This morning, I hadn’t planned on driving down the highway to Sausalito, the picturesque waterfront town just over the Golden Gate Bridge. When I pulled into the parking lot, I could barely see the small beach and marinas perched on Richardson Bay because of the heavy fog curling down to the water’s edge. I wanted to be back in bed where it was warm. Or at least sipping on a steaming mocha latte. I blamed my sister, Lena, for my break-of-day trek to meet Harrison Barlow, the dead guy’s son.
Let me explain. I’m Trisha Carson. I’m an amateur sleuth and I work for the San Francisco Giants when it’s baseball season. My dad and I live with a very wealthy retired tech entrepreneur in Marin County, just north of Sausalito. This house is so high tech we can change the living wallpaper in each room with a few short words. My suite of rooms … yes, a suite of rooms … used to be a luxurious maid’s quarter. The luxury extends to my bathroom with heated towel racks and floor. I used to have a smart refrigerator, but I discovered it spying on me, so it’s gone.
Yesterday, Lena and I went to a Celebration of Life for Harrison’s father, Andy Barlow. Lena was invited since she taught Harrison how to swim twelve years ago. To me, that’s an odd reason to invite someone you hardly know to a memorial service. Because I solved crimes, Harrison made sure that she dragged me along.
His father died an unexpected death. A successful financier and an open water swimmer, he was training in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay for an upcoming swim across Lake Tahoe and had been the victim of a terrible boating accident. Harrison needed someone to talk to, to process what had happened, my sister told me and thought I would be that perfect someone.
“Let’s get this over with,” I thought climbing out of the car. Harrison paced up and down the sandy beach, his black cape blowing across his shoulders. Catching his attention, I pointed to the Two Seagulls café and jogged over to meet him at the café’s door. He didn’t glance at me but walked in like I wasn’t there. His gothic appearance turned heads as we took our seats.
Awkward silence followed. I looked at him. He looked out the window. When his coffee came, he started to talk.
“My father’s death wasn’t an accident. He was killed. I’m sure of it.”
Although the comment came as a shock, I decided not to jump into detective mode. The young man wanted a reason his father had died. Completely understandable.
“Harrison,” I started. But he cut me off.
“I know who did it. I’m hiring you to make sure I’m right,” he said.
I let out a big sigh. The local sheriff already declared it an accident. This could be easy money, but I didn’t want to take advantage of someone in heartfelt pain. I let him talk for a long time, trying to nod and look concerned. Then my text alert went off. It was my sister.
How’d it go?
This was my cue. I told Harrison I had to leave and that I’d get back to him about the job. He nodded and we both headed for the door.
Instead of returning to my car, I walked down a narrow finger pier, boats docked on either side. Should I take this job or not? I needed to think about it.
Better Off Dead: A Trisha Carson Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: March 2025
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Successful Marin County, Ca financier, Andy Barlow, is training for a competitive open water swim in the cold San Francisco Bay. Unexpectedly, his support boat runs him over midstroke, killing the swimmer instantaneously. Consumed with grief and anger, Andy’s college-aged son Harrison, returns from London to probe what really happened. Although the local sheriff’s office and the Coast Guard have closed the case, Harrison refuses to believe their findings. He reaches out to amateur sleuth Trisha Carson to hunt down the real killer.
Trisha digs into the man’s history and finds fractured relationships in his family, his business and his marriage. There’s clearly more than one person who had reason to seek a deadly revenge, but would they go as far as murder?
About the author
Glenda Carroll has a prolific journalism career. With the publication of Better Off Dead, she is the author of four mysteries in The Trisha Carson series. She spends as much time swimming with a Masters Swim team and in San Francisco Bay as she does writing. All of her books have a water undercurrent running through them. She is president of the NorCal Chapter of Sisters in Crime and is a member of NorCal Mystery Writers of America. She lives in San Rafael, Ca with her dog, McCovey. Find out more about her at glendacarroll.com.