How are you not more famous?

This question always comes up every time I read another story by Ken Harris.

Author of From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish, Ken Harris’s fiction is right up your alley if you like mysteries, memorable characters, a clinic in pacing, and witty banter with modern references.

He’s about to hit the mainstream faster than you can say Jameson’s Irish Whiskey with a Montecristo Cigar.

**Ken Harris combined his decades of experience chasing criminals for the FBI and love of fiction to start the next chapter of his life: Writing crime fiction for mysteries lovers everywhere.**

Who is Ken Harris?

Ken Harris served 32 years in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Now a former and happily retired FBI agent, Harris decided to combine his expertise in crime fighting and his love of fiction to start the next chapter of his life.

When he’s not spending time with his lovely wife Nicolita or his two dogs Shady and Chalupa Batman, he’s writing From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish, the fastest-paced and most hilarious crime fiction series you’ll ever read.

The Case Files of Steve Rockfish: A Burgeoning Book Series You Can’t Put Down

The Case Files of Steve Rockfish is a mystery series with a twist.

That twist is that the books are filled with parodies from modern life that have you laughing out loud every few pages.

The series features private investigator Steve Rockfish who is witty, incredibly flawed, and excellent at catching bad guys.

He is ambitious about growing his private investigation practice, but does so at his own pace.

He could have a whiskey glass in his hand or a gun, depending on the scene, and he’s always up against very powerful adversaries.

Whether he’s facing the Italian mob or a doomsday cult, one thing is certain:

Rockfish always comes out on top in the end.

Rockfish is joined by his quirky and tech-savvy partner Jawnie McGee, who more often than not keeps the PI on the straight-and-narrow.

She is the counter-weight to Rockfish’s unpredictable nature, and is the go-to for anything involving a computer.

While Rockfish and Jawnie run the show, they are joined by a cast of characters you’ll appreciate getting to know.

Along their many adventures, we meet Rockfish’s dad, Mack, the bumbling schemer Raffi, confidential informer Lynn, and Decker, Rockfish’s contact at the Baltimore Police Department.

Harris weaves these characters through a plot like a needle through thread.

The pacing is quick, which keeps you turning the pages, and the humor and wit make Rockfish a series that needs to be passed around to every reader you know.

Here is a quick, shallow drive into the Rockfish universe.

The Pine Barrens Stratagem

In The Pine Barrens Stratagem, Rockfish and Jawnie find themselves investigating a child trafficking cold case from the 1940s.

The name of the book comes from the setting, which is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.

The time period is smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plot centers on a criminal enterprise that is using the pandemic to defraud the government and local liaison to the mob.

This book introduces us first to Rockfish, then to Jawnie, who becomes a prominent figurehead in the rest of the series.

Jawnie, as we learn, is the great-granddaughter of a local policeman who is involved in the original case.

This book has plenty of adventure and laughs, and by the time the book is done, you feel as though you're parting with two close friends.

See You Next Tuesday

See You Next Tuesday has Steve investigating an online romance scam that has targeted his father, Mack.

Jawnie, meanwhile, finds herself embroiled in an infidelity case involving a rich client.

This client brings Steve and Jawnie head-to-head with a doomsday cult that is using a cryptocurrency scam to convince its followers they'll live in paradise after the rapture.

As usual, Rockfish and Jawnie find themselves knee-deep in sticky situations with plenty of laughs and witty banter along the way.

A Bad Bout of the Yips

**A case of vandalism and harrassment bring Steve and Jawnie face to face with powerful forces intent on closing down a local Putt Putt.**

The third installment of the Rockfish series, A Bad Bout of the Yips, has Rockfish and Jawnie investigating a case of harassment and vandalism against a lesbian couple who have purchased a mini-golf course.

While unraveling the case, Steve and Jawnie find themselves at odds with powerful corporate types and dangerous individuals intent on revenge.

Similar to the first two books, this is another hole-in-one with powerful adversaries, edge-of-your-seat action, and plenty of twists and turns.

The Ballad of the Great Value Boys

**A right-wing militia didn’t count on someone like Steve Rockfish foiling their government-toppling conspiracy.**

In The Ballad of the Great Value Boys, Steve and Jawnie inadvertently find themselves faced off with a right-wing militia group called The Penn Forest Patriots.

The “Patriots” are later dubbed The Great Value Boys by Steve and Company - a hilarious dig involving the name of Walmart's discount brand).

