Silent Winter Solstice by Bonnie Oldre

A Beth and Evie Mystery Book 1

Winter Solstice, 1968. While most of the world is transfixed by the televised images of the first manned lunar orbit, Beth Williams rushes through the eerie quiet of her home-town city park trying to get to work on time. Suddenly, a body rolls down the hill and lands near her feet. She glimpses a shadowy figure at the top of the hill. But, before the police arrive, the body disappears and they dismiss the whole thing as a drunk who fell, was stunned, and then wandered off after regaining consciousness. However, Beth is certain that a murder was committed. She and her best friend, Evie Hanson, both mystery novel buffs, decide to investigate. The menace grows when Beth discovers she is being followed around town. Beth and Evie realize they must solve the case before it is too late.

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NZC296H
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gatekeeper Press (December 20, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 20, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1346 KB

My Review

What do you do when it is 1968, before cell phones were invented and you find a dead body in the snow? You run to the library, where you work as a Library Assistant so you can call the police. Unfortunately, the time it took to report the death also provided the murderer with the time to hide the body. Or was the person alive and knocked out, woke up and walked off? Beth Williams was second-guessing herself when the police couldn’t find evidence of foul play.

I liked the fact this mystery was set in 1968 when life was simpler and life in small communities was laid back and residents trusted one another. The author captured the time period perfectly. The writing style was easy to read, and the plot kept me turning pages. It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat like thrillers do but its style was perfect for a cozy read.  It was a tantalizing read for a relaxing afternoon.

About The Author

I always loved books. My library card was a prized childhood possession. In the summer, I spent hours at the library happily turning pages with fingers wrinkled from playing in the adjacent city swimming pool. Reading transported me to a new world. I was interested in everything. Some of my favorites included the Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes stories, and later, Agatha Christie’s novels.

I developed a life-long passion for writing when a poem I wrote was published in my high school’s anthology. After earning a degree in English Literature from the University of Minnesota, my first publishing job was copy-editing church bulletins in the morning and delivering them in the afternoon! I was also a volunteer writer and editor for our neighborhood newspaper and sold a couple of short stories. But that didn’t pay the bills, so I went to graduate school and became a librarian.

The desire to write never diminished and ultimately propelled me into taking writing classes at the Loft Literary Center and the University of Minnesota. A life-long resident of Minnesota, my husband and I have two grown sons and a tribe of grandchildren. We, and our pet cat, Chocolate, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Bonnie also writes historical fiction as B.K. Oldre.

https://bonnieoldre.com/

Meet Author Diane Weiner

Diane Weiner, award-winning author of The Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mysteries, The Sugarbury Falls Mysteries, and The Sara Baron Tuned-in Mysteries, is a veteran public school teacher and mother of four grown children. Being an animal lover, she is a vegetarian and shares her home with two precious cats–a calico named Callie and a gray tabby, Chelsea. In her free time, she enjoys running, shopping, attending theater productions, watching British mysteries on Britbox, and spending time with her family. A favorite way to destress involves turning down the lights, cranking down the air-conditioning (she lives in Florida), and getting lost in the scenery and mystery of Wales, Scotland, or England by watching shows such as Hinterland,Shetland, and Vera. To learn more about the author, visit her website http://www.dianeweinerauthor.com, or follow her on Facebook (dianeweinerauthor), Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub. Contact the author at dianeweinerauthor@gmail.com.

  • ASIN : B08QH3TPHH
  • Publisher : Cozy Cat Press (December 12, 2020)
  • Publication date : December 12, 2020
  • Language: : English
  • Print length : 153 pages

When the dear friend of the town’s beloved innkeeper is murdered, sleuthing couple Emily and Henry Fox don’t hesitate to step in. Something’s fishy regarding the property the victim recently purchased. The previous owner wants it back, the neighbors want it vacant, and the next of kin who stands to inherit the property is missing! Meanwhile, Henry and Emily’s daughter, Maddy, may be in grave danger. Maddy’s biological father has been prematurely released from prison due to a city-wide health crisis. When he shows up in Sugarbury Falls, Henry is determined to protect his daughter at any cost.

Buy Here

Sugarbury Falls is one of my favorite fictional places to visit. an The Sinister Course by Diane Weiner is set in Sugarbury Falls and is  book #6 in the Sugarbury Falls mysteries. I am never disapointed in the series.

Once again we find Emily and Henry embroiled in a mystery that has twists and turns which lead us on another adventure in a small community where we feel welcomed. Ms Weiner doesn’t mess around when introducing us to murder. I always get restless if I have to wait for the mystery or murder to take off in the middle of the book but in The Sinister Course we  are plunged into it in the first few chapters.

You can read the synopsis above to get the gooey tidbits about the book but I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

One of the other perks of this series is the charming businesses in Sugarbury Falls, the Outside Inn being one of them run by Coralee, a comfortable welcoming character. She would be our best go to when we needed comforting if we were actually living in the book.

The Sinister Course is a comfortable read, has solid characters and is the perfect book to curl up with by the fireplace and read for an afternoon.

As always we are left with enough of a tease that we are left wanting for the next book to already be written. I love that part of these mysteries as I do that myself in mine.

I have now read this entire series. Make sure you also check out her Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mysteries and the Sara Barton Tuned-In Mysteries. Enjoy.

Visit Diane on Amazon