Deadly Secrets: A Mapleton Mystery by Terry Odell
Mapleton, Colorado’s police chief, Gordon Hepler, would rather be on the streets than behind a desk dealing with budgets and the town council, but he promised his late mentor he’d accept the position. And to Gordon, a promise is a promise, even if the person you made it to isn’t around anymore. However, doubts creep in, and he wonders if he was shoved into the job because his mentor thought he couldn’t cut it on the streets.
Everything changes when a fatal traffic accident well outside Mapleton seems connected to elderly Rose and Sam Kretzer, two of Mapleton’s most beloved citizens. The arrival of Megan, the Kretzer’s grown ward, and Justin, their grandson add to his troubles when Megan is mugged. In addition, Justin is renovating his grandparents’ house despite their objections, and then someone breaks in and the house is ransacked. When Gordon ties the car accident to a grisly murder in Mapleton—the first anyone in town can remember—he’s afraid he’s into more than he bargained for.
His fears are realized when his investigation seems to link the Kretzers to a Nazi war criminal. Can he work with the big-city detective brought in to assist? Will he be able to solve the crime without revealing the secrets of his citizens?
DEADLY SECRETS revolves around a secret journal kept by a Nazi during WWII, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. Set in a small Colorado community, Deadly Secrets deals with people trying to do what they think is right while protecting those they love.
About the author of Deadly Secrets: A Mapleton Mystery,Terry Odell:
I was born in Los Angeles and now make my home in Divide, Colorado. An avid reader (my parents tell everyone they had to move from our first home because I finished the local library), I always wanted to “fix” stories so the characters did what I wanted, in books, television, and the movies. Once I began writing, I found this wasn’t always possible, as evidenced when the mystery I intended to write rapidly became a romance.
I love getting into the minds of my characters, turning them loose in tight spots and seeing what they do. Too often, they surprise me.
My published works include the Pine Hills Police Series, the Blackthorne, Inc. series as well as the Romantic Suspense novel, What’s in a Name? and the Mapleton Mystery series. I’ve also published numerous short stories with The Wild Rose Press.
I’m an active member of Romance Writers of America, and its Kiss of Death chapter, as well as Mystery Writers of America. When I’m not writing, or watching wildlife from my window, I’m probably reading.