Death By Association (The Desert Pines Mystery Series Book One)
About
A small town, full of secrets. A burned-out barista, hiding from her past. A dozen crazy neighbors, and a President mad with power. Welcome to the HOA meeting from hell!
Jane McLaren is happy living and working in the sleepy resort village of Desert Pines, Oregon – or so she tells herself. She has a home with her feisty grandfather for as long as she wants it, a steady job as a barista, and no questions asked.
Boredom may be a small price to pay for privacy, but Jane quickly discovers that when nothing has meaning, you might start to care about anything. Even the HOA.
After a minor town scandal escalates into something more sinister, neighbor turns on neighbor and the annual meeting of the homeowners association ends in open murder.
Can this unwilling amateur sleuth solve the mystery before it's too late, or will the murderer strike again?
Clever, cozy, and fun, Death By Association delivers a complex mystery, a lovable cast of characters, and a strong message about what it means to face your past, no matter how much it hurts.
Praise for this book
Death By Association serves as a captivating introduction to Julie Titterington's new series, expertly weaving suspense and rich character development. The story invites readers to delve into the deceptively quiet world of Desert Pines, where every character conceals layers yet to be uncovered. This novel is an excellent choice for those who appreciate a thriller that balances intrigue with deep personal connections.
Most mystery novels take place on either a large scale in a big city or on a small scale in a cozy locked room. Death by Association manages to mix the aspects of both settings to bring the drama down to the local level, giving it the space and depth of an expansive suspense novel while keeping it contained to a small setting. Julie Titterington did an excellent job of developing a believable cast of characters with complex lives and motivations in a small town, showing that there’s nothing small about life anywhere. Jane is a great protagonist as well, with great internal conflict between ability and desires that add to the mystery surrounding this location. This is an excellent read for mystery lovers, and I highly recommend it.