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A Ski Diva Mystery #1
Double Black
First in a very cool (literally) skiing series that introduces a sleuth who has ditched grad school, along with her cheating fiancée, to become a ski bum Twenty-something Stacey Curtis is living the life she’s always dreamed about—until she finds a dead body in the ski chalet. And after her new landlord turns out to be the local sheriff, her life contains a whole lot more suspense than she bargained for. Populated with quirky characters, loaded with New England atmosphere, and co-starring a handsome young hunk with nerve, a sense of humor about it all, and an enormous trust fund, Double Black is an exciting run down some mysterious and treacherous trails.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Clinch
4 books22 followersBorn and raised in Ocean County, NJ, Wendy Clinch is the founder of TheSkiDiva.com, the premier internet community for women skiers. A graduate of Syracuse University, Wendy now lives in Vermont with her husband, Jon Clinch, author of "Finn: A Novel," "Kings of the Earth," "The Thief of Auschwitz," and "Marley."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 31, 2020
It was only six months before their wedding day that Stacey Curtis had discovered her fiancée in bed with a mutual friend.
She immediately decided against making a scene, she would just set herself free.
Right there and then she made a pact with herself that she would embrace freedom and connect herself with the one thing that always brought her true joy. The one thing that never let her down.
Skiing.
With that immediate goal in mind, she eased herself out the door of the condo she and her fiancée had shared ever since she said, “yes” to his proposal of marriage. She quietly, but methodically loaded up the ski racks on her car and made her way to the Great State of Vermont.
The highway was not busy, the drive smooth. There was lots of time to think.
She stayed in a ski resort town motel for the first two nights, after that, she was sure her accommodations might become no swanker than the back seat of her ’87 Subaru.
Luckily, her timing was good, it was late November, and the ski season was just beginning. Every business in this tiny tourist town was still hiring. Soon, she landed a serving / general labor job at one of the local bars named, “The Binding.” And it was in that very bar, while she was vacuuming one afternoon, that her lucky break revealed itself.
She’d pulled the juke box back to vacuum underneath, and to her surprise, she found a set of keys with a fob indicating that they were to the “Snowfield Condominiums.” She leaves the keys in the bar’s lost and found for a few days and when they are not claimed, she quietly scoops them up and decides to check out the place for herself.
After all, how long could one stand sleeping in their car in the middle of winter?
She sat in her car, surveying the place. It looked to be a building of about twenty units, only one or two of which appeared to be occupied, (the lights were on). The locals had said that the condos were the remnants of a failed business venture of a young man from Troy who’d tried to sell the units and after a downturn in the economy, simply walked away. Nobody had seen the mysterious young entrepreneur in at least three years.
But as Stacy sat there, staring at the mostly empty residential building, she realized that the young businessman’s loss might be her gain. She was sure she wouldn’t be seen if she entered these abandoned condos…and she knew she needed a break.
After a few more minutes of watching and not seeing anyone walk in or out, she decides to make her move. She climbs out of her vehicle and tries the keys she found in the bar on the main door lock. The keys work. She then scouts out a unit located furthest from the one or two that show signs of habitation, presses her ear to the door and hearing no sound from within, tries another key from the ring that says, “master.” It opens the unit, and as she looks about the empty, but rather new looking unit, she realizes that she may have found her new home.
It is there we pick up the story, Stacey has lived in the unit for some time, skiing in the afternoon, working in the bar at night and living in her squatter quarters at all other hours.
It was as if life seemed to be falling into an unusual, but strangely comfortable rhythm…then it happened…
She came “home” to find a dead man laying on the bed. Based on his condition, it’s clear he’s not died of natural causes. She calls 911, gives the operator a fake name and promptly leaves her temporary home. What she isn’t aware of at the time is that she’ll be thrown into a surreal world of financial intrigue, a bitter family battle…and murder.
I absolutely had to read on, and by the end I realized that I’d been riveted to this story right from chapter one. This tale was filled with chills and unexpected twists throughout. A small sample of my favorite moments included: The “Sheryl Crow” life soundtrack, a sheriff with a twenty-three year career who’s a rookie when it comes to murder investigations, the menace of “The Claw”, an elusive engagement ring as a piece of evidence to a crime, a nighttime hike up a mountain, a fiery red head, a cowboy corporate executive and a rogue snowmobiler who attacks in the night.
There was quite a bit of quality humor here as well, including Stacey’s assertion that phone calls with her mother go better when she’s in motion and that getting a good night's sleep in a car in the middle of winter is an unappreciated art form.
The beginning and middle were excellent, the ending went by a bit too fast for my liking, but overall a enjoyable read.
