Katahdin Drowning

Katahdin Drowning opens within a nightmare that has haunted amateur sleuth and librarian Jessie Tyler ever since her husband's death two years earlier. An owl's ominous call reminds her that she is in Baxter State Park, and not at the scene of her husband's death. Jessie attempts to shake off the horror as she prepares to climb Maine's tallest mountain with her son, Jonathan; her college friend, Dara Kane; and her neighbor's two daughters, Gina Day and Willa Royce.


No sooner does Jessie crawl from her shelter, than an unpleasant woman explodes from another lean-to. Fitness star Veronica Verne rages against the wildlife that most visitors to the park come to see. She vents her fury at innocent bystanders because the boss who sent her here to be filmed climbing Katahdin is back in Boston.


By the time Verne begins her hike, she has left a number of upset people in her wake. During her climb, Verne spies someone she's unwilling to face so she turns back towards Katahdin Stream Campground. She is never again seen alive.


It is Jessie's displeasure to be among those who find Veronica Verne floating face-down in a pool of water at the base of Katahdin Stream Falls. Once it becomes evident that Veronica Verne was murdered, local and state police are called in. 


Jessie's old nemesis, Detective Charles Wilkins, groans when he sees her. It doesn't take him long, however, to make a wise decision: "I'm tired of being late to the party. If I let her in, maybe she will keep me informed," he tells his fellow officers.


Jessie and her friends enjoy a respite when set free to climb Katahdin on the following day. They stand atop the mountain and look at the magnificent views a few hours later. Each one contemplates on the death affects them, especially Jessie's college friend, whose past once collided with the victim's.


Everyone is eventually released to return home. An interlude at Jessie Tyler's home at Killdeer Farm follows. There series readers once again meet ghost-in-residence Ben Ames. Ben not only helps Jessie cope with personal heartbreak, but provides the key to solving the murder. The gentle specter's ongoing presence also draws Jessie into his mysterious past, which lends itself to the individuality of Janet Morgan's Killdeer Farm series. Ben's wisdom keeps Jessie on the right track through the power of love.


Susan Connelly, author of the Nell Prentice Mystery Series, has this to say about Katahdin Drowning: "Fans, new and old, of smart and inquisitive Jessie Tyler will love going along on her latest adventure, as a relaxing family trip to beautiful Baxter State Park lands Jessie right where she isn't wanted--in the middle of a murder investigation." 


Author Bio: Janet Morgan was born and raised in the small coastal town of Wiscasset, Maine. She received a BA in English from UMA while working full-time as library director at the Wiscasset Public Library. 


She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime New England, the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, and the Wiscasset Public Library Writing Group. She is also an active member of the Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library.


Janet has been published in several issues of the Goose River Anthology and The UMA Scholar. She has three Killdeer Farm mysteries: Poetic Justice, Composted Tyrant, and Katahdin Drowning. Goose River Press published Katahdin Drowning in 2013.


Janet's future projects include a work of non-fiction about homesteading in central Maine and her fourth Killdeer Farm mystery. Learn more about the author on her web site: janetmorgan.org