Sick of mounds of snow? Tired of wearing layers of clothing? Ready to put your sweaters, coats, and boots away and dig out your shorts? Most of us have had an unusually rough winter, so I propose we turn our thoughts to spring. Milder temperatures, flowers blooming, gardens to be planted, sun warmly kissing your face … and yes, spring cleaning. Open the windows, strip the beds, and let’s air out the house!
Cleaning up crime in Crossroads, Arkansas, is what my Southern Secrets Mysteries series is all about. That’s particularly true for Fatal Silence, the third book in this trilogy. Although both Deadly Inheritance and Death Watch have unique murders that are solved, some plot lines have carried through both mysteries and still need a resolution. In Fatal Silence I had to tie up those loose ends. All the secrets are at last revealed … or at least all that have been behind recent crimes in Crossroads.
And speaking of spring cleaning, Fatal Silence appropriately takes place in March. Originally, I set the story over Thanksgiving vacation, but I changed it to line up more with the actual release date of the book, March 16. Fortunately, all I had to do was switch some jokes about turkeys to Easter bunnies (Crossroads librarian Katy loves to dress up). The weather in November in Arkansas is often similar to March’s unpredictable temperatures, so no change there. I did bring out some early spring blooms to offer hope that warmer weather—and better days—would soon arrive. The villains didn’t care what time of year they committed their dastardly deeds, so they were okay with the new season. As for the good guys and gals, they had no choice but to roll up their sleeves and get to work cleaning up the town.
Lexie Gilroy is the female lead in Fatal Silence. A life-long resident of Crossroads, Lexie
married right out of high school and soon had her daughter, Sophie. Unfortunately, her marriage didn’t last and neither did her friendship with Ceci Rhodes, who soon started a relationship with Lexie’s ex. Living back at home with her parents, Lexie loves her work as a general contractor in her family’s business. She also has plans to take on bigger projects, like building the town’s new park’s facilities. However, when the bulldozer she convinced her parents to buy is stolen, Lexie’s dreams are put on hold. Worse, she recognizes one of the thieves—Gage Pope, her childhood hero who once saved her life. Deciding not to tell police chief Tim Birch, a close family friend, she takes matters into her own hands and confronts Gage. When he’s found murdered the next day, Lexie becomes a suspect, and that’s just the beginning of her problems.
Tim Birch returns as the police chief in Crossroads. When Gage is found murdered, his team has new questions about the bulldozer theft and Lexie’s connection with both crimes. And when someone targets Lexie to force her to withdraw her bid on the park contract, Tim’s protective nature takes over, even though he’s determined to step back from the murder investigation due to his close ties to her family.
But back to those loose ends from the first two mysteries. One of the subplots in all three books had to do with who was responsible for dumping waste in an already toxic pond. Reporter Jack Huddleston has been trying to uncover the culprits, but his clumsy efforts have only set back Tim’s investigation. Jack has to regain Tim’s trust, if he can overcome his lingering depression.
Californian transplant Cal Kinney also plays a major role in this story when he uncovers more malfeasance at Southern Pines Paper Products Company and decides to do something about it. When he starts receiving threats, he isn’t sure who to trust. Someone wants him fired, and their efforts to stop him soon prove more dangerous than underhanded office politics.
If you’ve ever had someone else clean your house or rearrange your cupboards, you know that it can be hard to adapt to other people’s ideas of cleanliness or organization. Change isn’t easy. Come to think of it, not everyone in Crossroads will be happy after the crimes in this story are solved and the villains caught. Hmmm, does that mean there’s room for another Southern Secrets mystery in the future? After all, no room or house stays clean forever. Can we expect any less of a town with as many secrets as Crossroads?
Have a wonderful spring! Wishing you sunshine, flowers, and hours of good reading—between cleaning jobs, of course.
About the author
Carol Light is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must use their talents and wits to solve. She’s traveled worldwide and lived in Australia for eight years, teaching high school English and learning to speak “Strine.” Florida is now her home. If she’s not at the beach or writing, you can find her tackling quilting in much the same way that she figures out her mysteries—piece by piece, clue by clue. You can also follow me on BlueSky.
I was brought up to believe that most Southern gatherings should include deviled eggs, and they must be served on a special deviled egg dish. I have five different ones! Suffice it to say, I heard the assignment. With Easter season cooking on the horizon, I’ve got my favorite one washed and ready, a treasured gift from my mama.
USA Today bestselling and RITA Award winning author Catherine Mann has written over fifty romance novels and her work has been released in more than 20 countries. Catherine has a Master’s Degree in Theater, having written her thesis about powerful Shakespearean women. Born and raised in the South, Catherine and her flyboy husband have four children and reside in Florida where she is the President and a founding member of the Sunshine State Animal Rescue.
I’m Southern. That’s the first reason I love writing stories set in the South. I grew up on a farm. We lived in a true farmhouse with a big yard and lots of cracks in the walls! I learned to drive tractors, plant and harvest crops, haul produce to the market, and drive fast over terraces (hills in the field to keep erosion away). That was fun until my daddy stopped it real quick.
