Winter Witness by Tina deBellegarde is the first book in the NEW “Batavia-on-Hudson” traditional mystery series, coming 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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Dru’s Musing:
It was that opening scene that captured my attention which never wavered until the last page was read. This drama quickly became a page turner because I had to know who did what to whom and why. The author did a great job in staging this mystery with a solid plot, an intriguing pool of suspects tossed with a few clues that kept me engaged in all that was happening. From the introduction of the various cast of characters to the role they played, I was immersed in all aspects from the discovery of the murdered victim to the secrets left to be exposed and to the revelation of the killer’s identity. The author knows how to tell a story with visually descriptive narrative and conversational dialogue that provided enough spin that kept me in the game. When I thought I had a handle on who the perpetrator was, the author changed the direction that enhanced how well this story was being told. Overall, this was pleasantly appealing, and I look forward to more adventures with Bianca and her friends.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher.