The Body in the Lake (The Cozy Thrillers of Glenn M. Barns)

"A nice cozy whodunnit, ingenious." -Books and Bookmen

When attorney Norm Bennett and his wife Ann decide to visit Carterville, Norm's old home town, they have no idea they're about to be plunged into a maelstrom of murder and ghostly doings.

Years earlier, Henry Carter, ne'er-do-well son of the rich, cantankerous Gustavus Carter, had been forced to marry Libby Ballard at the point of a shotgun. It was brandished by her religious maniac of a father, nearly insane when he'd learned she had lost her virginity to Henry. Libby had loved Henry passionately and had nearly gone crazy when he disappeared, and for years afterward she continued to live in the near-mansion they had shared, refusing all proposals to remarry.

Henry had been presumed drowned when his car was found abandoned beside the local lake, but for decades no one was really sure what had happened to him. Many rumors and theories had been propounded-notably that from Joe Bristol, the town drunk, who was certain Henry was still alive and that he had seen him.

Enter Norm and Ann, thinking they're just going to pop into town for a nostalgic visit.

But then, Joe Bristol disappears shortly after they arrive, and is soon found dead when his battered remains are recovered from the icy waters of the lake.

As a lawyer, Norm had been trained to get to the bottom of things-but when the local sheriff asked for help, Norm found himself cursing his own curiosity as he learned Carterville's secrets and realized that Ann was the killer's next target. He wished he had never returned to Cartersville, but it was too late to leave now.

"Beautifully handled. Lots of suspense." -VAROE Reporter

"This suspense story, set in a small American town, is so cleverly written and so skillfully contrived, that the final showdown will likely be a complete surprise." -Red Band Mysteries