Showing results by author "C.J. Carmichael" in All Categories

True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he'd never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister's upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement. Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer. As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond.

Sheriff Wade Mackay needed a break. Little did he know, a day of fishing would land him right into the aftermath of a deadly accident. The only survivor is a woman who doesn't remember her name and has no identification. Wade's instincts ignite when he notices the telltale marks of old bruises on Jane Doe. What hidden truths lie beneath the layers of her forgotten past? For true crime writer Dougal Lachlan, Twisted Cedars holds secrets that refuse to stay buried.

One year ago, Montana cowboy Dylan McLean left the love of his life at the altar and fled town, thinking he was doing the right thing by saving her from a scandal. He's found success on the rodeo circuit, but his love for Cathleen never faded. Now he's returned home to clear his name, claim his bride, and rebuild his legacy. Bed-and-breakfast owner Cathleen Shannon has moved on from her broken heart. That is, until Dylan shows up at her house one night asking for help and a second chance.

Finn Knightly, a.k.a. Finn Conrad, wants to know why his recently deceased father left his nurse 50,000 dollars after knowing her a mere six weeks. So he travels to Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana to find answers. But Willa Fairchild is not the conniving woman he expects to find. Before he knows it, Willa and her six-year-old son Scout are stealing his heart. And that's before he finds out Scout's secret and the real reason this Christmas is so important.

Dispatcher Zak Waller prefers working behind the scenes in the sheriff’s office of Lost Trail, Montana, but when a newcomer to the sparsely populated town is brutally murdered, and the sheriff is quick to pin the death on an unknown outsider, Zak starts his own private sleuthing.

Charlotte Hammond wasn't prepared to be the guardian of her murdered sister's children. But when her brother-in-law is arrested for the murder, she has no choice. When nine-year-old Chester doesn't return home from school, Charlotte fears the worst. True crime writer Dougal Lachlan is hiding his own secrets. He believes he holds the key to solving the thirty-year-old murders of five librarians but if he's right the killer may be closer than anyone thinks.

When Patrol Officer Kelly Shannon answers a suspected DUI call that results in the suspect's death, she has to deliver the grim news to his young family, including his brother - her friend and crush, Mick. Kelly convinces herself that she's only making amends when Mick begs for help looking out for his niece and nephew as his sister-in-law grieves and neglects her young children. But as Christmas approaches, Kelly admits the truth. She's falling in love. 

In the isolated ranching community of Lost Trails, Montana, Lacy Stillman, a rich elderly rancher, has died of a heart attack in her own bed. What could be more normal than that? As Zak Waller, dispatcher with the local sheriff’s office, joins the town in mourning the loss of the community matriarch, some disquieting information makes Zak wonder if Lacy’s death was not what it seemed.

Since her husband's climbing death a year ago, Maureen Shannon's relationship with her 12-year-old daughter has spiraled out of control. Desperate, she resigns from her partnership at a legal firm and moves back to her hometown in Whitefish, Montana, with the hope that family and nature can heal their wounds. Her investment in a heli-skiing and lodge operation makes financial sense, but her attraction to the owner doesn't. He's everything she's come to hate - a man who makes his living chasing adventure. 

When a young mother is murdered in the isolated ranching town of Lost Trail, Montana, the father of her child is the first suspect. In this case, there are two: the biological father who hasn’t seen his daughter in more than a year and the adoptive father whose life hangs in the balance as he struggles with cancer.

Twenty years ago, a young hiker vanished in the Montana wilderness. No body. No suspects. No answers. New sheriff Zak Waller has always believed it was murder—now, he finally has the power to prove it. But without evidence, he’s chasing a ghost.

In the quiet town of Lost Trail, Montana, the apparent abduction of long-time librarian Sybil Tombe shakes community to its core. An elderly neighbor reports seeing a gray-haired, bearded man driving up to Sybil’s house the night she disappeared. New sheriff Zak Waller plunges into the investigation, but keeps uncovering more questions than answers.