Abstract:
“A gnome of a man stood on the threshold—about five-seven, lank grey hair to his shoulders, snarled grisly beard, fringed buckskin jacket, faded jeans over bowed legs, and ancient hiking boots. He bit on an upside-down pipe with bared teeth. His dark eyes blazed. He was dripping on the floor—water and blood. ‘Where’s Charlie?’ he snarled.”

Well, Charlie was dead, and Maren O’Connor was a suspect. It was poor reward for helping her uncle at Tall Trees Lodge. It took poking around the bell tower, a mountain mansion, a funky earth-sheltered house, and a cave to solve the puzzle.