Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak (a.k.a. the Bug Man) is hired by thirty-year-old Kathryn Guilford, who is terrified of bugs, to solve her friend's death. When Polchak stumbles into the mystery of how Kathryn's husband was killed years earlier, the action kicks into high gear—and Polchak finds himself on the run with his client from someone who will do anything to keep a secret. This fast-paced murder mystery is more than the typical "Christian fiction;"it is good clean fun—on a thrill ride. Biblical values are implicit rather than explicit, and its fascinating elements provoke thought on a conscience, consequences, and world-views. But mostly, this book is a sizzler of a story that will not let you go.

Intern forensic pathologist Dr. Riley McKay has noticed irregularities in autopsies at the Allegheny County Coroner's lab. Suspecting foul play, she seeks help from Dr. Nick Polchak, the "bug man" renowned for his ability to solve murders by analyzing the insects on victim's bodies. Nick and Riley uncover a sinister link between the lab's director and PharmaGen, a start-up drug company specializing in genetic research. They also discover that PharmaGen fronts an underground system to procure transplant organs for wealthy clients by finding and murdering matching donors. But PharmaGen learns of their security breach and orders the couple destroyed. While staying a step ahead of PharmaGen assassins, romantic attraction develops between Nick and Riley. But the attraction is complicated by a tragic secret that Riley hides—a secret closely tied to one member of PharmaGen's operation which propels the novel to its astonishing conclusion.

When a national disaster strikes, "first the living" is the rule. Unless you're the Bug Man. When Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, forensic entomologist Nick Polchak signs up to help with the recovery effort. He is known as the Bug Man for his knowledge of insects and what they can reveal about the dead. The government's mandate is clear—rescue the living first, recover the dead later. But something is very wrong in the toxic soup-bowl of post-Katrina New Orleans. Someone is using the cover of disaster to kill . . . hiding the victims of murder in the same watery grave as the victims of Katrina. It's a tale only the dead can tell. But no one besides the Bug Man is listening. " . . . stands out from the pack of CSI-inspired mysteries with its quirky hero and creative handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster." —"Publishers Weekly" (Starred Review)

Dogs have long been man's best friend, but the Bug Man's friend is a rare breed . . . the cadaver dog. All roads lead to the White House for John Henry Braden, the charismatic senator from Virginia aristocracy whose beautiful wife Victoria is the talk of Washington and the crown jewel of Endor, her backwoods Virginia hometown. But when bodies turn up on Braden's property—the site of a multi-million dollar construction project he's spearheading—the senator's spin doctors, led by his future first lady, must act quickly to quell a conspiracy before it blemishes their presidential campaign. Enter entomologist Nick Polchak, the quirky bug expert enlisted to determine if the senator's bone yard is a forgotten cemetery or a crime scene. To help with the investigation, Polchak follows local legend to Alena Savard, a mysterious woman known for her ability to turn mongrels into the best search dogs around. They soon find themselves on the trail of a desperate individual bent on protecting a terrible secret. Less than Dead is an unforgettable tale of crime and concealment in the corridors of high-stakes politics—as well as in the deepest contours of the human heart.

Nick must face the realities of lost opportunities and the passing of time as he struggles to protect a mother and her child from agro-terrorists in this latest novel from award-winning author Tim Downs. Dr. Nick Polchak is called to a farm community in eastern North Carolina to investigate a murder. The victim is the owner of a failing organic farm who had developed a drug problem, and the police think his murder is drug-related. Nick finds the remains of a bale of marijuana scattered in the tomato fields—but the South American marijuana seems to be strangely infested with a common North Carolina insect: the tobacco hornworm. To further confound the mystery, the bugs are infected with a fungus from Asia. Nick suspects the man wasn't killed because of the marijuana, but because of the insects it contained.

Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do. Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much. That's why-a mere four days before the nuptials-Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal. But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down. When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

The Bug Man Suspense Bundle is a 3-in-1 set of eBooks from author Tim Downs: First the Dead, Less than Dead, and Ends of the Earth. This series follows Nick Polchak, a quirky forensic entomologist known as "The Bug Man," as he works to uncover murders using his expert knowledge of bugs. In First the Dead Nick tries to find a killer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s attack on New Orleans. But the more he digs the stronger—and deadlier—the resistance becomes. Nick is there to collect bodies, and he's going to do just that—especially when he starts finding bodies that were clearly dead before the hurricane. He understands that all forensic evidence will soon disintegrate in the hot, contaminated water . . . and he knows that's exactly what the killer wants to happen. Nick has finally met his match in Less than Dead. When a grave is discovered on property owned by the front-running candidate for the next presidential election, the FBI immediately becomes involved. The graves then vanish and Nick follows local legend to the bizarre Alena who keeps to herself in the mountains of Northern Virginia, training cadaver dogs. Together they discover that this small town—and the presidential-hopeful—have closets full of skeletons. As Ends of the Earth unfolds, Nick struggles to protect a victim’s family from agro-terrorists in North Carolina. After dissecting the remains of a bale of marijuana scattered in the tomato fields, Nick learns that the South American marijuana is strangely infested with a common North Carolina insect: the tobacco hornworm. To further confound the mystery, the bugs are infected with a fungus from Asia, and Nick begins to suspect his victim wasn't killed because of the marijuana, but because of the insects it contained. He then discovers that a vicious agricultural scheme is underway to cripple US corn and ethanol production.