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by Ellen Byron (Author)
Dee Stern's Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains promises a tranquil getaway for outdoor lovers in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold. But when Dee accidentally triggers a modern goldrush, her peaceful retreat becomes a hotspot for mayhem and murder . . .
With the summer season looming, former Hollywood sitcom writer Dee Stern has one goal: to scrub her motel's unflattering moniker as the "Murder Motel." Dee and ex-husband-turned-business-partner Jeff Cornetta are excited to introduce a family-friendly panning activity complete with fool's gold just in time for the peak tourist months. Neither anticipated the discovery of a real gold nugget or the ensuing social media frenzy. The viral sensation soon draws grizzled prospectors, wide-eyed adventurers, and thrill seekers to the abandoned mines scattered around the woods . . . The instant popularity proves great for business, but it also attracts a group of out-of-touch Silicon Valley techies with dreams of striking it rich--again. Dee finds herself particularly annoyed by smug Sylvan Burr, a retired CEO who sold his startup before age 30 and won't let anyone forget it. Then Sylvan meets a grim fate at the bottom of a mineshaft, leaving Dee at the center of a mystery that could end her days as a motelier--not to mention her life--unless she can unearth a minefield of suspects and outwit a greedy killer before she digs herself too deep . . .Author Biography
Ellen Byron is the Agatha and Lefty Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of the Golden Motel Mysteries, the Vintage Cookbook series, and the Cajun Country Mysteries, as well as the Catering Hall Mysteries written under the name Maria DiRico. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and The Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at ellenbyron.com.
