Tag Archives: Martha’s Vineyard Murders

Top 5 Mysteries to Read on a Plane

Flying these days requires a lot of patience—and there’s no better way to harness that skill than to be absorbed in a world far away from middle seats between two people hogging your arm rests, narrow aisles, and a roller bag stuffed at your feet because someone else thought the overhead bin was for their coat and purse.

Travel today is crying out for a world where there is no turbulence, just sheer excitement. So check out these Tule mysteries on your next trip and touch down in a good mood!

  1. Buried (Twisted Cedars Mysteries), C.J. Carmichael

    Decades of silence. A shocking discovery. Some secrets refuse to stay buried.

    True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he’d never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister’s upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement.

    Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer.

    As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond, who prefers her mysteries between the covers of a good book since the disappearance of her older sister Daisy.

    The more they dig, the more buried secrets they unearth only to realize nothing is quite what it seems, and the danger may be closer to home than they thought…

    Recommendation: 21k reviews at Amazon with a majority of them 5 stars says it all. CJ Carmichael’s easy style draws you in, so pull out your neck pillow and settle in. If it’s a long flight, download the series. You won’t want to leave small-town Twisted Cedars, Oregon!


  2. Killer Close to Home (Cluttered Crime Mysteries), Carol Light

    Not all clutter is visible to the human eye …

    Professional organizer Crystal Ward’s latest client, her neighbor Roscoe Tremaine, is changing his will, an announcement that sets off an explosive reaction within his family. That same night, a gas leak ignites, destroying his house, killing him, and rocking the Ward family at its foundation.

    Her husband, Rick, is injured in the blast, so Crys hires Roscoe’s former caregiver, Wink Keller, to help him recover after surgery. But trouble is just beginning. Both Crys and Wink are beneficiaries in Roscoe’s will, and their alliance sends accusations flying from the Tremaines’ side of the fence.

    Crys has her hands full dealing with her client’s not-so-grieving relatives, a teenaged girl stalking Wink, and a suspicious fire inspector. But when threatening “gifts” left on the Wards’ doorstep escalate, Crys is forced to sort through a tangled web of relationships, including her own, to keep her family safe.

    Recommendation: A story that is as much about family as it is solving the mystery, Killer Close to Home absorbs you into this very real neighborhood that feels just like your own. The setting is Chicago, but the appeal is to every suburban traveler looking for reassurances that nice folks don’t finish last.


  3. A Chain of Pearls (Martha’s Vineyard Murders), Raemi A. Ray

    The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…

    When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.

    She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.

    As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.

    Recommendation: An idyllic island setting known for its iconic lighthouses, fantasy cottages, and famous residents is an excellent vacation destination—but even if you aren’t bound for the East Coast, this Martha’s Vineyard mystery brings the mystique right to your seat. Bonus points for a hot detective, too.


  4. Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective), Kris Bock
    She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

    Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

    When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

    If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

    Recommendation: The father-daughter relationship will warm your heart far more than Phoenix, Arizona, sun in this Southwestern setting. Kate’s used to danger, knows how to investigate, and that makes her the best option to tackle problems that don’t interest the police yet, so you can count on plenty of clues, twists, and characters in this whodunnit.


  5. A Long Shadow (Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery), HL Marsay

    Old sins cast long shadows…

    When the bodies of a young, homeless girl and a girl who disappeared thirty years ago are found on the same day, residents in the historic city of York are aghast. It seems unlikely the two cases are related, and yet some of the same players knew both victims. As Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow and his eager new partner, Sergeant Jimmy Chang, dive into their investigation, they uncover a complicated web of pop stars, pub owners, shopkeepers and old school friends who each have something to hide.

    John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company, but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone and is perpetually trying to dodge his partner, who’s full of energy, modern ideas and theories.

    But as the two men gradually learn to work together to solve the case, it’s clear that the past is never as far away as you think.