She immediately decided against making a scene, she would just set herself free.
Right there and then she made a pact with herself that she would embrace freedom and connect herself with the one thing that always brought her true joy. The one thing that never let her down.
Skiing.
With that immediate goal in mind, she eased herself out the door of the condo she and her fiancée had shared ever since she said, “yes” to his proposal of marriage. She quietly, but methodically loaded up the ski racks on her car and made her way to the Great State of Vermont.
The highway was not busy, the drive smooth. There was lots of time to think.
She stayed in a ski resort town motel for the first two nights, after that, she was sure her accommodations might become no swanker than the back seat of her ’87 Subaru.
Luckily, her timing was good, it was late November, and the ski season was just beginning. Every business in this tiny tourist town was still hiring. Soon, she landed a serving / general labor job at one of the local bars named, “The Binding.” And it was in that very bar, while she was vacuuming one afternoon, that her lucky break revealed itself.
She’d pulled the juke box back to vacuum underneath, and to her surprise, she found a set of keys with a fob indicating that they were to the “Snowfield Condominiums.” She leaves the keys in the bar’s lost and found for a few days and when they are not claimed, she quietly scoops them up and decides to check out the place for herself.
After all, how long could one stand sleeping in their car in the middle of winter?
She sat in her car, surveying the place. It looked to be a building of about twenty units, only one or two of which appeared to be occupied, (the lights were on). The locals had said that the condos were the remnants of a failed business venture of a young man from Troy who’d tried to sell the units and after a downturn in the economy, simply walked away. Nobody had seen the mysterious young entrepreneur in at least three years.
But as Stacy sat there, staring at the mostly empty residential building, she realized that the young businessman’s loss might be her gain. She was sure she wouldn’t be seen if she entered these abandoned condos…and she knew she needed a break.
After a few more minutes of watching and not seeing anyone walk in or out, she decides to make her move. She climbs out of her vehicle and tries the keys she found in the bar on the main door lock. The keys work. She then scouts out a unit located furthest from the one or two that show signs of habitation, presses her ear to the door and hearing no sound from within, tries another key from the ring that says, “master.” It opens the unit, and as she looks about the empty, but rather new looking unit, she realizes that she may have found her new home.
It is there we pick up the story, Stacey has lived in the unit for some time, skiing in the afternoon, working in the bar at night and living in her squatter quarters at all other hours.
It was as if life seemed to be falling into an unusual, but strangely comfortable rhythm…then it happened…
She came “home” to find a dead man laying on the bed. Based on his condition, it’s clear he’s not died of natural causes. She calls 911, gives the operator a fake name and promptly leaves her temporary home. What she isn’t aware of at the time is that she’ll be thrown into a surreal world of financial intrigue, a bitter family battle…and murder.
I absolutely had to read on, and by the end I realized that I’d been riveted to this story right from chapter one. This tale was filled with chills and unexpected twists throughout. A small sample of my favorite moments included: The “Sheryl Crow” life soundtrack, a sheriff with a twenty-three year career who’s a rookie when it comes to murder investigations, the menace of “The Claw”, an elusive engagement ring as a piece of evidence to a crime, a nighttime hike up a mountain, a fiery red head, a cowboy corporate executive and a rogue snowmobiler who attacks in the night.
There was quite a bit of quality humor here as well, including Stacey’s assertion that phone calls with her mother go better when she’s in motion and that getting a good night's sleep in a car in the middle of winter is an unappreciated art form.
The beginning and middle were excellent, the ending went by a bit too fast for my liking, but overall a enjoyable read.
January 26, 2010
This book brought back memories of my time as a ski instructor and living at Loon and Stratton Mountain--well, not the murder part so much, but the setting. I found it to be a great page-turner. It only took me about a day to read it, and I worked most of that day. I'd recommend it to any mystery reader who skis, or anyone who would like to catch a glimpse of what life is really like at a mountain.
February 16, 2010
A quick, fun read. It didn't always seem like a mystery, which allowed the characters to develop. I would have taken a different driving route from Boston to the Vermont ski areas, but who cares, really, as long as you get there!
Passed this book to Jen for her flight home from SLC...
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7...
Passed this book to Jen for her flight home from SLC...
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7...
January 23, 2010
First in what I think is going to be a series of ski diva mysteries - Stacey goes to Vermont to be a ski bum to escape a cheating fiancee and winds up in the midst of a small town murder mystery - well-written - a few foul language uses that weren't necessary - enjoyable light read
February 12, 2010
Good book. Nice twist at the end. My only quibble is the editing, and this seems to happen more and more in books.....CamelBak is not spelled Camelback. Typos and misspelled words in books drives me nuts.
