DEAD GIRL RUNNING - Christina Dodd
Cape Charade  - Book 1
HQN
ISBN-13:  978-1-335-14436-2
May 2018
Suspense

Yearning Sands Resort, Washington - Present day

In Cape Charade on the wild Washington shore, as far away as she can get from her East coast past, Kellen Adams is the new assistant manager of the Yearning Sands Resort, an exclusive spa resort for patrons who want only the best.  Kellen Adams enlisted in the Army, served in the Middle East, and came home a war hero.  But hiding behind Kellen Adams is a girl named Cecelia.  She has a scar on her forehead from a gunshot wound, she doesn't remember an entire year of her life, and her cousin Kellen died in her arms.  At that, Cecelia became Kellen.

Now employed at the Yearning Sands Resort by Leo and Annie Di Luca, Kellen is hoping to make a home for herself where she's safe.  Several of her comrades are also employed here, mechanics, Adrian Wright and Temo Iglasias, men she served with and trusts.  And there's Birdie Haynes, lead mechanic and her best friend, which is why Kellen hangs around the three-bay-garage at the resort during her off hours. 

The morning of Kellen's first official day as Assistant Manager, bosses Leo and Annie leave for California on a long-deserved vacation, and now Kellen is in charge of the resort, along with the head of security, Vincent Gilfilen.  It's January and very few guests are at the hotel, and minimal staff is working.  Live-in resident, ex-actor Carson Lennex, has invited six women from Alaska for a murder mystery weekend; and there's also the strange and nerdy writer, Nils Brooks, in residence.  The few guests staying at the resort have barely arrived when Kellen discovers a dead body.  For some inexplicable reason, Vincent suddenly announces he is leaving on vacation; and not long after, there is another body discovered.  Kellen is beside herself with worry, two murders on the grounds, and suddenly everyone, from the guests to the staff is suspect.  Are they living with a killer? 

DEAD GIRL RUNNING is a complex and twisted murder mystery that starts a new suspense series,  Cape Charade .  A spin-off series of author Christina Dodd's popular  Virtue Falls  series, DEAD GIRL RUNNING is the beginning that sets the stage for excitement and suspenseful reading to come!   Kellen is a complex character; she doesn't trust many people, and she has a multitude of secrets to keep in order to stay safe.  With a violent past that ended in her cousin's death, Cecelia became Kellen and escaped by joining the Army, subsequently landing in the hospital after being wounded during a mission, then discharged a hero.  Washington state is where Kellen wants to stay, but first, she has to find a killer.  Then maybe, once her new world is safe once more, she can discover the missing pages of her past.

DEAD GIRL RUNNING will keep you up late at night reading as you dig into the mysteries and keys to Kellen's past and help her find the killer at Yearning Sands Resort.

Diana Risso