“Hi, I’m Cheryl! Sorry, it’s Lana. Although that’s not what my parents named me. Some people stretch the truth about their age or their weight (and I do that, too), but mostly I lie about my name. My life depends on it. And I’d love to tell you about myself, but you never know who’s listening, waiting to knock you sideways. I have the worst luck. It’s like I’m cursed or something. Honestly, look up the word in the dictionary and you’ll find a description of Svjetlana Babic – an annoyance; experiencing difficulty and unhappiness.”

Today is a typical day in my miserable life.

If the young girl at the variety store counter speaks English, she shows no sign of it, staring as I prattle on about my predicament. “Do you have a washroom?” I switch to my semi-fluent Croatian, indicating my dishevelled state.

“You’re not from here, are you?” The clerk eyes me suspiciously, noting my bloody hands and knees.

I’m not sure where I’m from. This Croatian village where I was conceived? The Canadian city of Hamilton where I grew up and lived until the day…? (I don’t want to talk about it.) The northern Ontario town where Cheryl lives a blissful life with her husband and two young children, baking cinnamon buns and reporting mundane news for the weekly paper?

I shake my head. “No, I’m just visiting my grandma.” I continue my English rant about the inconsiderate biker who ran me down and kept speeding down the highway, just one more mishap in a string of accidents that have plagued me since I returned to Hamilton to visit my parents after an 11-year absence.

She hands me a key and points to the back. The raised eyebrows and upturned mouth tell me she’s more fluent in English than I am in Croatian. And I’ve just stupidly divulged more about myself than I should have. At least I didn’t mention my alleged role in the chicken murders. Although I’m sure she must know all about it. Everyone in town, including the busybody, the troublemakers, and the crazy old cat lady, knows more about my family history than I do.

Minutes later, I’m outside sitting on the steps, bandaging my knees and palms, asking myself how I manage to get into these situations. Matija pulls up in his vehicle and runs toward me.

When I explain the cause of my injuries, he shakes his head. “You’re lucky the guy wasn’t driving a car.”

I only met Matija a few weeks ago, but this good-looking guy has saved my life more than once and he keeps popping up everywhere I go. If I had a dollar for every time I naively put my trust in people, I’d be… Nevermind. My parents recently died and left me a millionaire. I still can’t get my head around it. That’s why I’m here, pounding on doors in this Croatian village, searching for answers about their past and how it connects to their sudden deaths. Today’s destination is the city library, where I hope to find out what happened in my dad’s childhood home – the dilapidated building the locals call the murder house. I’m determined to know the truth about my parents. Even though it might kill me.

“Buckle up,” he says, pulling the shades over his eyes.

The Dead Lie, A Blue Water Mystery Book #1
Genre: Traditional
Release: February 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

You can run. You can hide. But in the end, the past catches up with you.

Lana, a young mother who suffered a traumatic event 11 years ago, has been living under an assumed name. When she visits her hometown to check if it’s safe to reclaim her identity, Lana suffers several mishaps. Then her parents are killed in a car crash. Lana blames herself and her past mistakes until she discovers her mom and dad weren’t who they claimed to be, leading her to suspect their secrets may be responsible for their deaths.

Lana returns to her family’s native Croatian village to visit her grandmother in hopes of learning the truth about her parents and the reason they died. When she meets the villagers, they slam their doors in Lana’s face at the mention of her father. Meanwhile, the near misses that happened back home follow her to Croatia, as does a tall, dark stranger.

Lana probes into the village’s past and uncovers a cold case and a decades old curse, bringing out the ghosts of the past and putting herself in the same danger her parents ran from years ago.

Meet the author
Ivanka Fear is Canadian writer, born in Slovenia. She earned her B.A. and B.Ed. in English and French at Western University. Prior to pursuing writing full time, she enjoyed a long career in education. Her debut novel, The Dead Lie, is the first in her Blue Water Mysteries series. Ivanka is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. She resides in Ontario, Canada, with her family and the stray cats that wandered in. When not reading and writing, Ivanka enjoys watching mystery series and romance movies, gardening, going for walks, and watching the waves roll in at the lake. Visit her at ivankafear.com.

All comments are welcomed.