Two crime thrillers by Gwen Banta, now available in one volume! Inside Sam Lerner: After his wife's death, former Los Angeles homicide detective, Sam Lerner, is running from his life. Returning to his native New Orleans, he ends up at the Gentlemen's Club. There, he befriends Madsen: a young Creole who cares for him as he struggles to overcome his grief and growing dependence on alcohol. After Madsen is found drowned, Sam is drawn into the investigation. As more escorts disappear, Sam moves ever deeper into the bayous, levees and bistros of the Vieux Carre - and uncovers something he never expected to find. In the Big Easy, a place as mysterious as the case itself, the former detective is about to discover what is truly Inside Sam Lerner. With Wanton Disregard: Tim Mulrooney is at a crossroads in his life when he meets Lauren: the wife of a prominent Long Beach physician who has been brutally murdered. In spite of the evidence against Lauren, Tim decides to fight and prove her innocence. As more savage murders occur in the exclusive Long Beach enclave of Belmont Shore, Mulrooney needs to piece together the evidence. After he makes a startling discovery about the next intended victim, Tim must risk his reputation, his shield, and his life to solve the case.