Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Another Way To Die | 1972 | Dennis Lynds | Buy |
| 2 | Bloodwater | 1974 | Dennis Lynds | Buy |
| 3 | Crooked Shadows | 1975 | Dennis Lynds | Buy |
| 4 | When They Kill Your Wife | 1977 | Dennis Lynds | Buy |
| 5 | Close to Death | 1979 | Dennis Lynds | Buy |
The Buena Costa County series by Dennis Lynds spans five books from 1972 to 1979, all set in the same fictional California county. The titles — Another Way To Die, Bloodwater, Crooked Shadows, When They Kill Your Wife, Close to Death — lean into crime fiction territory, with each book suggesting a distinct case or violent situation against the backdrop of the same locale.
The series was published at a steady pace across the 1970s, with roughly one to two years between each entry. Reading in publication order, from Another Way To Die through Close to Death, gives the fullest sense of how the setting and recurring elements develop across the decade.