Greetings from Ventnor City

Meg Daniels #5

by Jane Kelly

Newly engaged Meg Daniels stays behind at the Artistical Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City while her fiancé returns to work securing their employer s Bahamian property from Hurricane Frieda. But she's not alone for long. The talkative stranger with skinny white legs sticking out of wide Bermuda shorts turns out to be Xander Frost, rock idol and frequent Artistical guest, traveling incognito as part of his quest to learn how ordinary people live.
A woman recognizes Meg as the amateur sleuth who recently solved a mysterious disappearance from the 1960s, and asks for help in learning the fate of the sister she last knew as a 19-year-old who ran away from her Ventnor home in 1968. Xander persuades Meg to take the case, and the unlikely duo travel up and down the Jersey shore and beyond to interview the people who had known Sarah Johnson best. As they retrace her steps and Meg gets a taste of the rock star life they discover that there might be a sinister reason the trail has been cold for so long. Was she a rebellious teenager who got swept up in the counterculture and broke free of her restrictive family? Or did someone want her out of the way... permanently?

303 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2019

About the author

Jane Kelly is a native of Philadelphia, close to the Jersey Shore settings of the Meg Daniels mysteries available from Plexus Publishing. Jane is also the author of the Widow Lady Mysteries and the Writing in Time Mysteries, both set in her hometown. She is the past president of the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime and served on the board of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Her next Meg Daniels novel, Last Seen in Sea Isle, will be released in April 2026. In 2025, she launched a series of novellas, the Meg Daniels Mystery Weekenders, in which all the action takes place in a weekend, and the book can be read in a weekend. In addition, she published a stand-alone novel, NIGHTINGALE SONGS, that is romantic but doesn't obey all the rules of a romance. Her latest publication is A DEATH IN SCILLY, a traditional mystery set on a small island off the coast of Cornwall.

Reviews

[Christopher Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best Meg Daniels mystery of the series... so far.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful Meg Daniels mystery! Romp with Meg and her unusual sidekick, Xander, as they begin their search for a woman who disappeared from the Jersey shore in 1968. This duo’s investigation begins in Jersey shore towns, but ultimately leads them to travel to several states before they discover the information they need to piece together this puzzle. Enough twists, witty dialogue, humor and suspense to keep you engrossed and guessing until the end. Refreshing read!

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just become acquainted with Ventnor City, NJ this year, I really looked forward to reading the Meg Daniels Mystery set in this New Jersey shore town. I was hoping to gain insight into this town, its history and its residents. What I did not expect was to be taken on a such a well-constructed mystery journey that focused on people my own age. I was thoroughly engrossed throughout the entire reading of this book. It also had some of my favorite type of people - rock stars - and made references to other areas of the Jersey shore where I have stayed. I learned something about the game of Monopoly that I never knew before (prompting a duh from me) and a lot about the Absecon Barrier islands.
I will say, you do not have to be familiar with the Jersey shore to enjoy this book, but once you read it, you will probably be intrigued enough to plan a visit.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best mystery, but so fun that it takes place in an area that we love.

[Mariangela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the Bookateria in Ocean City so, you know, I was primed for a good time. I would say 3.6 stars. If more of the Meg Daniels stories take place at the shore I’ll read them!