Publication date: September 10th, 2024
Synopsis:
When 34-year-old Carley Norgren loses her high-profile job and her partner in the span of a few short months, she returns to the place that feels most like home--her childhood cabin on Pelican Lake, Minnesota. She hadn't been back since her father's death from a heart attack two years earlier. When a teenager is abducted, it becomes clear that her once-sleepy lake community has its share of secrets--and someone who will kill to keep them hidden.
In this almost-cozy mystery, one small community learns that the view from the dock isn't always what it seems. This book is the first book of the North Lakes Murder Mystery Series.
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Excerpt - Prologue
Monday
Three men sat in a large white van parked on the road bordering Long Lake, watching three teenage girls spill out of a school bus. The light breeze off the lake and the scent of lilacs in the air were a sharp contrast to the sweat and grease inside the vehicle. The girls walked up the road, laughing and shoving each other playfully. One of the men said, pointing, "That's her. The one on the left with long brown hair." The other two nodded.
The orange school bus accelerated int he distance and disappeared into the bright blue sky, leaving the three girls in its wake. They lived four blocks from each other in Vergas, Minnesota. Friends since kindergarten, now they were sophomores at Frazee High School, about eight miles away. Eleanor leaned into Lindsey. "Hey. I saw Paul today."
"So?" Lindsey asked raising her eyebrows only slightly.
"I talked to him. Did you know he won't be around until next fall?"
"No, why?"
"Because he lives with his dad in the Twin Cities over the summer. See, I actually talked with him. We were standing next to each other during the fire drill. I couldn't resist--I asked him if he likes you." She paused.
Lindsey said, "You should mind your own business."
"Probably. But he does. I thought you'd want to know," Eleanor said, jostling Lindsey with her shoulder.
"You two! Give it up," Michelle laughed.
Lindsey could feel a flutter in her stomach. She'd had a crush on Paul since they first met. Eleanor knew that. Secretly, she was glad Eleanor had had the guts to ask him. He was quiet but smart. And cute. Not stuck on himself like most of the guys she knew. They were friends on socials, but that was about it. They'd only talked a couple of times. Maybe they'd go out in the fall. Homecoming. Football games. Movies. It would be fun to have a boyfriend, she thought as she kicked a stone with her toe.
As they approached Long Lake, the three friends waved goodbye. Eleanor and Michelle lived on the same block and turned left to go home, while Lindsey continued along the street bordering the lake. Tomorrow night they'd have a sleepover at Michelle's to celebrate the end of the school year.
She walked down the empty road, her friends' voices fading away. A large white van started up and pulled out onto the road a ways ahead of her. It looked like it was headed straight toward her. The sun shone in her eyes, and she raised her hand to block it. She moved farther onto the shoulder at the side of the road to give the van more room. Could the driver see her? She waved and shifted onto the grass on the edge of the road. The large, dented vehicle pulled up directly beside her. Two big men jumped out and grabbed her by the arms. Suddenly, her head and body were covered by something rough and scratchy. She wasn't sure she could breathe. She frantically fought to get it off, but the strong arms that held her made that impossible. She screamed as loud as she could. Her whole body went taut as she tried to resist their grip. Clawing at the fabric, she struggled to get loose. She could feel herself being lifted up and hoisted onto the floor of the van. It was hard, metal, with a lot of ridges. Pain shot up through the arm she landed on. The van reeked of gasoline, fertilizer, and manure. Her foot kicked something, and she gagged at the smell of a strong chemical.
She gasped for air and reflexively kicked one of the men as hard as she could.
"Don't be stupid," the man said, gravel in his voice, "if you want to get out of this alive."
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