Author: Amerie Brand
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9798338743973; 9798338741207
Clean Tales Publishing
174 Pages
$18.99; $9.99; $2.99 Amazon
September 12, 2024
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Norman Haskins thought the biggest challenge he'd face this summer would be overseeing the renovations of his beloved Willow Oaks Inn. But when a routine repair turns into a nightmare after a dead body is discovered on the construction site, things take a sinister twist. The victim? The bitter rival of the firm Norman hired to do the work.
As if dealing with a murder investigation wasn't enough, one of Norman's eccentric guests -- a notorious documentary filmmaker -- seizes the opportunity for attention, turning the quiet inn into a media circus. With rumors swirling and secrets piling up, Norman is thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to destroy both his business and peace of mind.
With the help of his ever-loyal Border Collie, Milo, Norman must sift through a tangled web of lies, rivalries, and buried secrets to uncover the truth. But the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes. Can Norman solve the case before he becomes the next victim, or is a ruthless killer already one step ahead?
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Norman Haskins is expanding his Willow Oaks Inn to include a swimming pool, and some renovations of the rooms. He's hired Monroe Construction to do the job, and the owner is an old school friend of his to boot. Suddenly a man shows up in a battered truck and offers to renovate the rooms at a lower cost. Norman tries to explain to him that he's already signed with Monroe, but the man, Andrew Reilly, insists, and won't let go. Later that evening a motel guest walking her dog finds a dead body...and it turns out to be Andrew.
Then there's the documentary filmmaker who rented rooms -- he's dubbed the motel "Murder Motel" and films at every opportunity, but Norman wishes he'd just leave, knowing he's now going to be a bigger problem than he already is.
Since the dead man was found on the construction site, the owner's daughter, Olivia, insists on helping Norman ferret out the killer, especially since the filmmaker has named the two of them as prime suspects and put it on the web. So what can they do? Just figure out who the killer is, and hope not to be the next two targets...
This is the latest installment in the Willow Oaks Inn mystery, and we once again have Norman in the middle of a murder investigation. He's doing his best to keep his teenage son, Jason, out of the investigation, but a new part-time hire named Diane is disrupting things along the way, no matter how he tries to tell her to leave it alone. Olivia has her own problems with her father who won't allow her to make decisions on her own, but this time she just isn't letting him know.
We see Norman butt heads again with Sheriff Bennett, although the interactions are mild; and of course, Norman's dog Milo is helping them sniff out clues. When the ending comes and we discover the murderer, the reasons seem strange; but then again, killers never make any sense anyway. It's an interesting tale that can be read in one evening.
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Amerie Brand's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/amerie-brand/
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