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Secrets Don’t Sink: A Chattertowne Mystery
by K. B. Jackson
Secrets Don’t Sink: A Chattertowne Mystery
Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Chattertowne, Washington- a small riverfront community in the Pacific Northwest
Level Best Books (July 4, 2023)
Paperback : 308 pages
ISBN-10 : 1685123899
ISBN-13 : 978-1685123895
Digital ASIN : B0C83SGJ23
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Loose lips may sink ships, but bodies and secrets will always float to the surface.
Audrey O’Connell has returned from Portland to her hometown of Chattertowne, Washington, a place where gossip is currency but knowing when to stay tight-lipped is priceless. Procuring a part-time job at the local newspaper to keep an eye on her impetuous sister following Vivienne’s latest romantic scandal, Audrey is assigned a feature series for the upcoming festival which has her digging through the town archives in search of anything interesting. When her former boyfriend Marcus is found floating dead in the marina not long after reaching out to her in hopes of utilizing her research skills, her investigation reveals his conspiracy theories about Chattertowne and corruption within its leadership might not have been so crazy after all.
As she plumbs the depths of the town’s 150-year history, she discovers that beneath the façade of this idyllic hamlet lie secrets long-submerged–including within her own family–and finds herself in the crosshairs of those who guard them.
Now with three dead bodies, an intense case of aquaphobia, and a narrow window before her deadline, Audrey looks to City Manager Holden, octogenarian historian Mildred, and her enigmatic almost-boyfriend Darren to help her discover the truth that will forever change her and Chattertowne.
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Enjoy this peek inside:
I stepped into the chilly air and scanned the boardwalk. A small crowd had gathered just beyond the Port Authority building. I couldn’t see much from my vantage point, but it looked like someone was lying on the ground.
I groaned. On the one hand, it was my job to investigate the goings-on in Chattertowne. On the other hand…water.
I blew a resigned sigh.
Shimmying along the building to gain a better view, my initial thought was it was it must be a CPR training doll, but as I edged closer there was no mistaking the long-legged figure for a mannequin. Kelp vines snaked around wet jeans and bruised hairy ankles protruded from scuffed black leather work boots.
I counted to three and lunged for one of the support beams, clinging to it like I’d done with mama on my first day of kindergarten. A woman standing nearby jumped at my sudden intrusion and glared at me.
“Is that person okay?” I asked in an exaggerated whisper.
“No.” She pulled her tan trench tighter and pursed her lips. “He’s not okay.”
“Do you know what happened?”
She grimaced. “They pulled the guy out of the river. What he was doing in there, I have no idea.”
I hugged the post and tried to calculate how close I’d need to get for a better look while still keeping a safe enough distance from the edge of the dock. It was important to factor the sturdiness of each of the looky-loos into the equation. One klutz with flailing arms was all it would take to send me into the river. Not only didn’t I know how to swim, but as soon as I hit the water, I’d have a panic attack and sink straight to the bottom.
A Port Authority officer attempted to control the crowd, but they’d encroached, disregarding his attempt at a perimeter.
I glanced at the woman in the trench coat. “Could you do me a favor?”
She eyed me through a narrow gaze. “Depends.”
“I’m a reporter for the Coastal Current. Any chance you’d be willing to take my phone and snap a photo of the victim?”
“Why can’t you? It’s your job.”
“I have a slight fear of water. More than slight. Debilitating would be more accurate.”
She pursed her lips. “Do I get credit if you print it?”
“Sure.”
I had no intention of submitting the picture to my boss. I only wanted to be able to write an accurate story.
I watched as the woman dodged a rotund man as he swayed back and forth, and a little boy darting around like a pinball. She stood on her tiptoes and held my phone aloft to get a better view of the scene.
After a few minutes, she returned and handed the phone to me.
“I took video instead.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Caroline Gates.” She pointed at the phone. “Caroline with a C.”
I nodded, and pressed play on the video.
As I watched the camera zoom in on the face of the man lying on the docks, a tidal wave of grief crested over me. My lungs struggled to catch a breath and I felt like I was drowning myself. A strangled cry lodged in my throat. I stumbled backward and fell onto the splintered planks.
The woman rushed over to me. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head.
“Did you know him?”
I nodded. I tried to swallow but gurgled instead.
Time might change a person, but familiarity always remained.
“Marcus. His name is–was–Marcus.”
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About K.B. Jackson
Kate B Jackson (KB Jackson) is an author of mystery novels for grownups and mystery/adventure novels for kids. She lives in the Pacific NW with her husband and has four mostly grown children. A part-time genealogist, she loves to craft stories with elements of history and family dynamics.
Author Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter – X / Goodreads
Purchase Link – Amazon
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