    Recommendation: Seasoned British detective. Eager young pup for a partner. Enough said. With a name like John Shadow, you know this inspector has many fascinating layers just waiting to be revealed.

April Showers Bring Amazing New Releases at Tule! (Plus, Enter our Monthly Giveaway!)

Read more about our new releases for April!

GIVEAWAY: We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the April releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

All’s Fair with Love and Cowboys by Kristine Lynn
Release Date: April 2, 2024

Small Town Romance in the Spring (Anthology) by Melissa McClone, Kate Hewitt, Jane Porter, Charlee James and Shannon Stults
Release Date: April 3, 2024

Once Upon a Summer Night by Kyra Jacobs
Release Date: April 4, 2024

A Chain of Pearls by Raemi A. Ray
Release Date: April 9, 2024

Danger in the Outback by Nicole Flockton
Release Date: April 11, 2024

Make You Mine by Nan Reinhardt
Release Date: April 16, 2024

Outback Heat (Anthology) by Amy Andrews
Release Date: April 17, 2024

Unbreak My Heart by Dakota Harrison
Release Date: April 18, 2024

Highland Dark Magic by Leigh Ann Edwards
Release Date: April 23, 2024

Bethany Meets Her Match by Lisa Lin
Release Date: April 24, 2024

Texas Reckless Cowboy by Rebecca Crowley
Release Date: April 25, 2024

Until Depths Do Us Part by K.B. Jackson
Release Date: April 30, 2024

Two Truths and a Lie About Tule Author Raemi A. Ray

Raemi A. Ray’s Tule debut, A Chain of Pearls, is set to publish on April 9—the origin story for the investigative journey lawyer Kyra Gibson is about to embark on at Martha’s Vineyard to clean up after the death of her estranged father.

So we sat down with Raemi to get her origin story, too. Which of these “facts” isn’t true?

    1. Her pen name is actually her pet’s name, too.

    2. She finds inspiration for her mysteries by pulling from news headlines and adding in a murder.

    3. She has a side gig reviewing book covers on social media.

 Raemi set her series in Martha’s Vineyard because she started popping over to the island for summer holidays with friends while she was at university in Boston. Eventually, she started hanging out there for weekends and more throughout the year, too. It became her escape from city life. “It’s such a unique place, being quintessential New England but having its own identity so different from Nantucket and Cape Cod,” she says.

To experience her Martha’s Vineyard, take an umbrella and find a spot on South or State Beach in the summer to enjoy the ocean, or take a drive to Aquinnah or a boat ride around Chappy. If you’re there in August, she recommends the lantern festival and end-of-season fireworks. In the spring and fall, she often explores the trails near Felix Neck or shops and eats her way through OB and Edgartown.

At night? She could be scouring newspapers for interesting news. Or you could find her with her computer, reviewing book covers. A Chain of Pearls, of course, gets a 5-star rating. “Part of the book takes place in the real-life fishing village of Menemsha during a nor’easter. Nor’easters are these New England storms sort of like winter hurricanes with lashing rains and high winds,” she explains. “They often hit the islands. I think the cover embodies the feel of a deserted seaside town during such a storm. It’s foreboding and dark but not unrealistic.”

Home is where her heart is, as her idea of a perfect way to celebrate this debut would be to curl up with a glass of wine, a book, and her house demon, DolphLundgren—her reading buddy-slash-heating blanket. In this respect, she’s very much like her character, Detective Tarek Collins, who is quiet and reserved, more likely to observe the world around them.

“But I’m sure someone will drag me out to celebrate!” she adds. Perhaps that will include her childhood friends, the ones who nicknamed her Raemi Ray.

A Chain of Pearls was a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist. Pre-order your copy today!!


About the Author.

 

Raemi Amanda Ray is the author of A Chain of Pearls, her debut and the first book in a Martha’s Vineyard Murders series set on Martha’s Vineyard. Her travels to the island and around the world inspire her stories. She lives in Boston.