Divergent Deaths

by Deborah Rine

Tom and Francesca Barnett are newlyweds. Tom, Police Chief of Banner Bluff, prides himself on being meticulous and logical. In contrast Francesca, editor of the local online newspaper, is impulsive and compassionate. Together they function as a remarkable team but their marriage is suffering from the unacknowledged specter of Tom’s deceased wife.A beloved sailing instructor is found bludgeoned to death down at the beach. Two days later at the Botanic Gardens a world-renowned Bonsai specialist is found poisoned in the Japanese tea house; his body artfully shrouded in red chrysanthemums.As Tom and Francesca delve into these two gruesome murders, they discover that events and people are not what they seem. Tom struggles under the pressure of mounting public discontent when Francesca makes an ill-fated decision to bring their marital differences to a head. What follows is near catastrophe for them both.

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2015

About the author

My name is Deborah Williamson Rine. I grew up in Illinois, New York and Washington D.C. I was fortunate to spend a year in France when fifteen and a year in Göteborg, Sweden following high school. After Northwestern University, I lived in Milan, Verona, Paris and Brussels. These experiences created a love of different cultures, people and food. “Life is a smorgasbord and I want to sample it all.” I was a French teacher for many years. The Lake is my first book. I don’t know why I waited so long to start writing because it’s a delectable challenge. I love diving into the story and seeing what happens!

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I do love the characters. Francesca is volunteering at the Banner Botanic Gardens in order to improve her gardening skills. Meanwhile, her husband, the police chief, is investigating the murder of a sailing instructor by the beach. Then, two days later, a well known bonsai tree expert is found murdered.

This installment of the Banner Bluff Mysteries has a taste of Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca. Francesca finds her husband's deceased first wife still around with a lovely garden that Francesca feels she must keep up and a unused nursery frozen in time.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy mysteries. I hope there is a fourth installment!