January 19, 2010
This is a lovely little book that is perfect for curling up with after a long day of skiing.
February 16, 2010
A really good first book. Let's see how the characters hold up, since she clearly plans for this to be a series.
November 23, 2024
Pro:
- good descriptions of skiing and working a season in a small Vermont town
- author successfully created some creepy moments and suspense
- relaxing to read, good if you like cozy mysteries
- includes a hint of romance
- enjoyable enough that I am interested in reading the next one
Cons:
- pacing was slow, with extraneous info that added nothing to the story, such as descriptions of which lights are on in certain businesses at night.
- ending was a little too simple—the mystery is just suddenly solved! And nothing else is wrapped up!
- a couple of dramatic moments in the book were never explained—were they just random, unrelated events? If they were related, how and why?
- author seems to have a low opinion of homeless people…
- some plot elements were way too convenient
- good descriptions of skiing and working a season in a small Vermont town
- author successfully created some creepy moments and suspense
- relaxing to read, good if you like cozy mysteries
- includes a hint of romance
- enjoyable enough that I am interested in reading the next one
Cons:
- pacing was slow, with extraneous info that added nothing to the story, such as descriptions of which lights are on in certain businesses at night.
- ending was a little too simple—the mystery is just suddenly solved! And nothing else is wrapped up!
- a couple of dramatic moments in the book were never explained—were they just random, unrelated events? If they were related, how and why?
- author seems to have a low opinion of homeless people…
- some plot elements were way too convenient
November 3, 2023
I love the cozy genre, even though you get a lot of repeated trends / characters/ plots. When I find a book with a bit of a twist, I am very excited.
Here, we have a down on her luck heroine (check) struggling to make ends meet in a new town. Stacey, tired of sleeping in her car (in sub zero temperatures in Vermont), utilizes a found ring of keys to stay in ski condos around town, until she stumbles upon a dead body. Very quirky characters and not the murderer you immediately suspect.
Here, we have a down on her luck heroine (check) struggling to make ends meet in a new town. Stacey, tired of sleeping in her car (in sub zero temperatures in Vermont), utilizes a found ring of keys to stay in ski condos around town, until she stumbles upon a dead body. Very quirky characters and not the murderer you immediately suspect.
May 23, 2020
Double Black by Wendy Clinch has a cast of believable characters. There are people to like, hate, fear and hope for. The story develops well and the situations that unfold expose more about the motives that caused the murder. But who the murderer is saved for the very end...well done.
March 6, 2023
I'm being generous with 2 stars. This is the strangest 'mystery' I've ever read. Our intrepid heroine does no investigating, no questioning of subjects, no searching for clues. Instead we travel 320 pages of her skiing, working at the bar, and occasionally going on a date.
April 3, 2019
Very nice light reading
Well constructed story. The characters were believable. Nice to have a murder mystery with interesting side plots that supported the main plot.
Well constructed story. The characters were believable. Nice to have a murder mystery with interesting side plots that supported the main plot.
January 6, 2021
Nice light and local read to start 2021. Wondering which VT resort was the inspiration for the setting.....
July 4, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter (the ski life, not the murder) really appealed to me being an ex ski bum myself. The snow town lifestyle was very accurately described down to the nicknames for equipment, and groups of people.
The characters seemed very real with faults and all. Even the speak in the book was as it is between people in real life, not long monologues that are never interrupted by others. Some people may have found that frustrating but I found it refreshing as I have not seen it in a book before. It made the whole experience more true to life for me and left me day dreaming of my own time on the hill.
The story itself was good and moved at a nice pace with just enough description of everyday life that happened to have a mystery going on around it, rather than a mystery story with only a little peripheral storyline. But that was exactly what I was looking for after all the books I have been reading lately. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I'm just a little bummed that I can't get it from Amazon on Kindle as I'm travelling and that is all I have access to at the moment. At least there is something to look forward to when I get home instead of falling into the post travel depressive state.
4 stars
The characters seemed very real with faults and all. Even the speak in the book was as it is between people in real life, not long monologues that are never interrupted by others. Some people may have found that frustrating but I found it refreshing as I have not seen it in a book before. It made the whole experience more true to life for me and left me day dreaming of my own time on the hill.
The story itself was good and moved at a nice pace with just enough description of everyday life that happened to have a mystery going on around it, rather than a mystery story with only a little peripheral storyline. But that was exactly what I was looking for after all the books I have been reading lately. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I'm just a little bummed that I can't get it from Amazon on Kindle as I'm travelling and that is all I have access to at the moment. At least there is something to look forward to when I get home instead of falling into the post travel depressive state.
