When Naomi Dotson is tasked with taking photos of a crime scene for the local authorities, her curiosity gets the best of her. She begins her own investigation, following leads the police seem to be ignoring, only to find herself embedded in a a series of crimes that may lead to her own death.
Some towns aren’t meant to have their curses broken.
Naomi and Penelope, the Dotson twins, don’t believe in curses, particularly when they involve entire towns rather than individuals, but apparently most of the residents of Centerville feel otherwise. The latest in a string of what the twins call horrific coincidences is the murder of Joe Harbaugh, town councilman and business paragon. On the heels of his death, a series of break-ins at local establishments occur. The police narrow down their suspect list to one of Harbaugh’s terminated employees, but the sisters aren’t convinced.
Together, Naomi and Penelope start their own investigation and get tangled up in a web of lies, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
Can the Dotson twins solve the mystery before someone else gets hurt?
Excerpt
She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. ... There was nothing lying on the floor that looked useful. She was considering taking a leg off the chair when she felt breath on her neck. She jumped and whirled around, ready to strike.
Professional Reviews
A Must Read Mystery!
When such disasters as: food poisoning at an Easter egg hunt, the Grand Marshall crashing his vehicle and breaking his neck on Memorial Day, the town drunk crashing into the watch tower, mortars exploding on the ground on the 4th of July, and a husband going missing for seven years happen, there can be little surprise that the citizens of Centerville believe their town to be cursed. But when town councilman, Joe Harbaugh, is found murdered before the Oktoberfest, then a break-in occurs during it resulting in panic and chaos, two local photographers believe there is more to the story. With curious natures and tendencies toward crime solving, they will seize upon the opportunity to use their skills as they rush in to lend a hand.
Naomi Dotson, and her twin sister Penelope, both photographers, see no problem in trying to help the police solve the latest crime. Especially, when they believe the police have arrested the wrong man. On a mission of their own, the sisters call on family and friends and anyone they think could be related to the victim and the accused. Smart and able to connect the dots, they quickly follow trails and leads - the mystery unfolding with a secret child, land disputes, cover-ups and kidnapping. Their efforts are paying off, until Naomi finds herself in hot water with the police, and the murderer.
Staci Troilo is an excellent writer who is adept at creating multi-faceted characters that find themselves tangled in complicated situations. She writes a mystery that is interesting and compelling and keeps the reader guessing and scratching their heads, all the while carrying them to the end where she wraps it all up into a nice, neat bow. Mystery Heir, the fifth of the Mystery, Ink. books, follows Naomi Dotson - one of two in the series to do so. Each book follows one particular sleuth in a cursed town and stands on its own. A clean, suitable book for all ages.
Following several murders, means, motive, and opportunity all point to out-of-work actresses Bootsie Kittredge and Babs Harrison. Their claims of righteousness and lack of guilt seem fabricated, thanks to a cheerfull announcement made to the patrons