Steve and Jawnie meet the group when their conniving friend Raffi tries to sell expired MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat).

The investigation takes a wild turn when Steve and Jawnie become entwined in a conspiracy involving an evangelical preacher and corrupt local police.

Raffi always brings the laughs, which combined with the pacing (which is always quick and satisfying), and a plot that always keeps you guessing, Ballad proves to be another Rockfish page-turner.

The Weight of Regret (Coming 2026)

If reading The Great Value Boys makes you sad because you think the series is over, don’t despair!

I have it on very good authority that the next book in the Rockfish series is coming soon.

In a recent interview with Crime Fiction Lover, Harris teased the fifth book in the Rockfish series, titled The Weight of Regret.

The book promises to be the most serious and darkest of the series and is slated for release sometime in 2026.

What hilarious hijinks will Steve and Jawnie get into?

We’ll have to wait and see.

More importantly, how will they get themselves out of trouble, and where and when will the darkness set in?

Be Sure and Check Out Rockfish’s Exciting Side-Quests

If waiting a whole year for another Rockfish book makes you sad, perk up!

Harris wrote three short-stories involving Steve and Jawnie for Mysteries to Die For Seasons 5, 6, 7, and 8.

As my readers know, Mysteries to Die For is an anthology seriethat is both a book and podcast.

Here are Harris’s inclusions to this nail-biting mystery series.

GTA: Pennsylvania Dutch

The Season 5 M2D4 Anthology is titled Move It Or Lose It and involves murders that center around modes of transportation.

In Harris’s inclusion to the anthology, Steve and Jawnie find themselves investigating the grand theft auto of a beloved racehorse with a stand-off at the end you definitely won’t expect.

Live Free or Die Jacking

Season 6 of M2D4 is titled Things That Go Jack in the Night.

The authors were tasked with writing about murder involving one of the most common words in the English language, Jack.

This story features a senior citizen named Estelle Cummings who is patrolling a local park in hopes of catching the elusive Nature Jacker.

When the Nature Jacker ends up dead, and with the local police unwilling to pursue a case involving a public masturbator, it is up to Estelle to solve the mystery.

While this isn't a Rockfish story, per se, lovers of From the Casefiles of Steve Rockfish will want to give it a read or listen.

You will meet Estelle again.

Did Not See That Coming

Season 7’s M2D4, titled Games People Play, had authors write about murder that involved some type of game. Harris chose kids playing Army.

The book version of M2D4 season 7 was broken into two versions: Opening Gambit and Final Move.

Harris’s story features in book two Final Move and was broken into two episodes in the podcast version.

The mystery begins with Rockfish standing in for Jawnie at a Women Investigators in Crime conference, where he runs into Estelle Cummings, who you might remember is the star character in Harris's story from season 6.

Estelle wants Jawnie to help her investigate a decades old cold case involving a young girl who went missing while playing Army with neighborhood friends.

Rockfish soon finds himself crawling through the trenches in a muck of small town bigotry and a rumored ménage à trois in his mission for the truth.

Keep an eye out for Harris’s season 8 story for M2D4 set go live in the summer of 2025.

Remember The Rockford Files?

Steve Rockfish is an amalgam of several TV characters from yesteryear.

As Harris has intoned in the Crime Fiction Lover interview and elsewhere, the character is primarily based on the show The Rockford Files, which Harris used to watch with his dad.

Other characters that inspired Steve Rockfish and his many adventures include Quincy, Columbo, Barnaby Jones, and Moonlighting.

Rockfish perfectly embodies those 70s and 80s characters with his dry humor, sharp wit, and eloquent sarcasm.

Where to Read Harris’s Fiction?

You can read more of Harris's work by visiting his website Ken Harris Fiction - *Pencil Not Included.

You can also visit his Amazon author page, Audible page, YouTube channel, and Goodreads.

You can also watch and interact with Harris live every weekday morning on Twitch.

Now that you know more about Ken Harris and From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish, here’s your homework:

Go out and read or listen to Harris’s stories and let’s all make him a household name.

To help show our appreciation, mention your favorite book, story, character, or line from any of Harris’s books or short stories and win a free copy of The Pine Barrens Stratagem. Send your entry to info@jasonlittlewriting. First one to enter wins.

Author Spotlight: Ken Harris - Author of From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish