Deborah J Chavez, Ph.D., is the author of twelve novels. The books touch on pieces of Deborah's life: her love of dogs, her love of camping and travel, her love of nature and science, and her knowledge of the Forest Service. 

Harley Fremont Series (9 novels): 

In the series, Harley Fremont travels in her motorhome with her dog, Gemma, to various national forests across the country. (1) Virginia Rising takes place in the George Washington/Jefferson National Forests, where the duo joins others to resolve crimes committed by two clashing white supremacist groups. (2) California Juncture takes place in the San Bernardino National Forest, where the duo track a serial killer who is skilled at leaving false clues. (3) Oregon Unrest takes place in the Willamette National Forest, where they track a kidnapper, who turns out to be much more than that. (4) Colorado Searing takes place in the Arapaho/ Roosevelt National Forests, where they search for two missing Forest Service employees, one of whom may have committed a series of offenses against the agency and women. (5) Montana Bedeviled takes place in the Custer/Gallatin National Forests, where a satanic cult may be responsible for abducting and then murdering young girls. (6) Arizona Kaleidoscope takes place in the Coronado National Forest, where Harley and Gemma work to resolve a series of murders while challenged by a complex trail system, monsoon rains, and a Forest Service law enforcement officer who doesn't play well with others. (7) Idaho Goblins takes place in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, where a search for a lost trail hiker escalated to mining disasters, murder, and chaos. (8) Pennsylvania Anomie takes place in the Allegheny National Forest where the duo searches for two men missing from their expensive, exclusive camp. (9) Alaska Outlier takes place in the Tongass National Forest, where the outing begins as a celebration, then devolves into something darker.

The tenth novel, Duke's Last Daughter, (10) is a stand-alone story about a successful middle-aged woman who returns home to assist with her father's Celebration of Life. She discovers the truths of her family that had been hidden from her, the youngest of four daughters. Some of those truths seem a bit trivial to her, others shake her to her core. 

Gemma’s Ranch Series (2 novels):

In this series, Harley Fremont has retired from her career as an extraordinary trail sleuth, having solved mysteries and crimes on national forests across the United States. She has stopped traveling fulltime and started her new life on a ranch in Santa Barbara. (11) Gift of Spots is a story of joy, dreams coming to fruition, and gifts arriving from unexpected places. (12) Buckaloo is where wedding stories, accidents, unraveling relationships, new friends, new neighbors, and a black-clad stranger intertwine in this story of middle-aged friendships, love, a dog training academy, and nights around the fire pit. 

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