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Dune House Mystery #17

Sand, Sea and a Skeleton

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Best friends, Suzie and Mary, love running Dune House, the majestic bed and breakfast on the beach, with their adorable, yellow Labrador, Pilot, by their side. They are enjoying living and working together and are looking forward to hosting a national walking group in Garber for a few days.

But when they stumble across a skeleton, they find themselves right in the middle of a baffling mystery. Who is the victim? Who is the murderer? And why? Then something from the crime scene disappears.

Suzie and Mary have to traverse a maze of clues and suspects in order to unravel the mystery. But will the trail lead the sleuths down the wrong path. They find themselves juggling running the bed and breakfast, their developing romances and helping crack the mystery.

Suzie and Mary walk straight towards danger. Will they be able to stay alive long enough to solve this perplexing whodunit?

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2019

343 people are currently reading
130 people want to read

About the author

Cindy Bell

225 books326 followers

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5 stars
362 (65%)
4 stars
132 (24%)
3 stars
47 (8%)
2 stars
8 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Meg.
229 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2019
Suzie and Mary are best friends running Dune House, a charming bed and breakfast near the coast. Always looking forward to additional opportunities to promote their business, they decided to host a national walking group who were considering the town of Garber and more importantly Dune House, as one of their destinations. The location is the perfect area to hike the trails, investigate an old mine, and encounter a skeleton.

I always enjoy the comradery between Suzie and Mary, how they watch out for each other, and contribute to finding justice. As they attempt to figure out the story behind the skeleton’s death, who he was, and why he was murdered, their clues take them into some dangerous territory. The story is well crafted with interesting characters, and plenty of false clues adding to the confusion of the murder. Once again, I could not figure out the suspect! The Dune House series always provides the perfect backdrop to an enjoyable cozy. I received an advanced reader copy from the author in exchange for this honest review.
Profile Image for Jan.
6,531 reviews100 followers
October 23, 2019
Two good friends who run a lovely B&B are hosting a small group of walkers who decide that where they want to explore is an abandoned gold mine. No one expected to find a skeleton in one of the tunnels, but that wasn't the only mystery! A good story full of twists and red herrings!
Profile Image for Mallory.
137 reviews2 followers
August 5, 2022
This one was a little better than the last one basically 3 1/2 stars. I liked the more suspenseful undertones. I also really appreciated the lack of a clear suspect. The ladies were investigating but again it felt like within the realm of acceptability and not stepping on the police investigation. There were some things I didn't like causing me to drop it to 3.5 starts instead of 4 but they weren't necessarily detrimental. More annoying I suppose, but I didn't like Dawn's character behavior, I didn't like the unresolved issue with Charlie/Sarah/Jenny the author just left out hanging with no resolution :( and one of the things that tends to bother me often in this series but really exacerbated the issue in this book is the guests' unwillingness to cooperate with police the investigations if they're completely innocent then why act like answering questions is a personal affront, someone died just answer the questions.
Profile Image for Genevieve.
1,357 reviews11 followers
September 3, 2023
I like this series but always find it hard to get through the first pages. In this one a lot of hikers are staying with Suzie and Mary on a hike they go into a mine and find a skeleton. Suzie and Mary aim to find out who the body is and who killed him.
I love Suzie and Mary even though they always have an overwhelming curiosity. I also like their guys Paul and Wes. I wish they would make Jason a bit more assertive. He just seems to let the women do what they want and is happy for them to do his work for them.

I liked the story line which had a few twists and turns and enough people from the past and present that I was also getting a little confused who people were.

A well written and good book in a good series.
Profile Image for Wendy Hodges.
2,896 reviews41 followers
March 6, 2023
The idea of going into an old abandoned mine is the kind of stuff to give me nightmares, I can't believe Suzie or Mary went into one. Creepy, scary and traumatizing adventure, I'm so glad both Paul and Wes played a bit of a part in solving this one. At least they kept the ladies reasonably safe, well apart from dynamite. A years old mystery is solved, all culprits are dealt with and a nice comforting bowl of homemade soup to settle everyone's nerves. Fascinating plot, more fabulous characters and gold. The author writes intricate and twisted stories with lots of action and adventure.
Profile Image for Sandra Lopez.
Author 3 books348 followers
September 7, 2025
Hikers on a trail stumbled upon an old mine with a skeleton inside. Who was the skeleton and what was the mystery behind the mine? Inn owners Suzie and Mary were both eager to look into it. Even though it seemed that this was an old murder, it still intrigues you. As Suzie and Mary dig into the case, it seemed that all ties were leading to one of their guests at Dune House. Now, with the possibility of a missing bag of gold from the crime scene, the suspect list has grown. Who committed this old murder and took the gold? A good mystery!
136 reviews
February 16, 2022
This Was One of my Favorites!

