Toni Dwiggins Books In Order

Publication Order of Forensic Geology Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Toni Dwiggins is a bestselling author of mystery novels that is best known as the author of the “Forensic Geology” series of novels. She usually makes a thriller out of forensic mysteries while also bringing her characters from the boring confines of the laboratory to outdoor adventures. Dwiggins is a third generation native of California who migrated from the southern end of the state to the north. She has said that the best thing about California is that within a single day, it is possible to move from the mountains right down to the ocean with a stopover in the desert. It is her love for her state that led her to set her forensic geology novels in California. She has kayaked the waters, skid the mountains and the trails just as her many characters. The first novel of the “Forensic Geology” series of novels was “Badwater” that she first published in 2011.

Dwiggins always knew she was destined to become an author since she came from a family of writers and writing is pretty much in her genes. Her aunt inspired her to write her first published work since she had always told her that she wanted to grow up and become an author. She advised that she start with something interesting and that is just what she did. She had just come back from a backpacking trip and thought it was the best thing in the world. Since she loved backpacking, Toni thought her recent venture into the outdoors would make for a great story though she did not want to write a story about gear. As such, she wrote about the things that had given her thrills during her trip including an encounter with a brown bear. The story had tips on how to avoid bear trouble while out in the boonies would get rave reviews when it was later published in a backpacking magazine. However, this was not her first rodeo, as she had always loved to hike and camp in the Sierra Mountains, Death Valley Desert and Kayak in the Pacific in her early young adult years. Over the years, she grew interested in rocks and would bring some of them home which resulted in her developing a closer attention to her environment. After college, she started writing anything from tech writing to textbooks and magazine articles.

Toni Dwiggins has always been a rock hound ever since the days she used to spend her summer sunning herself on a rock outside her home. Her interest in geology was piqued when one day rambling through the local library she found a forensic geology textbook. She was hooked by the interesting facts of geology just like her characters and has never looked back ever since. Since Dwiggins has always loved mystery, the fact that forensic geology combines mystery and rocks was quite something. She was also inspired by Sherlock Homes who was the first detective to solve crimes using soils and rocks. In the modern world which she writes about, there are all manner of nifty techniques and tools that make for an even more interesting story. However, her love for geology heightened when she was given a tour of a forensic geology lab that showed her what a grain of sand looked like under an electron microscope. Shaped by water and wind, the grain was angular which suggested beach sand as opposed to the spheroid shapes of dune sands from the desert. Underpinning the adventure, mystery, and rocks is the connection with the environment that she had which she also incorporates into her novels.

“Badwater” by Toni Dwiggins is the story of Walter Shaws and Cassie Oldfield who go on a dangerous hunt. They are looking for a terrorist that had managed to pilfer some radioactive material which has now become the hottest commodity on Earth. He is threatening to release it in Death Valley that just happens to be the most fragile national park in the United States. But he first needs to lose the geologists that are closing in fast. With the hunt becoming even more dangerous, Walter and Cassie need to acquire some grit alongside their field skills if they are to get out of this alive. They are up against a deranged maniac and an atom governed by Murphy’s Law, which is not good for anyone. Death Valley turns out to be an interesting place and Dwiggins injects the setting with life. It is more than a dry and hot desert as it has a diverse and fascinating eco system. The author also throws in some layered scenery and textured characters to make for an entertaining as well as very educational novel.

Toni Dwiggins’ novel “Volcano Watch” sees Walter Shaws and Cassie Oldfield our favorite forensic geologist make a comeback. In this outing they are dealing with the case of the disappearance of the mayor of a small town named Mammoth Lakes in California. It is a small resort town in the eastern Sierra overlooking an ancient vast volcanic caldera. The mayor had quickly scribbled “No Way Out” on a piece of paper before she went missing and nobody understands what she meant. Meanwhile, the volcano is stirring and plans are put in place to evacuate the residents adding urgency to what eventually turns out to be a murder investigation. The two detectives work overtime trying to figure out what the dead man knew and the mysterious person that tried his best to ensure she never talked. In the meantime, the town simmers as the possibility of eruption is still very much in place. It is a must read novel for anyone fascinated with geology and mystery in small town settings.

“Quicksilver” the third novel of the “Forensic Geology” series by Toni Dwiggins is the story of a man that went missing in the Mother Lode desert. He left behind a vial of toxic mercury and a gold flecked rock. He was a throwback to the Gold Rush era and a misfit in the contemporary age. A venture capitalist from Silicon Valley hires the services of Walter Shaws and Cassie Oldfield who are some of the most respected professionals in their field. He needs them to track the missing man who happens to be his brother. Walking down some of the most remote rivers in California, Walter and Cassie have a firsthand look into the dark past of two brothers, legendary lands and a venomous sibling rivalry that could threaten not only the two but other people too. They soon learn that they are not the only people looking for the lost man making things even more complicated.