My name is Bianca St. Denis. I live in Batavia-on-Hudson in the Catskill Mountains. I’m on my way to Stella’s Diner for my morning coffee. Why don’t you join me?

I go everywhere in this tiny village on foot. Now that I’m in my forties, I like to walk every day to keep fit and it also helps me think. And what better way to think but in nature? The Hudson Valley is beautiful this time of year, one of the reasons my husband Richard and I decided to move here a few years ago. We had outgrown the city and we were ready for a slower pace. Richard had just retired from the University and he encouraged me to retire early from my high school history teaching job so I could write full time.

You may have guessed that Richard is gone now. He may have been older but he died too soon. I still write, but finding myself unexpectedly alone on a hobby farm has kept me very busy. I’m also volunteering and trying to fit in. The locals are pretty close-knit and I often wonder if I can find a niche for myself. Let’s make a left here and we can head toward town.

“Hello, Claire.” You’ll want to pick up your pace a little bit or Claire will bend your ear over the local gossip. She claims she doesn’t like to gossip, but. . .well, you know how that goes.

Up ahead is the Dekker Farm where I get my fresh eggs. Wait ‘til you see the view from the crest of this hill. See what I mean? The rolling landscape, the line of trees, the sweep down Main Street, the spire atop St. James.

Tuck in, you’ll want to hug the shoulder. It’s a sleepy town, but the drivers own the road. Bert Henderson, everyone’s handyman, is the biggest culprit, he may just clip you right off the edge of the road with his pickup if you’re not careful. He’s been worse since his wife left him. . .Well, now I’m gossiping. Maybe I do fit in to small town life after all.

Let’s cross the street and take the wooded path. It’s a shortcut and it’s safer. Plus, you get to see deer, chipmunks, turkeys, even bears. Hmmm. . .Maybe it’s not so safe now that I think about it. Make a left at the edge of the woods, up ahead at Lois Lanes. Yes, clever isn’t it? Well, what else was Jackson to do when he married Lois but change the name of the bowling alley? Oh, and here’s the Gazette. I’ll be doing some writing for them. My first article will be about my old Palatine farmhouse. It’s actually a historic building and rather rare in this Dutch area. It was pretty shabby when Richard and I bought it, but we restored it as best we could.

“Hello, Lester!” No, your eyes do not deceive you, that’s a skunk with Lester Quirke. His name says it all, doesn’t it? He’s a character. He doesn’t look a day over eighty-five, but he’s very proud to tell anyone who will listen that he’s turning one hundred next spring. He’s a not-so retired lawyer with a penchant for bowties. He runs the Bait and Tackle shop by the lake and Dolly follows him everywhere.

Across the way is the Crossroad’s Inn. Washington and his troops set up a makeshift headquarters there once. Lots of history in this town and plenty of secrets too, from what I can tell.

Here we are at Stella’s Diner, everyone passes through here at least once a day. Before we go in, take a look over your left shoulder. Yes, it’s a wonderful view, isn’t it? You can see straight down to the Hudson River. Eugene still hasn’t fixed the sill, so watch your step. Now, don’t order the toast, it’s always burnt, but the coffee can’t be beat. Smells good, right?

“Hi, Eugene. One coffee, one cappuccino and two croissants.”

Stella’s is well situated at the center of town. From the window you can watch the villagers go about their business. Oh! There goes Mike! I mean Sheriff Riley. No, I’m not blushing. It must be the chill in the air. I wonder where the sheriff’s rushing off to? An emergency? I doubt it. What could possibly go wrong in an idyllic town like Batavia-on-Hudson?

Winter Witness is the first book in the NEW “Batavia-on-Hudson” traditional mystery series, released September 29, 2020.

When a beloved nun is murdered in a sleepy Catskill Mountain town, a grieving young widow finds herself at the center of the turmoil. Bianca St. Denis is searching for a job and seeking acceptance in her new home of Batavia-on-Hudson. Agatha Miller, the nun’s closest friend and the ailing local historian everyone loves to hate, shares her painful personal history and long-buried village secrets with Bianca. Armed with this knowledge, Bianca unravels the mysteries surrounding the death while dealing with the suspicions of her eccentric neighbors.

However, Bianca’s meddling complicates the sheriff’s investigation as well as his marriage. Can Sheriff Mike Riley escape his painful past in a town where murder and infighting over a new casino vie for his attention?

Danger stalks Bianca as she gets closer to the truth. Can the sheriff solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? Can the town heal its wounds once the truth has been uncovered?

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Meet the author
Tina deBellegarde lives in Catskill, New York with her husband Denis and their cat Shelby. Winter Witness is the first in the Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series. Tina also writes short stories and flash fiction. When she isn’t writing, Tina is helping Denis tend their beehives, harvest shiitake mushrooms, and cultivate their vegetable garden. She travels to Japan regularly to visit her son Alessandro. She is a former exporter, paralegal, teacher, and library clerk. Visit her website at tinadebellegarde.com.

Book cover and map credit: Sachi Mulkey 

All comments are welcomed.