Snow Place for Murder

Nigel Goodwin and his wife Aileen have traveled from London, England to Misty Murphys, North Carolina, to pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors. The Retreat on Blue Ridge will include five-star dining and accommodations, an all-seasons indoor water park, and adventurous offerings such as whitewater rafting, ATV trail rides, and helicopter tours. However, locals are at odds over the idea, and things become frosty and dangerous when a virtual blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Misty has to call local police to intervene before things get out of hand. Meanwhile, her boys have finished their exams and are home for the winter break, planning to spend most of their time snowboarding at the ski resort. They discover a frozen nose-shaped rock, which turns out to be the frozen nose of Nigel Goodwin, who has been found dead and buried under the mound of snow.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 20 November 2023
Publisher: St Martin's Press

International resort developer Nigel Goodwin and his wife Aileen have made a long journey from London, England to Misty Murphys quaint corner of North Carolina, where they have purchased the Mountaintop Lodge for the week leading up to Christmas. Their goal? To present a unique new resort concept to wealthy American investors. The Retreat on Blue Ridge will be unlike anything the area has ever seen, offering five-star dining and accommodations, an all-seasons indoor water park, and thrilling activities such as whitewater rafting, ATV trail rides, and helicopter tours. While the proposed resort may attract tourists and generate revenue for the area, it would also bring increased traffic to the two-lane roads and considerable noise to this otherwise peaceful community. Locals are divided on the idea, and they gather at the lodge to express their opinions to Mr. Goodwin and the potential investors, just as a virtual blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Like the weather outside, things take a frosty and dangerous turn, and Misty has to call local police to intervene before things escalate. Handyman Rocky Crowder clears the lodges driveway, and in an attempt to restore a festive holiday atmosphere, he smooths the snow pile into a makeshift sledding hill for the guests to enjoy.

Misty's boys have completed their exams and are "home" from college for the winter break, planning to spend most of their time snowboarding at the ski resort. While taking a few runs down Rocky's sledding hill, they discover a peculiar-looking, nose-shaped rock. However, it's not a rock. It's the frozen nose of Nigel Goodwin, who has been found dead and buried beneath the mound of snow.

Who put the developer on ice, and why?

Weight: 162g
Dimension: 105 x 172 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781250816016