Part of Series
Michael West is loving his new life in the small, quaint beach town of Lana Cove, North Carolina. He's settled into his daily routine, visiting his two best friends Olivia and Ellie-owners of the Bitter Sweet Café-writing his new best-selling mystery while nestled into his writer's nook on the café's outside deck with a view of the ocean and the boardwalk. Life couldn't be better. Until.... Hugo, a larger than life, charismatic archeologist rolls into town with his world-famous Egyptian Mummy exhibit. Hugo captures Ellie's eye with his good looks and fantastical tales of his adventures. Stoking Michael's jealousy, he gives her VIP tickets to the premiere. Hugo's inner circle begins to crumble apart as his behavior becomes more impulsive and arrogant. Then a powerful journalist calls him a fraud and begins a campaign to destroy his reputation. In the midst of all of this drama, Hugo disappears, and is nowhere to be found. What happened to Hugo? Had he had enough of the bickering and in-fighting? The excitement escalates as the small group begins blaming each other for Hugo's disappearance-the truth slowly begins to unravel, but is it the truth or another misdirection?
Author
You can blame my 7th grade English teacher, Mr. Ownby. I began writing mysteries in middle school, with gripping titles like, The Secret in the Swamp and The Ghost of Hollow Lake—Mr. Ownby, would kindly read them, and then encourage me to keep writing and reading the classics. His words, "Some day I'll be reading your mysteries with the rest of the world," inspired me. Forty years later, I was able to fulfill my dreams and become a full-time writer. When I began writing, I decided that my books would be a safe-haven from the real world. My children's series, which I write under Thomas Lockhaven, all have strong messages of perseverance, thinking outside the box, friendship and loyalty. I have a daughter, and as I work through my manuscripts, I always try to imagine what I can say to inspire and entertain at the same time. For my cozy readers, I spent much of my life traveling to small coastal towns in North Carolina and then later in my life to the coastal towns in New England. I've always loved the idiosyncrasies of the locals, and I've always wanted to bring them to life in a book series. My Coffee House Sleuths stories are just that. And just like my children's books, I endeavor to write stories that are clean, with very little violence and no profanity. I do my best to help people disappear from the craziness of life, even if just for a little while. I currently live in Boston, but my dream is to move to a small coastal town, stare out over the ocean, and to let the words flow. I have an incredible wife who constantly inspires and encourages me, and an amazing daughter who is my most harsh, but loving critic. As I said earlier, my passion is to write and to continually improve and perfect my craft. For those of you who read my books, I humbly thank you. For those of you who have never read my books, I welcome you with open arms.
