Tammy Kaehler Books In Order

Publication Order of A Kate Reilly Mystery Books

Tammy Kaehler
Before attempting to write fiction, Tammy established her career writing feature articles, marketing materials, executive speeches, and technical documentation.

One fateful stint in corporate hospitality gave her an introduction to the racing world, which would inspire her first Kate Reilly racing mystery novel. She quickly got hooked by the contrast between its friendly and family atmosphere and the top-dollar, high-drama competition.

Tammy works in the Los Angeles area as a technical writer, where she lives with her many cars and her husband.

Tammy tells people that she is genetically predisposed to be a fan of sports, thanks to her dad. By marriage, she is disposed to liking cars. Through her husband, she fell right into the racing world since she was interested in learning about something new. Then she met a woman that once raced cars. Things just clicked for her from there. Best part is her husband hates sports and will fall asleep during all the races.

The first of her “Kate Reilly Mystery” series, called “Dead Man’s Switch”, was released in the year 2011.

“Dead Man’s Switch” is the first novel in the “Kate Reilly Mystery” series and was released in the year 2011. Kate Reilly, an aspiring racecar driver, tries to find a full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series, and finds a dead driver. She takes the job of that driver just hours later, she is also able to nab a pole position on the list of suspects for the guy’s murder. She is suddenly in the hot seat without much time to clear her name and prepare to race a Corvette at Lime Rock Park.

Kate, amidst the suspicion, buckles down, quickly getting to know her team and the racecar, bumping into a slew of suspects that could have killed the driver. Clues start flying at her just as fast as she turns on the track, including unexplainable car performance at racing speed, the cryptic list of blackmail victims, and one jealous husband with a cheating wife. Not to mention the crew and drivers who are not shy about expressing their joy that her predecessor has died. Kate finds hazards and exhilaration both on the track and off while she throttles up both a murder investigation and the V8 of the Corvette.

The green-flag countdown ticks away, and Kate must figure out who she is able to trust to help her untangle rumors of teams breaking up and personal betrayals, probe alibis, figure out whose drive to win means a willingness to kill. What is at stake in Kate’s race to find out the truth is her career. This is due to the fact that she can only restore her reputation and prove that she belongs in the racing world by catching this killer.

“Braking Points” is the second novel in the “Kate Reilly Mystery” series and was released in the year 2013. Kate Reilly is unable to remember a worse time in her life, either on the track or off it. She wrecks her car while at Road America in Wisconsin, loses her cool on camera, and sends a visiting NASCAR star to the hospital. All that just to end her day by finding her boyfriend with a friend of hers, who is now dead.

Without much time to grieve, Kate finds that she is the pariah of the racing world. She becomes the target of vicious e-mails, death threats, and all kinds of blame on racing blogs and sites (including that from an anonymous and influential blogger who tries to get her fired). Nothing is nearly as bad as knowing that her buddy’s killer is still out there. And now they are coming for her.

She is riding a roller coaster of emotion, a boyfriend she is unsure if she is able to trust, juggling one exciting new sponsor, and the newfound family she doesn’t really want to claim. Dodging some unfavorable media attention and the pit reporter who has a bias against women race car drivers, Kate is able to redeem herself at the next race by delivering a stunning performance while at Petit Le Mans, a ten-hour endurance classic.

During the championship race weekend, threats from every side rev up Kate’s nerves right to their very limits. From sponsor parties and awards banquet to the actual races, she stays on top of all the action. As well as a step ahead of the killer, looking for motives, revealing secrets, and finding powerful ambitions. She learns that nobody is able to escape from their past, but only a killer is driven by it.

“Avoidable Contact” is the third novel in the “Kate Reilly Mystery” series and was released in the year 2014. Kate Reilly is all suited up and ready to begin the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona. What is ahead is not only just a racing challenge, but a harrowing test of her nerve and will off of the course.

Even before the green flag is waved over Daytona International Speedway, Kate gets word that Stuart, her boyfriend, is hospitalized nearby and in a coma. He fights for his life after being a victim of a hit-and-run. Shocked by this news, Kate is unable to do anything but complete her scheduled laps driving her team’s car. More shocks come as Daytona’s clock begins to tick. On-track accident ends in tragic fashion. Members of her complicated family are seen with other teams, why? One eyewitness claims that Stuart was run down by somebody from the race paddock deliberately.

Alternating stints driving the team’s Corvette with stretches where she hunts for clues and quizzing her colleagues, Kate circles the cops and taps all her sources- be they foe, friend and family. All in an effort to figure out who could be after Stuart and why. While the race clock counts on down to the zero hour, Kate has to come to terms with all of her own fears from her past and decide just who she is willing to trust. It is only at that time can she figure out who is willing to kill to keep their secret buried.

One Response to “Tammy Kaehler”

1. Jeri Fleenor: 6 months ago

   I’m waiting for another book. Been a long time since 2017. What comes after kiss the bricks? This fan wants to know

   Reply