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Charley Hall #6
Schooled in Murder
The trip to a lakeside resort was to be her fresh start until a suspicious death threatens not only her budding romance but all their lives.
1949. Lake Scugog, Canada. Reporter Charley Hall has lost a lot—her husband, her dream job, her best friend. Accompanying her new beau to his class reunion at a lakeside resort seems like the perfect opportunity to begin again. But old habits threaten to derail her new relationship after a beloved teacher is found dead behind a locked door.
Alone in her conviction that the death was far from natural, Charley puts her sleuthing skills to the test and learns the deceased educator was not so well-loved after all. When the group becomes stranded by a late-season ice storm, the pressure’s on to determine whether all that hatred adds up to murder.
Can this single-minded sleuth solve the puzzle or will she get a failing grade, trapping them with a devious killer?
Schooled in Murder is the sixth book in the page-turning Charley Hall historical mystery series. If you like atmospheric backdrops, strong underdog protagonists and unpredictable twists and turns, then you’ll love Brenda Gayle’s compelling whodunit series.
Get Schooled in Murder to see if Charley passes the test!
1949. Lake Scugog, Canada. Reporter Charley Hall has lost a lot—her husband, her dream job, her best friend. Accompanying her new beau to his class reunion at a lakeside resort seems like the perfect opportunity to begin again. But old habits threaten to derail her new relationship after a beloved teacher is found dead behind a locked door.
Alone in her conviction that the death was far from natural, Charley puts her sleuthing skills to the test and learns the deceased educator was not so well-loved after all. When the group becomes stranded by a late-season ice storm, the pressure’s on to determine whether all that hatred adds up to murder.
Can this single-minded sleuth solve the puzzle or will she get a failing grade, trapping them with a devious killer?
Schooled in Murder is the sixth book in the page-turning Charley Hall historical mystery series. If you like atmospheric backdrops, strong underdog protagonists and unpredictable twists and turns, then you’ll love Brenda Gayle’s compelling whodunit series.
Get Schooled in Murder to see if Charley passes the test!
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2022
8 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Gayle
35 books230 followersLife is messy and I try to reflect that in my stories while still leaving readers with a feeling of hope. I want them to see themselves and people they know in my characters.
You could say writing is in my genes. My paternal grandmother was a formidable diarist; my father was a journalist and poet; my sister and cousin are both published authors; even my son has shown a talent for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to tell awesome stories. So, it came as no surprise to anyone when I returned to my love of fiction after more than 20 years in the world of corporate communications–although some might argue there was plenty of opportunity for fiction-writing there, too.
A fan of many genres, I find it hard to stay within the publishing industry’s prescribed boxes. Whether it’s romantic suspense, women’s fiction,or mystery—my greatest joy is creating deeply emotional books with memorable characters and compelling stories.
You could say writing is in my genes. My paternal grandmother was a formidable diarist; my father was a journalist and poet; my sister and cousin are both published authors; even my son has shown a talent for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to tell awesome stories. So, it came as no surprise to anyone when I returned to my love of fiction after more than 20 years in the world of corporate communications–although some might argue there was plenty of opportunity for fiction-writing there, too.
A fan of many genres, I find it hard to stay within the publishing industry’s prescribed boxes. Whether it’s romantic suspense, women’s fiction,or mystery—my greatest joy is creating deeply emotional books with memorable characters and compelling stories.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2023
An A+ for Sleuthing
Amateur sleuth and crack reporter Charley Hall is stuck in a frozen wilderness camp with her brother's classmates from high school. They all have different memories of their former English teacher and Outdoors Club director and wonder why he summoned them to his family's rustic wilderness camp in the dead of winter. Then the man whom so many hated turns up dead in a locked room.
Charley examines the body and finds evidence of a possible murder, which the others roundly reject. She quietly continues her investigation as other incidents suggest there are sinister motives behind the club's reunion. Since they are all trapped by a hundred year record ice storm, Frankie knows there must be a killer among them.
The suspected murder is only one of several plots unfolding in the camp and dark secrets surface. The tension builds to a riveting climax and Charlie again leads the way to solving multiple crimes.
Charley is a likeable character who grows with each book. The background of Canada facing the challenges of the Cold War adds depth to the story. And perhaps Charlie can solve her own romantic problems in her 7th outing.
Amateur sleuth and crack reporter Charley Hall is stuck in a frozen wilderness camp with her brother's classmates from high school. They all have different memories of their former English teacher and Outdoors Club director and wonder why he summoned them to his family's rustic wilderness camp in the dead of winter. Then the man whom so many hated turns up dead in a locked room.
Charley examines the body and finds evidence of a possible murder, which the others roundly reject. She quietly continues her investigation as other incidents suggest there are sinister motives behind the club's reunion. Since they are all trapped by a hundred year record ice storm, Frankie knows there must be a killer among them.
The suspected murder is only one of several plots unfolding in the camp and dark secrets surface. The tension builds to a riveting climax and Charlie again leads the way to solving multiple crimes.
Charley is a likeable character who grows with each book. The background of Canada facing the challenges of the Cold War adds depth to the story. And perhaps Charlie can solve her own romantic problems in her 7th outing.
September 11, 2025
This book seemed to have a slower pace but as the last one in the series it tied up a number of items and of course left space for the imagination to wonder what could be ahead for the main characters
May 12, 2022
Good mystery. I love how far Freddie has come. Interesting developments with Dan. Plenty of surprises. Looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews