Lake Tawakoni is calm at dusk.

That’s when the bodies surface.

Quinlan, Texas is the kind of town that prides itself on church suppers, fishing tournaments, and minding its own business. But when a fisherman pulls a bloated body from the lake—its chest carved with a single teardrop—the illusion of safety shatters.

Detectives Loretta and David Smitty are drawn into a case that refuses to stay quiet. As more victims surface, each marked with the same chilling symbol, a pattern emerges. These murders aren’t random. They’re deliberate. And the killer isn’t hiding.

Meth addiction has been rotting the town from the inside out, and whispers spread of a vigilante targeting dealers and addicts alike. As fear creeps through barbecue pits and church halls, the line between justice and vengeance begins to blur.

At the center of Quinlan’s social fabric stands Sheriff Tom Willis and his wife, Martha—respected, trusted, and deeply entwined with the town’s secrets. But when evidence points closer to home than anyone expects, loyalties fracture, and betrayal cuts deeper than any blade.

Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni is a dark, atmospheric Texas thriller about grief, obsession, and what happens when a community decides some lives matter less than others. As Loretta and David dig deeper, they discover that silence can be just as deadly as violence—and once the lake gives up its secrets, there’s no putting them back.

This audiobook is perfect for listeners who enjoy small-town psychological thrillers, vigilante justice stories, morally gray crime fiction, and dark, character-driven mysteries.

This is the first installment in A Texas Thriller of Murder and Betrayal series. Each story stands on its own, but together they explore the cost of truth in places that would rather look away.

The lake holds its secrets.

And every teardrop leaves a mark.

Press play—and let the water tell its story.