Get ready for some NIGHT MOVES this August!

After a splashy success with her last big case, Portland, Maine sleuth, Olivia Lively, finds herself struggling to manage her one-woman firm’s sudden growth spurt. 

When an old friend offers her a chunk of cash to investigate his wife and brother who may be having an affair, Liv reluctantly agrees in hopes of getting Lively Investigations back on track. She heads to a cozy cabin in the northern Maine woods to investigate, thinking it will be a chance to enjoy summer while also solving her cash flow problem. But when Liv stumbles onto the suburban wife’s dead body, she also discovers surprising connections to a seedier underbelly of crime, strip clubs, steamy literature, and human trafficking.

Having failed to save one woman, Liv is determined to rescue another. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Jasper, aka Dr. Hottie, pushes their relationship too far, too fast. Her best friend Ashleigh becomes obsessed with all things baby. And FBI Agent Colin Snow keeps appearing and disappearing in a maddening way. In the midst of all this turmoil, Liv finds herself questioning her choices and contemplating her true desires. 

It’s a sticky summer in Portland, Maine, and in the heat of it all, Liv discovers that often the most complex relationship a woman has is the one with herself

Available For Pre-Order Now!

NIGHT MOVES is available for pre-order. Click on your preferred retailer.

Praise for FINAL DRAFT and Olivia Lively, P.I.

“Boasting a wonderful cast of characters, engaging dialogue, and visually descriptive narrative, this was a fun book to read, and I look forward to more adventures with Olivia and her friends in this delightfully entertaining series.”—Dru Ann Love of Dru’s Book Musings

“…a delicious debut—a fine romantic mystery… Olivia Lively [is] smart, fearless, funny… I so love this character that I long for a book series, a Netflix series, and her fully-stocked closet. Highly recommended for romantic mystery and women’s fiction fans who adore feisty female protagonists.”—Char Jones

“Give me a main character who can pick through someone’s garbage at noon, and be dressed in Manolos and Halston at midnight. . . the debut novel by author Shelley Burbank, is a thrilling and engaging read that weaves together the worlds of publishing and private investigation.”–K.C. Brote, Author of Love Lost on Cloud Nine

image of smart phone with book cover featuring a woman with short, dark hair and yellow sunglasses.

Catch Up on the Series!

FINAL DRAFT: An Olivia Lively Mystery Book 1 is available to read today. Click on your preferred retailer.

Woman giving presentation

Hi, and welcome to the news section.

I’m so glad you’ve found me here on my website. Take a look around and stop in again to see what’s new and exciting. The biggest news right now is:

THE SECOND BOOK IN THE OLIVIA LIVELY SERIES IS HERE!

Didn’t catch the first book? There is still time! FINAL DRAFT: An Olivia Lively Mystery, was published by Encircle Publications in March 2023 and is available at the retailers listed above and by request at your local bookstore. I can’t wait for you to meet Liv and her friends (and a few enemies ‘cuz, mystery, right?) as they learn, laugh, and love in the arty, coastal city of Portland, Maine.

Check out my writing journal, By the Pen for an inside glimpse into my writer life.

Shelley Burbank is a mystery and women’s fiction author and journalist based in Maine and San Diego, California. She’s a contributing writer to the Waterboro Reporter newspaper, and her short fiction has been published nationally in True StoryTrue Love, and True Confessions magazines. Regional and literary publications include San Diego Woman Magazine and The Maine Review