Todd Ritter Books In Order

Publication Order of Kat Campbell Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Todd Ritter was born in rural Pennsylvania to a taxidermist father and a bank teller mother. He grew up in a ranch-style house, surrounded by “Bambi”-esque forests and wide-open fields reminiscent of the crop duster scene from “North by Northwest.” It is fitting, then, that his two biggest influences are Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney.

Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as an editor, journalist, and graphic designer. Todd spent two decades as a journalist, beginning his career as a film critic while attending Penn State University.

In addition to writing under his own name, he has published works under the pen names Alan Finn and Riley Sager, with the latter being the most successful and prolific. He adopted these pseudonyms while seeking a new publisher, believing that editors might be more inclined to take on a writer with a clean slate rather than one with a critically acclaimed yet uneven sales record.

“Death Notice,” the first novel in the “Kat Campbell” series, was released in 2010. Perry Hollow, Pennsylvania, had never experienced a murder—not during Kat Campbell’s tenure as police chief, at least. The first murder is particularly brutal: George Winnick, a farmer in his sixties, is found in a homemade coffin on the side of the highway, his arteries and veins drained of blood and filled with embalming fluid, and his lips sewn shut.

As chilling as this discovery is, things take a darker turn when Kat learns that Henry Goll, the obituary writer for the Perry Hollow Gazette, received a death notice for George before he was even killed.

Shortly thereafter, a task force from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Investigation arrives, led by Nick Donnelly, who has been hunting the “Betsy Ross Killer” for over a year. This killer, named for his skill with a needle and thread, appears to have claimed George as his fourth victim. But is he?

Kat, having never handled a murder case before, refuses to sit idly by while someone terrorizes her idyllic town and her son. But will her efforts be enough to stop the killer and restore peace to Perry Hollow?

“Death Notice” paints a vivid portrait of a small town in turmoil, where residents live in fear for their lives. This gripping debut introduces a terrific new talent in crime fiction. Readers find themselves deeply immersed in the story, empathizing with the victims and rooting for the good guys to prevail, while racing to uncover the killer’s identity.

“Bad Moon,” the second novel in the “Kat Campbell” series, was released in 2011. On the same night that Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, ten-year-old Charlie Olmstead vanished after riding his bike to get a better view of the historic event. The last trace of him was his bike, found caught in the water just above Sunset Falls by then-Chief of Police Jim Campbell, who assumed the worst. Everyone did—except Charlie’s mother.

Years later, Eric Olmstead, Charlie’s younger brother and now a famous author, returns to Perry Hollow to bury his mother and fulfill her final request: find Charlie. To do so, he seeks help from his former sweetheart, current police chief Kat Campbell, who happens to be Jim Campbell’s daughter.

Together, they discover that Eric’s mother was convinced Charlie had been kidnapped, and that finding him, whether dead or alive, was her secret obsession. Though she never succeeded, she uncovered clues suggesting that Charlie was not the only boy to disappear in Pennsylvania during that time.

“Bad Moon” tells the haunting tale of a boy missing for forty years and a small town that prefers comforting lies over the harsh truth. This gripping follow-up to Todd’s acclaimed debut novel features a compelling storyline, well-developed characters, and an unexpected conclusion.

“Devil’s Night,” the third novel in the “Kat Campbell” series, was released in 2013. There are two things Perry Hollow Police Chief Kat Campbell never imagined she’d do again: enter a burning building and see Henry Goll, the man trapped inside with her during her last harrowing experience in one. Yet, on the same day, both events occur.

At one in the morning, she is awakened by a call about a fire at Perry Hollow’s museum, home to every historical artifact in town. Arriving at the scene, she catches a glimpse of Henry’s face in the crowd before being rushed into the charred building, only to find the curator dead—bludgeoned, not burned.

Kat has faced tense moments and gruesome crimes before, but the next twenty-four hours will be the most dangerous of her life as she and Henry track a killer and uncover the motive behind these horrifying acts.

“Devil’s Night” returns to the beloved town of Perry Hollow, presenting Todd’s most poignant and cleverly plotted novel to date. With strong writing and plotting, and likable yet complex characters, this book delivers a fantastic and surprising conclusion. It’s a shame the series did not continue, as it is truly remarkable.

One Response to “Todd Ritter”

1. Skye Dent: 1 month ago

   I like how each character has such unique trauts that we writers can all connect with

   Reply