Solid Gold Murder

By Ellen Byron 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 . . .

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