Mountain Shadows
(2025)(The fifth book in the Ellie Martin National Park Mystery series)
A Story by Vivian Vale
When Heritage Becomes MurderRetired English teacher Ellie Martin and her brilliant canine partner Watson thought they were heading to the Great Smoky Mountains for a peaceful folk arts festival—a chance to learn traditional quilting and enjoy authentic mountain culture. But when the festival's beloved master craftsman Ezra Blackburn is found dead at his sacred workshop, their quiet vacation transforms into their most dangerous case yet.
A Community Under SiegeWhat appears to be a heart attack quickly reveals itself as something far more sinister. When Watson's extraordinary detective instincts uncover hidden evidence—a mysterious vial, surveillance equipment, and proof of systematic cultural theft—Ellie realizes they've stumbled into a sophisticated criminal conspiracy targeting America's most precious traditional knowledge.
Secrets Hidden in Ancient MountainsAs aggressive academics, suspicious developers, and mysterious researchers circle the mountain community like vultures, Ellie must navigate a web of deception where nothing is as it seems. Professor Stone's "research" hides a darker purpose. A helpful mountain guide may be playing a deadly double game. And somewhere in the misty hollows, a killer is willing to murder again to protect their profitable scheme.
Racing Against TimeWith Watson detecting threats at every turn and the mountain community's heritage hanging in the balance, Ellie finds herself in a desperate race to expose a cultural trafficking network that spans multiple states. But when federal agents arrive and longtime allies reveal hidden identities, she discovers that this case goes far beyond one old craftsman's death—it's about protecting the soul of American tradition itself.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Vivian Vale's Mountain Shadows