West of the Pier

Author's note

Welcome to West of the Pier. This is the second novel in a series of four murder mysteries; the first was South of the Pier. All the stories are centered around the fictitious community of Hacienda Beach and branch out to far reaching corners of the world.

I got the idea for this murder mystery on my many trips to all the islands of Hawaii and to China each with a history that fascinated me. On one of my trips to Europe, I spent 10 hours on a train with a charming Swiss gentleman who was an Interpol agent but quit to stay home with his newborn baby and wife. He was working as a border guard for the Swiss government and also translated written material into French, Spanish, Italian and German. Hans was an incredible companion during that long trip.

Summary

Ruth Whitemore, loving wife, mother and compassionate nurse is savagely stabbed to death at the airport leaving a devastated family asking why. Her devoted nephew, Kyle, vows to avenge his aunt’s murder and calls on his fiancée Connie Cane, former CSI, to help him. Connie and Detective Marcello Prado study the scattered clues the victim left behind while keeping Kyle on a tight leash.

A series of burglaries and assaults confuse the investigation and point the team in different directions. The trail of clues lead to Kiribati, a small group of islands in the middle of the Pacific. While searching for answers, they are stranded in a cave during a typhoon where they discover Ruth’s secret life. Connie pilots a harrowing flight back through the eye of the storm. The ultimate betrayal and a murderer she never suspected are revealed in the heart breaking conclusion.

West of the Pier

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Author's note