I've probably put this into another review, but this 17th book of the Dune House series was so exciting that I literally couldn't put down until I had finished it! There are more than a couple of people who could have been the murderer and I hope mystery lovers will read the whole series. You won't be disappointed!
11 reviews
July 1, 2022
Always a mystery until the very end I love to follow the same characters into new adventures i was delighted that this is such a long series , I have not been dissapointed . How such a long series can be so versatile yet familiar I don’t know. Love going from book to book with a fresh situation.
164 reviews
September 18, 2022
Nice addition to the series

This is book 17 and like all the others it was fun to read. Great characters and easy to follow. You could read alone but I think more enjoyable if you start at beginning to see how characters develop. No graphic sex or violence. Good book to get lost in.
Profile Image for Karen Cino.
Author 53 books506 followers
January 26, 2020
Each book in the series gets better and better. These two best friend definitely show how to have each other's back. The rest of the cast of characters and always awesome. Once you start, you can't put it down. A wonderful series.
877 reviews25 followers
August 7, 2022
Sand, Sea and a Skeleton (17)

Even a skeleton can't keep it's secret from the two super sleuths at dune House! I enjoyed reading this story very much and highly recommend this entire series.
705 reviews1 follower
June 28, 2024
Sand, Sea and a skeleton

Great story. They sure know how to find the killers BUT I don’t like closed in places or z as nothing to do wo ave’s. Not foe to ever enter even wit a guided tour like the Oregon Caves
4,417 reviews43 followers
March 27, 2022
A skeleton in the tunnel??? Is it Jimmy Tomson and if so, why??? What are Sam and Charlie up to??? Wow!!! I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,032 reviews17 followers
March 12, 2023
I like the main characters. They tend to solve the murders very quickly.
9 reviews
March 2, 2025
Entertaining cozy mystery- generally faced paced and an interesting conclusion. Lovable characters as always for this series.
1,063 reviews4 followers
December 11, 2019
A great cozy

I love this series by Cindy Bell and I have from book one. If you love a great cozy with characters you will love and a story that keeps you turning the page then this series is a must read
203 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2019
Very good

Mary and Susie solved another crime. They enjoy each other's company and now they continue to have Paul a nd Wes in their lives. It's a quick read but entertaining. Love these characters. Hopefully they 're involved in your next book. Thank you .
Profile Image for Kirsten.
77 reviews
November 15, 2019
Easy read

Fun short story to while the time away. No big surprises. Clean book to read. A bit on the boring side. But, as I said, easy to read.
Profile Image for Courtney-Louise✨.
153 reviews5 followers
October 7, 2023
In Garber, Suzie and Mary are hosting a national walking group within Dune House. Suzie and Mary then get invited to join the group on their walk to discover hidden parts of Garber, and this is when they come across an abandoned gold mine. Upon entering, the group find a skeleton and everyone becomes suspicious. This then leads to Suzie and Mary working together to try and solve this crime, all the while continuing to look out for each other ensuring that they both stay safe with whatever they are doing. Especially Mary who suffers from a bad back and struggles to walk for long periods of time. As the book continues, we begin to learn more about who this skeleton belonged to, what happened and a potential motive as to why they were murdered. It is believed that one of the people within the group had taken pictures of what they had found, but later when she went to check her phone they had gone! How could this have happened?
Very suspenseful book and keeps you guessing with who might have committed such a horrible crime in such a quiet place, I would assume they expected them to never be found and this person remain essentially as a missing person, because you would think if they’ve not been seen for a while they’d be reported missing. It just took one group expedition to uncover the skeleton!
229 reviews5 followers
October 25, 2019
While I absolutely love this series and Cindy Bell's books in general, there is a reason I only gave this book four stars. It has nothing to do with the mystery which is top notch. What it comes down to is just my personal taste and the subject matter surrounding the mystery didn't interest me as much as others have in the past.

Mary and Suzie, who run the bed and breakfast at Dune House always seem to find themselves in the middle of a mystery because it usually involves their guests in some manner. I think background checks might be in order in the future so that they know what they might be getting into. LOL! I love their curious natures and the unbending loyalty of their significant others and friends. The only thing that bothers me at times is that there are too many people involved and it can be difficult to keep everyone's stories straight. Whatever my quirks may be, I still highly recommend this series as well as all of her other series especially if you love cozy mysteries.
689 reviews2 followers
November 7, 2019
Great book!!

10++++ stars!!
Boy, Dune house get mixed up in a huge mess because of a 15 to 20 year mess.
Of course, Suzie had to get involved because of her investigating reporter days kicked in which meant she gets Mary involved. Like Lucy and Ethel.
This mess is around a gold mine and alot of suspects hiding secrets.
Great book you won't be disappointed!!!!
Profile Image for Ann.
485 reviews6 followers
November 8, 2019
An enjoyable cosy. Good characters and a pleasant read with a nice touch of humour.
1,033 reviews2 followers
October 31, 2019
I love these Dune House mysteries

Susie and Mary are middle-aged friends who opened a bed and breakfast. Susie was an investigative reporter, so anytime a murder occurs, she is right on it. Mary didn't have that type background but she is an equal partner. It is an excellent series. Cindy Bell is an excellent mystery writer. Plus, it's good to have women of their age enjoying romance.
Profile Image for JANE VAN HORN.
2,085 reviews12 followers
October 25, 2019
Excellent

Another great book by Cindy Bell . Mary and Suzie are at it again and things get pretty tense at Dune House.
Profile Image for Robin Smith.
8 reviews1 follower
February 4, 2020
I REALLY ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF THIS BOOK WILL CONTINUE THIS SERIES.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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