Final Settlement

Vicki Doudera

Jan 2013 · Llewellyn Worldwide

About this ebook

The Dead of Winter...When Murder Returns to Maine

Realtor and amateur sleuth Darby Farr is back in her hometown for the highly anticipated wedding of her fellow real estate associate, Tina Ames. But the festive mood on the snow-swept island of Hurricane Harbor is darkened with tragic news. Lorraine Delvecchio--the police chief's assistant--is found dead, tangled in a lobster trap near the abandoned lighthouse on the Manatuck Breakwater.

Working double duty as Chief Dupont's realtor and PI, Darby uncovers evidence that the death was more than just a slip on the ice. Lorraine's history with money is far from innocent, and Darby's suspect list keeps getting longer. With a prominent islander's dramatic ex-wife back in town and Tina's plans to sell a reclusive artist's waterfront home, it's up to Darby alone to find the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Praise:

Named a Best Cozy of 2013 by Suspense Magazine

"Cozy atmosphere, suspenseful story."--Booklist

"Credible characters and evocative descriptions of smalltown Maine in winter complement the fast-paced plot."--Publishers Weekly

"A twisty fourth case that strikes close to the bone for a complex, likeable sleuth."--Kirkus Reviews

"Murder, mayhem, and the deadliest of hidden motives. A great read!"--Sarah Graves, author of The Home Repair is Homicide Mysteries

About the author

Vicki Doudera's debut mystery A House to Die For, was selected to the Best of 2010 list in Suspense Magazine. She is the author three nonfiction books on real estate and the Darby Farr Mystery Series, starring a crime-solving real estate agent. Doudera's articles have appeared in Parenting, People, Reader’s Digest, Yankee and Down East magazines. Doudera has been profiled on WCSH-TV’s “207,” and her writing has been favorably reviewed in prominent mystery and book industry magazines, as well as in the Bangor Daily News, Times Record, Kennebec Journal, Lincoln County News and Midcoast Beacon. She belongs to Mystery Writers of America (MWA), is on the board of Sisters in Crime, New England, and blogs regularly for Maine Crime Writers (mainecrimewriters.com). Doudera lives with her family in Camden, Maine, where she enjoys spending time with her friends, kids and funny pets; hiking, cycling and knitting; and living in a beautiful, old house. Like her protagonist, Darby Farr, Doudera also sells real estate with a busy coastal firm. She is president of her local Habitat for Humanity chapter and is a member of the National Association of Realtors.