Charles D’Amico

Charles D’Amico wrote 1 million words of fiction before the age of 40. A few hundred thousand of those words are a part of his award-winning Neil Baggio suspense series, and the rest will be published by the small press he founded in 2020 — Blue Handle Publishing.

His debut, Veritas, won the 2021 PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Suspense and was named a finalist for the 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award in the general mystery category. Colloquium, Book 3 in the Baggio series, earned second-place honors in the PenCraft Awards’ mystery-sleuth category.

Charles was born and raised with one sibling in Metro Detroit, where he attended the all-boys Catholic prep school where his mother taught before she passed away. After studying Psychology and Criminology at Ball State University and earning a Bachelor’s in 2004, Charles’s gift for writing was put center-stage when an injury allowed him to write full time.

He quickly took a job that forced his novels to the backburner and has enjoyed a successful career in finance and as a restaurateur, in addition to a variety of jobs that have informed his outlook on life.

But he never stopped writing.

In addition to bringing his life experience and unique writing style to the literary world, Charles is the founder, president, and CEO of Blue Handle Publishing and Book Puma — an editorial firm that provides online learning and book editing services focused on changing how authors and publishing professionals interact. For more information, visit BookPumaOnline.com and BookPumaEdit.com.

Charles is working on his 2022 release, File Perdue, a Marie Perdita suspense novel that will start a new series in his Neil Baggio universe. He is also finishing Baggio Book 5, Cons ilium, for release in 2023.

Charles resides with his wife, Colleen, and their two kids in Amarillo, Texas, which has treated him like home since the day he arrived. His company Blue Rock owns and operates a chain of restaurants in Amarillo and two other cities in the Southwest.  

Books By Charles D’Amico

Perdue

  • While trying to make up for her previous life’s mistakes, a former intelligence officer — and thorn in Neil’s side — changes her name to Marie Perdita. Raised by a Marine, Marie has always been tough and outworked others. But she can’t find her edge, battling the fear and guilt surrounding the continuing saga of Jason Gaines and his evil drug company.

    So she takes the fight to New Orleans — a global port city that’s strategic to Gaines’s plans. Though she usually works alone, taking down Gaines means working with Christian, a rising star in Neil’s private investigation firm.

    But can Marie and Neil’s team put their issues aside to bring down Gaines and his growing empire?

  • “Marie proves a superb hero... With exciting showdowns, D’Amico brings the reader into the vibrant world of New Orleans.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

    8:34

Requiem

  • A trip to Santa Fe is just what Neil and Maria need to recharge and get a break from work. But when Maria finds herself entangled with the Gaines Chemical case, she becomes a vulnerable target. A dangerous drug is pending market release, and it's up to Neil to stop it and save Maria.

    As Neil races around the world chasing the drug lords, he faces a ruthless and skilled enemy capable of taking his life and those he loves.

    Can he survive long enough to save Maria?

One Golden Day

  • From the outside people see Travis as a successful professional basketball player marrying his college sweetheart, from a perfect family from Amarillo. What they don't see is we all go through trials, tribulations, and strife. Feel the good, the bad, and the tears through the eyes of Travis as he takes you through his journey that will pull at your heart. His wedding day will mirror the life he has led, from his habit of playing basketball when stressed, like dealing with a loss in the family. His greatest day, his wedding day, the culmination of his life will bring him to his knees.

  • "Absolutely amazing. This story of Travis’s life was exhilarating yet heartbreaking. Another must-read from an incredible author." - Shannon Adams, Top Goodreads Reviewer ★★★★★

Colloquium

  • A Neil Baggio Suspense by Charles D'Amico is an engaging thriller for fans of crime, sleuth, and suspense novels. While it is part of the series featuring Neil Baggio, it reads perfectly as a standalone novel. Erin Beddington works for a local newspaper while protesting Gaines Chemical, a powerful chemical company that has just secured a big contract which is a bit dirty. After bringing it to light, Erin gets a lot of press, and the contract is scrapped, costing Gaines Chemical millions. Then suddenly she goes missing. The case slowly grows cold as local authorities figure out that it isn’t the first time for Erin to disappear after causing a stir. When new evidence links her to another plant in Ohio, the Feds get onto the case and after hitting dead ends, they decide to contact Neil and his team. In a conversation with Frank Cappelano, his former boss turned murderer and now an FCI inmate, Neil discovers a disturbing link between Erin’s disappearance and the head of Gaines Chemical. But can he navigate the complexity of the case and unearth the truth?

Ave Maria

  • While trying to make up for her previous life’s mistakes, a former intelligence officer — and thorn in Neil’s side — changes her name to Marie Perdita. Raised by a Marine, Marie has always been tough and outworked others. But she can’t find her edge, battling the fear and guilt surrounding the continuing saga of Jason Gaines and his evil drug company.

    So she takes the fight to New Orleans — a global port city that’s strategic to Gaines’s plans. Though she usually works alone, taking down Gaines means working with Christian, a rising star in Neil’s private investigation firm.

    But can Marie and Neil’s team put their issues aside to bring down Gaines and his growing empire?

Veritas

  • While trying to make up for her previous life’s mistakes, a former intelligence officer — and thorn in Neil’s side — changes her name to Marie Perdita. Raised by a Marine, Marie has always been tough and outworked others. But she can’t find her edge, battling the fear and guilt surrounding the continuing saga of Jason Gaines and his evil drug company.

    So she takes the fight to New Orleans — a global port city that’s strategic to Gaines’s plans. Though she usually works alone, taking down Gaines means working with Christian, a rising star in Neil’s private investigation firm.

    But can Marie and Neil’s team put their issues aside to bring down Gaines and his growing empire?

  • 2021 Pencraft Award Winner for Reader's Favorite

    "Author Charles D'Amico has crafted a powerful plot that drives the thrills on from the very first moments of the opening chapter, and some fantastic pacing rides the train of suspense right to the book’s startling conclusion" - K.C. Finn, author of The Mind's Eye (Synsk Series)