4 stars
March 25, 2011
Nice start to a new series--literally having your squatter protagonist walk into a room containing a very (as in with benefit of chain saw) murdered body. Even if you don't like or know much about skiing, you'll appreciate Stacey Curtis for dumping her cheating fiance back in Boston, hopping in her car, and heading north to Vermont ski country. What she does when she gets there is interesting, too--as are her "insider" insights into ski culture, the economics of resort communities, and the internal dynamics of the communities that cater to skiers.
One question, though. When did the "ski bunny" (an admittedly problematic label) become the "ski diva"? I truly hate the word diva and everything that it connotes in pop culture. Moreover, I see see nothing diva-esque about Stacey. In fact, I quite like her. I'm not a skier, so have no personal knowledge of the changing tides of sentiment or the etymological evolution from ski bunny to diva, but I trip over that word every time I encounter it on the book's cover. Just sayin'.
The bunny/diva business aside, this is a fun, light, quick read. And I have a whole new appreciation for the concept of night skiing!
One question, though. When did the "ski bunny" (an admittedly problematic label) become the "ski diva"? I truly hate the word diva and everything that it connotes in pop culture. Moreover, I see see nothing diva-esque about Stacey. In fact, I quite like her. I'm not a skier, so have no personal knowledge of the changing tides of sentiment or the etymological evolution from ski bunny to diva, but I trip over that word every time I encounter it on the book's cover. Just sayin'.
The bunny/diva business aside, this is a fun, light, quick read. And I have a whole new appreciation for the concept of night skiing!
November 18, 2010
I picked up this book for my trip to China, and I ended up finishing it before I even left San Francisco! I wanted to check it out since I adore Wendy, and I trusted she would do justice to skiing culture and experience. The reading is very effortless and fast, which makes it easy to get engrossed. Stacey is a great protagonist, and I love her determination and courage to drop her "real-life" to try her hand at ski-bumming. Wendy includes touches that, as a life-time skier, made me smile and laugh. She captures the feeling of living in a small ski town well, and even though it can be a bit cliche, it's very enjoyable to read. And what honest ski girl wouldn't love Chip - the sweet, cute ski patroller who loves a good full moon ski tour. Swoon! I'm excited to pick up the next one!
August 3, 2016
Cute mystery set in small skiing town in Vermont. Main character, Stacey from Boston, broken engagement and living in her car. Discovers a body - so she's involved up to her neck, but manages to squiggle out of that. Rents a room at the local sherrif's home, kind of protection since the local Viet Nam vet crazy guy is stalking her because he thinks she did the murder. Fell kind of flat in the end, but kept me occupied for a bit.
November 28, 2011
A murder mystery set in a New England ski resort town. I liked the voice of the narrator, esp the touches of humor. The plot is not particularly unique; however, the setting is. Living in the south, I know nothing about the ski culture. Being exposed the skiing industry made this book stand out for me.
August 25, 2024
One of the few novels about skiing. The heroine is likeable, the skiing scenes are good and I loved the athmosphere of the outback ski resort, with smoky bars, hotels being built and of course a gory murder. As a crime novel it’s not perfect, and the writing’s uneven, but it’s a novel about a ski instructor, how picky can you be?
March 30, 2011
Not much of a thriller, though a small twist at the end. Quick read, but not really worth it. I am going to read the sequel - maybe it will have more content since the characters are already introduced.
April 19, 2011
I really enjoyed this. It has all the elements that I look for in a mystery- great setting, interesting characters, and a compelling puzzle. Looking forward to spending more time with these characters in the next book in the series.
November 20, 2011
Fun little mystery. Absolutely captures the ski town vibe--so much so, I kept thinking of my winter spent working on a local mountain! This would make a fun gift for any Vermontophiles or skifreak buds.
February 16, 2010
This book just rambled on and on with no real direction. You might like it if you skied but to me it was just dumb.
April 25, 2010
I dropped this book back in my library bag after 3 chapters, when I found nothing to keep me going. Also didn't care for the author's writing style.
January 31, 2011
3.5 stars
A bit of fluff, but an enjoyable read.
A bit of fluff, but an enjoyable read.
February 27, 2011
Fun mystery read set in a ski town in Vermont. I read it while in Lake Placid (sadly, not skiing), but it was a great vacation read.
April 30, 2011
Pretty good little mystery! I enjoyed meeting the folks in the ski town and I'm anxious to read the next book in the series.
September 15, 2011
disappointing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2011
Entertaining.
December 26, 2011
Very enjoyable first in this series. I would have given it a four except the ending was a little abrupt and some loose ends. I look forward to the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews