walks a beach full of wonder and despair. In “Best Served Cold,” a grim choice in the heat of the moment has lifelong consequences.
A Tall House
Desperate to see his sick mother who is quarantined upstairs in her room, a boy rebels against the overbearing housekeeper who has been keeping them apart. In the process, he discovers the grim secret behind his mother’s illness.
The Soul of the Sea
A short story originally written back in the 80s. It is currently included in the short story collection, Diaries of Misspent Youth.
The Last Ship
Skin Kadash travels to the Oregon Coast to recover from the events of Day One and finds himself embroiled in strange local doings.
Sunlight Nocturne
Skin Kadash spends the day with his neighbor and her little boy as police pursue home invaders in a dramatic citywide chase.
On the Road to Find Out
A semi-autobiographical story of a boy trying to find a place of his own in a life of constant motion and bursts of violence.
Puppy Love Noir
Three stories about the dark side of young love.
The Practical Christmas
When Mom takes up with a fixer-upper, two kids find out what life with an honest-to-goodness outlaw is really all about: the loot.
The Princess of Felony Flats
A mysterious dwarf makes a risky play for the statuesque consort of a drug kingpin in a hardboiled retelling of a classic fairy tale.
Coffee, Black
Skin Kadash investigates vandalism at a Portland coffee shop with the help of Ruby Jane, and finds more than he bargained for.
Slice of Pie
A cynical and overprotective son tries to save his mother from her own good nature, with violent results.
Kept Woman
Sometimes what we see in other people is only a dark reflection of ourselves.