Off-Target
D.J. Maughan's tenth novel, Off-Target, was released on September 4, 2026. This is a standalone novel and the third to feature Hank & Joyce, detectives with the Idaho Falls police department. This fast-paced twisty whodunit can be read on its own and is a great place to start D.J.'s books.
What is the book about?
A public rally. A hidden sniper. The wrong person dead.
Thousands gather in Idaho Falls to hear the Vice President of the United States speak. Security is tight. Every threat’s been considered. Then a single gunshot changes everything.
The Vice President survives, but a beloved political figure is killed. Everyone assumes she was an innocent bystander—until evidence suggests the shooter hit exactly who they intended.
Detectives Hank Gardener and Joyce Powers are already investigating a suspicious death and assume the two crimes are unrelated. But a clue at the murder scene and a trail of carefully constructed lies lead them toward a disturbing possibility. The murders may be connected.
As the list of suspects grows, Hank and Joyce must separate truth from deception before a killer escapes justice.
What readers are saying
★★★★★ “The political assassination plot feels unsettlingly relevant, and the realistic setting and vivid descriptions made every scene play out like a movie in my head. “”
★★★★★ “This was the next book in the Idaho Falls psychological detective series….. and the best yet! There were unexpected twists and the dead bodies kept coming! ”
★★★★★ “Ohhh how to start… this was the next book for the Idaho Falls detectives Hank and Joyce and in my opinion the best one yet! There were so many twists and turns that you can’t help but be hooked. Also hands down one of my favorite authors of a “twisty whodunit””