When Clifton (“Cliff”) Clifford, the security guard protecting the Carolina Rhapsody Emerald on display at the Hatteras West Inn, is found stabbed with a lighthouse letter-opener, his death, though tragic, is easy to explain. Certainly a thief had been interested in the gem, and Cliff was in his or her way. The fake emerald left in the stone’s place is proof. However, for Alex Winston, Cliff’s murder is troubling because it occurred at his inn. A suspicious homicide is not exactly something that he wants to include in his brochures, so Alex feels compelled to help solve the case and possibly find the missing gem. When a guest out jogging is shot in the leg and an unseen gunman fires shots at Alex and Elise, the housekeeper, his desire to get to the bottom is more urgent. Adding to the tense atmosphere at Hatteras West is the finding of Patrick Thornton, a surveyor, that the inn’s lighthouse, its main attraction, is not on Winston land. Can this be true? As Alex learns more about the Thornton and the strange new muffin lady in town, he realizes that an odd connection could solve the mystery.
Booked for Murder is Tim Myer’s fifth novel in the “Lighthouse Inn Mystery” series.
Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
