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Braided Lies: A Thousand Islands Castle Mystery
No bodies.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
Presumed drowned.
That’s what everyone believed in 1990 after two high school seniors went missing the night before their graduation from Alexandria Bay High School in the Thousand Islands region of New York State. They were probably the ones who pulled their red canoe onto Starr Island and into the looming shadow of Quill Castle, before somehow drowning in the swift current of the St. Lawrence River.
That’s exactly what probably happened.
Twenty-five years later, Opal Schatz, the newly widowed newspaper editor at The River Gazette, launches a fact-finding investigation into her family’s DNA heritage and unwittingly unlocks the castle’s perilous secrets and long-hidden, ghastly crimes. When FBI Agent Benjamin T. Franklin, the original agent assigned to the case, joins the investigation just days before his retirement, things go from bad to worse, revealing Opal’s long-kept secret that sends her closest friends scampering into dangerous depths of betrayal, revenge, and murder.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
Presumed drowned.
That’s what everyone believed in 1990 after two high school seniors went missing the night before their graduation from Alexandria Bay High School in the Thousand Islands region of New York State. They were probably the ones who pulled their red canoe onto Starr Island and into the looming shadow of Quill Castle, before somehow drowning in the swift current of the St. Lawrence River.
That’s exactly what probably happened.
Twenty-five years later, Opal Schatz, the newly widowed newspaper editor at The River Gazette, launches a fact-finding investigation into her family’s DNA heritage and unwittingly unlocks the castle’s perilous secrets and long-hidden, ghastly crimes. When FBI Agent Benjamin T. Franklin, the original agent assigned to the case, joins the investigation just days before his retirement, things go from bad to worse, revealing Opal’s long-kept secret that sends her closest friends scampering into dangerous depths of betrayal, revenge, and murder.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2023
10 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 6, 2023
A great read! So many twists and turns that moved quickly from one to the next without being cumbersome. It was a genuine surprise when the "aha" moments occurred and it was filled with good drama. Well written, and I also loved all the ties to NY.
August 11, 2023
Local
As a resident of Alexandria Bay, it was fun figuring out the venues the author used to twist the story. Some were easy, some not so....but nailed them! Loved the twist on things.
As a resident of Alexandria Bay, it was fun figuring out the venues the author used to twist the story. Some were easy, some not so....but nailed them! Loved the twist on things.
July 23, 2023
I really liked this book! It was a definite page turner that keeps you wanting more. It was also an exciting read due to the use of a local destination for the story which gave me that much more of connection with the story! A definite must read!
July 10, 2023
This is a quick read because you want to keep going to find out what happens! Lots of mysteries and storylines that all tie together in the end. Was fun to read about all the mentions of various towns in upstate NY.
June 2, 2023
A must read!!
A great story, start to finish. I started ready this story in the afternoon and finished at 8 pm. The author captured my interest with the disappearance of the two high school seniors and how the [braided lies] intertwined through out the entire story.
A great story, start to finish. I started ready this story in the afternoon and finished at 8 pm. The author captured my interest with the disappearance of the two high school seniors and how the [braided lies] intertwined through out the entire story.
August 22, 2024
Great story! The plot had lots of twists and turns and the fast pace of the story kept me reading. I loved that it was set in Alexandria Bay, NY. The historical mystery was a fun added element. If you love mysteries and the River, give it a read.
July 17, 2023
This book is one you won’t want to put down. It keeps your interest until the very last page!
June 16, 2023
I was fortunate enough to attend the book release in Westfield NY and couldn’t wait to dive in after hearing about the references to the Western New York region this novel promised. Having visited the Thousand Islands multiple times it was cool to read a book set there. The intricate stories of the characters, both past and present, tied together in a unique and chilling way, making it impossible to put this book down.
July 13, 2024
📚🍑📰🏰NOVEL THOUGHTS 🏰📰🍑📚
This was a great mystery set in NY state's Thousand Islands and features a castle known to the residents in this small areas of Alex Bay. After her own visit to the castle which she renamed Quill Castle, Catherine D'Agostino saw a story she knew needed to be written. She has given it more mystery, created a collection of characters whose lives have been bond together with secrets and lies and so many twists and turns, it will keep the reader captivated.
The disappearance of two local high school students on the eve of their graduation has remained unsolved and on the 25th anniversary of their mysterious vanishing, Opal ,the local newspaper editor, wants to find out some answers. All the evidence points to that castle which is a constant reminder of the Quill family legacy, but how??
D'Agostino moves back and forth in time as she slowly unveils the story of the wealthy Quill family of early 1900s as Griffin Quill builds this castle out of deep love for his wife Faith. After her sudden death, he halts the project and it remains in disrepair for many decades but it is always a curiosity to the town and tourists for the secrets it must hold! After Opal does some digging into her own past, she discovers things that she always took for gospel truth, are in fact, lies. And when this information is published in her paper, it's not just her life that is turned upside down.
Not only are the missing teens part of the storyline but there are twists that involved the local bank president named Enzo, Claudine and Bree two of Opal's friends. While there are a lot of characters introduced in the book, it all comes together in the end in a very satisfactory way.
This is a very good story, well written and offers the reader so many surprises which keep the reader engaged. And one bonus are the short chapters which always have a bit of a cliffhanger or clue at the end of them!
This was a great mystery set in NY state's Thousand Islands and features a castle known to the residents in this small areas of Alex Bay. After her own visit to the castle which she renamed Quill Castle, Catherine D'Agostino saw a story she knew needed to be written. She has given it more mystery, created a collection of characters whose lives have been bond together with secrets and lies and so many twists and turns, it will keep the reader captivated.
The disappearance of two local high school students on the eve of their graduation has remained unsolved and on the 25th anniversary of their mysterious vanishing, Opal ,the local newspaper editor, wants to find out some answers. All the evidence points to that castle which is a constant reminder of the Quill family legacy, but how??
D'Agostino moves back and forth in time as she slowly unveils the story of the wealthy Quill family of early 1900s as Griffin Quill builds this castle out of deep love for his wife Faith. After her sudden death, he halts the project and it remains in disrepair for many decades but it is always a curiosity to the town and tourists for the secrets it must hold! After Opal does some digging into her own past, she discovers things that she always took for gospel truth, are in fact, lies. And when this information is published in her paper, it's not just her life that is turned upside down.
Not only are the missing teens part of the storyline but there are twists that involved the local bank president named Enzo, Claudine and Bree two of Opal's friends. While there are a lot of characters introduced in the book, it all comes together in the end in a very satisfactory way.
This is a very good story, well written and offers the reader so many surprises which keep the reader engaged. And one bonus are the short chapters which always have a bit of a cliffhanger or clue at the end of them!
August 23, 2023
Great read! Kept me guessing and wanting to read more. Each chapter left me hanging and wanting to know what happens next!
September 11, 2024
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews