Deception's Sins: A Roger Sundbee Mystery

Roger Sundbee, the tennis pro who left Indiana after uncovering the hidden stories of a small town (Freedom's Sins) has moved to Deception Island, ten miles by ferry from Seattle. It seemed the perfect place to start a new life. After failing to land a job as a reporter for the local newspaper, Roger is hired by Realtor Luke Epping, who tells him about the island eccentric, Gertie Stokes, who sits in a rocker in her front yard, a rifle on her lap, under the branch of a cedar tree that was used by vigilantes to hang her black husband, Willis fifteen years ago. She waits for their return. “When they come back, I’ll be ready,” she repeats to passersby. Danny Foster finds two metal boxes in the woods, filled with gold coins. He hides them in the basement of his home, where he also hides his sexual compulsions from his wife, Connie. Egocentric Quentin Forbes, the richest man on the island, learns of the buried coins in an 18th century ship captain's log. He schemes to buy the land where it's thought to be buried. The body of Zeke Perry, the island's coroner, is found on the beach, a gold coin lying next to his body, a rope around his neck. Roger, the last person to be seen with Zeke alive, becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Within weeks, another resident of the town is found strangled to death in an alley. Danny can no longer keep his sexual compulsions under control. He's discovered murder to be the ultimate aphrodisiac.

"Deception's Sins was a great short read. Clocking in at just over 80 pages, the book kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed all the quirky characters. Karen Truesdell Riehl did an excellent job with their development, especially that of lead character Roger Sundbee." Tracy Slowiak review for Readers' Favorite

"Karen Truesdell Riehl's murder mystery is a droll and witty story with a fascinating location and a rich historical backdrop. Riehl has a gift for description. She makes each person living on Deception Island seem real, with their own histories and dreams. The historical details woven into the plot are marvelous. I enjoyed reading Deception's Sins and hope to read other stories starring the multi-talented Roger Sundbee." Jack Magnus review for Readers' Favorite