Death is Better at the Lake
(2022)(The first book in the Scarlett James Cozy Mystery series)
A novel by Ashley Albi
Death Is Better at the Lake (Scarlett James Cozy Mystery Book 1)
One dead author. One framed agent. A small town full of secrets that all lead back to her.
Scarlett James returns to Spirit Lake, Iowa, for the first time since her parents’ fatal car accident. She’s here to care for her injured grandmother, drink too much coffee on the porch, and maybe finally outrun the grief that’s been chasing her for years.
She doesn’t expect the police to meet her at the door.
Her ex-boyfriend—bestselling thriller author Jasper Hall—is found dead in his hotel room the same night he begged Scarlett to see him. Overnight, the town’s favorite success story becomes its favorite suspect.
Now everyone has a theory. The new police chief is asking hard questions. Old friends are whispering. And Jasper’s last book—based on Scarlett’s own tragic family history'''will soon be sitting on every nightstand in town.
To clear her name, Scarlett has to do what she does best: pick apart the story.
With her fiercely loyal friends at her side, she plunges into the undercurrent of Spirit Lake gossip, old grudges, and buried lies. Along the way, she’ll run into old crushes, new romantic possibilities, and more than one person who’d rather the truth stay at the bottom of the lake.
This fast-paced, page-turning cozy mystery is perfect for readers who love:
One dead author. One framed agent. A small town full of secrets that all lead back to her.
Scarlett James returns to Spirit Lake, Iowa, for the first time since her parents’ fatal car accident. She’s here to care for her injured grandmother, drink too much coffee on the porch, and maybe finally outrun the grief that’s been chasing her for years.
She doesn’t expect the police to meet her at the door.
Her ex-boyfriend—bestselling thriller author Jasper Hall—is found dead in his hotel room the same night he begged Scarlett to see him. Overnight, the town’s favorite success story becomes its favorite suspect.
Now everyone has a theory. The new police chief is asking hard questions. Old friends are whispering. And Jasper’s last book—based on Scarlett’s own tragic family history'''will soon be sitting on every nightstand in town.
To clear her name, Scarlett has to do what she does best: pick apart the story.
With her fiercely loyal friends at her side, she plunges into the undercurrent of Spirit Lake gossip, old grudges, and buried lies. Along the way, she’ll run into old crushes, new romantic possibilities, and more than one person who’d rather the truth stay at the bottom of the lake.
This fast-paced, page-turning cozy mystery is perfect for readers who love:
- A smart, slightly broken heroine who keeps going anyway
A tight-knit friend group you’ll want to be part of
A charming Midwestern lake town full of diners, docks, and decades of drama
Slow-burn chemistry with the grumpy-but-good-hearted police chief—and other tempting complications
An emotional mystery that ties into a deeper, ongoing family secret
A quick read (about 115 pages) you can devour in an evening
Death Is Better at the Lake is Book 1 in the ongoing Scarlett James Cozy Mystery series set in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Each book offers a complete whodunit, but Scarlett’s relationships, love life, and her parents’ mysterious accident unfold across the series.
Click ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Read for Free’ in Kindle Unlimited to start your new favorite long-running cozy series tonight.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Ashley Albi's Death is Better at the Lake