Pictured is Buffalo native and Ohio resident, Phillip Laurien, at the Patterson Library following his author talk there in May. Submitted photo

Chautauqua County residents that are also fans of murder mystery books are in luck, as Buffalo native Phillip Laurien, who currently resides in Ohio, has recently published the second book in his “Mac Morrison Murder Mystery Series”, which takes place in Chautauqua County.

Laurien published his second book “Return to Barcelona Harbor” in September, a sequel to the book “Barcelona Harbor Murders”. The first book focused on Mac Morrison and his trained police dog, Buddy-dog, as they return to the Chautauqua County area where his parents were killed in a car crash, after receiving an envelope that makes him think not everything is as it seems. The second book continues their story, including bringing Morrison’s love interest Marybeth Murphy, into more of a spotlight and will focus on some of the same characters, while also bringing in some new characters.

Barcelona Harbor is a real location in Westfield, and Laurien said that local people will enjoy being able to recognize places in the book that actually exist, and that they do not necessarily have to have read the first book in order to enjoy the new one.

For Laurien, writing about Chautauqua County is a connection to his past and a place that he enjoys visiting.

“I first encountered Chautauqua County when I was 14 or 15,” Laurien said. “I grew up on the outskirts of Buffalo, and went to Clarence Central High School. I played both soccer and tennis in high school and we were not in the same division as some of the bigger schools, so we ended up playing against some Chautauqua County schools.”

Laurien also participated in a riding camp in the area, and after leaving to go to college in New Hampshire and living in Ohio, sometimes returns through the area to visit his parents who still live in Buffalo. During his visits he often stops in Ripley and at Barcelona Harbor, and one of these trips in 2007 gave him the original idea for his murder mystery series, which he did not end up writing until retirement three years ago.

These days, Laurien said he is hooked on the characters and the story and already has a third book, “Mayville Murders” close to being published, with at least two more planned ones in the works.

“I think people who are readers of murder mysteries will like this series,” Laurien said. “I think they will fall in love with the characters. People who have already read the books tell me that they have. I think people serial read their favorite authors and I intend to be unique but if I had to say what my writing style is like I would say like Robert Parker.”

Laurien said his style is also unique in that he works to set the scene, beginning his stories almost like screenplays. He also works to offer murder mysteries with romantic undertones, adding that all of the characters are based on people he has known in his life, including Buddy-dog, which is based on rescue dogs of his past, such as his current three-legged dog, Sadie-Rose.

Laurien has had writing experience in the past, mostly in technical writing, but also writing short stories in college. He said he writes for fun, not for a living, and that he likes to begin the story with one scene and a character and let it unfold from there. Laurien has traveled around the world, specifically to Europe, and has had nine different careers, including once as an acting police chief, and uses his experiences as influences for his ideas.

Laurien said his books are for anyone in the area who is interested in reading a murder mystery set in areas they recognize.

“If you’ve always enjoyed living in Chautauqua County and want to read a novel based on Chautauqua County and to be able to picture the areas the characters are in, you will enjoy this book,” Laurien said. “There are complex plots, a lot of different characters, and a surprise ending every time. If you like murder mysteries and want to read one set in your home county, check out this series.”

“Return to Barcelona Harbor” is available now on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and hardcover, and can also be found at the Mayville, Westfield, and Prendergast libraries.