Title: A Chain of Pearls (a Martha’s Vineyard Murders mystery, book one)
Author: Raemi A. Ray
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Book Blurb:
The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…
When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.
She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.
As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.
Excerpt:
Sunday
Kyra Gibson tightened her grip on the rails of the Island Home as it pulled into the harbor at Vineyard Haven. The ferry’s horn blared, notifying the passengers to return to their vehicles. Kyra hesitated, wanting a glimpse of the island her father had made his home nearly five years ago. The dock looked weather-beaten, the boarded-up, cedar-planked buildings just beyond, desolate under April’s gray afternoon sky. A chill snaked down her spine, and Kyra pulled her leather jacket tight around her shoulders. She descended into the belly of the ferry and returned to the warmth of her rented SUV. With a deep, steadying breath, Kyra prepared to disembark.
She guided the SUV off the boat and into a small village consisting mostly of closed shops and cafés. “Turn left onto Vineyard-Haven Edgartown Road,” her GPS barked. Deeper into the island, the town gave way to farms and spindly pine woods. The apprehension she’d been ignoring for weeks, resurfaced. Am I right to have come?
Make a U-turn!
Kyra cursed. She’d passed the turnoff. “How did he even find this friggin’ place?” she muttered. Looping back, she spotted the gravel drive and pulled up to a large house surrounded by a thicket of pine and brush. The house, a traditional New England colonial, was painted white with black trim. Empty flower boxes hung below shuttered windows. The garden beds were well cared for. Someone had spread fresh mulch and pruned back the rhododendrons and hydrangeas.
She parked next to a blue Range Rover. Taking a deep breath, she opened her door and stepped out from the safety of her rental car. The air was heavy with briny moisture. The damp clung to her hair and clothes. Kyra shivered. She gripped the key the lawyer had sent. Its spiny blade dug into her palm. She squared her shoulders and walked up the porch stairs, pausing before the door. Her breathing turned shallow.
She had never expected to be here. But she also thought she’d see him again. She’d thought she had time. Kyra unlocked the front door. It swung open, and she stepped into her dead father’s house.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-chain-of-pearls/id6471550060?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=books_box_link
GoodReads:
BookBub:
Author Biography:
Raemi A. Ray is the author of A Chain of Pearls, her debut and the first book in a Martha’s Vineyard Murders series set on Martha’s Vineyard. Her travels to the island and around the world inspire her stories. She lives in Boston.
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