The Way You Say My Name – The new detective novel from East Texas author M.E. Proctor

LIVINGSTON, TX, October 13, 2026
The third book in M.E. Proctor’s Declan Shaw detective series is available in print and eBook today. Published by Shotgun Honey Books, The Way You Say My Name is the anticipated follow up to the award-nominated Catch Me on a Blue Day released last year. Houston-based private investigator Declan Shaw is back and this time a missing person case takes him from the lakes and woods of East Texas all the way to the Atlantic coast.

On New Year’s day, P.I. Declan Shaw is hired to investigate a disappearance. Amanda Spencer, a young mother of two, slipped away from a Christmas concert without leaving a clue. What made her run and who is she running from?

While digging up shreds of info from Amanda’s parents and friends, Declan meets Sam Chandler. She’s the kind of woman who stops him in his tracks. Sexy, smart, and complicated. And skilled at keeping secrets. So skilled Declan questions his abilities as a detective. What began as an intriguing missing person case soon shifts into a cross-country pursuit with Sam’s life in the balance.

For once, Declan isn’t the searcher, he’s the one who cannot afford to be found.
In The Way You Say My Name, narratives intertwine as a double spiral winds tighter and tighter. Amanda’s story is one of them. Protecting Sam is the other. And the closer Declan comes to finding Amanda, the more he risks losing Sam.

Here’s what reviewers say about the Declan Shaw PI series:

“I always like to see an investigator with the classic Sam Spade style set-up (one detective, one secretary, one top-floor agency) and Shaw certainly possessed all the swagger and repartee to hold his own among the big beasts of the genre.”

“Love You Till Tuesday by M.E. Proctor is an absolute page-turner, packed with superb characters and thrilling twists. This detective-thriller is hands down the best I’ve read this year! Declan Shaw, a private investigator that you’ll love to cheer for, is the perfect protagonist to unravel the murder mystery and bring the villains to justice. Proctor’s writing style and exceptional storytelling will keep you on the edge of your seat, making it impossible to put the book down.”

“Smart, sexy, funny. Stands tall with anything else I’ve read in the genre. Updated for the modern era but still timeless enough to become a classic. It hits all the beats you want in this kind of story. There’s a sly subversion of the mystery PI novel at work here as well. The intrepid hero cracks wise, but he doesn’t like guns. He’s also carrying the weight of misspent youth. The mystery unfolds with the usual twists, but by the end when all is solved, there remain bigger questions about this guy.”

M.E. Proctor lives in Texas. She’s the author of the Declan Shaw detective mysteries, the author of two short story collections, and the co-author of two retro-noirs, Bop City Swing and Kansas City Breakdown. Her fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She’s a Shamus Award and Derringer Award short story nominee. Catch Me on a Blue Day, the second Declan Shaw book, is nominated for a Shamus Award in the 2026 Best Original Paperback P.I. Novel category.

The Way You Say My Name by M.E. Proctor

Published by Shotgun Honey Books, October 2026
Available in Paperback
288 pages – ISBN 978-1-966787-06-8 – $17.95
Available in eBook – $6.99