It's 1943 and charismatic jazz musician US Marine Randolph Harrington is found murdered on the banks of Southland's Ōreti River.

Retired Detective Inspector John MacBride, a shell-shocked WW1 veteran, heads the complex investigation with only his inexperienced Detective Constable and two old-school Detectives from Dunedin to

help.

What follows is a string of hostility, red herrings, broken hearts and contraband as MacBride tries to solve the case - while all the time battling his own demons - before the Americans ship out.

For author LS Joye - aka former Southlander Lauren Sleeman - 'Wrongdoings - a Southern tale of murder' is her first crime fiction book, having until now concentrated on mythological fiction works.

Now Wanaka based, Sleeman said she wrote Wrongdoings as a homage to the influences of the south she grew up with.

Sleeman's father founded well known Winton business Sleeman Electrical many years ago.

“I wanted to write an easy-to-read story of my beloved birth province Southland, a story which encompassed old-school, colloquial Southern humour and history”.

“With this in mind, I chose one of my favourite genres, crime fiction, with a flawed lead character who, like many men of this era, endeavoured to contribute to society while suffering under the shadow of the ‘Great War’, World War 1.

“I selected the year 1943 because it was a significant year in southern history with the tragedy of the Hyde rail disaster."

"In the wider social milieu in the years 1942 to 1944, United States servicemen were stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand, bringing about both an economic boom and a certain intrigue, especially for young Kiwi women which resulted in marriages for approximately 1500 of them.

“Several themes of the story also reflect my work as a psychotherapist."

"The phenomenon of narcissism would not have been as evident in the 1940s as it is now, but narcissistic individuals can and do cause great harm, no matter the era."

"Likewise, PTSD known in the 1940s as shellshock, along with domestic abuse and violence are also perpetual problems in society which frequently remain hidden."

"Consensual sex versus rape is another issue alluded to in the story,” Sleeman said.

Wrongdoings is written and published by LA Joye.

Distributed by Relish Books it is available as a paperback at Paperplus Winton, Wanaka and Alexandra for $35.