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.
Nancy’s a USA today bestselling author of more than 60 novels. Nancy’s originally from Vancouver, Canada but she tends to wander. She currently lives in an 18th century house in Bath, England where she loves to pretend she’s Jane Austen, or at least a character in a Jane Austen novel. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, skiing, traveling or sipping wine. She’s appeared on the front page of the New York Times (when her book, Speed Dating launched Harlequin’s NASCAR series), has been a clue in a crossword puzzle (National Post, Canada) and she’s been a finalist for the RITA award three times, honored by Romantic Times Magazine and often shares her love of writing in her popular workshops.
Hal Emerson is the author of six books, including Bones, Oberon’s Children, and In the Land of Aeon. He writes primarily epic fantasy and science fiction, and enjoys books by Steinbeck, Stephen King, and Neil Gaiman. The Exile Trilogy, begun with The Prince of Ravens, remains his most popular series. He is also an actor and older brother, and he has an undying obsession with raspberries.
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, as a child prodigy, Artie Kane (born Aaron Cohen April 14, 1929) began his piano studies with Agnes Wright at three-and-a-half years old, winning numerous contests against older children. Newspapers in Columbus reported many of his competitions and performances throughout his childhood. Later he studied with Madame Karyn Dayas at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Madame Herz in New York. Kane is a pianist, film composer, and conductor.