Some family secrets shouldn’t stay buried… Music professor Gus LeGarde and his wife Camille are looking forward to a relaxing vacation on Paines Creek Beach in beautiful Cape Cod. But Gus barely has a chance to feel the sand between his toes before a near-miss car accident drags him right into the middle of a local family feud — and a centuries-old mystery that’s begging to be solved.As Gus is … solved.
As Gus is drawn further into the conflict between the Cooks and the McNabbs — two families with a grudge going all the way back to Colonial times — he and Camille keep uncovering more questions than answers. Where is the long-lost Cook family treasure? What’s really wrong with Beckett, the McNabb-side member who’s the father of young Jane Cook’s son? And who’s telling the truth about Beckett and Jane’s clandestine relationship: Jane’s grandfather, surly patriarch Albert Cook; or Beckett’s slightly odd parents?
Before long, mounting tension gives way to true danger as people start vanishing. And in the middle of a fast-brewing hurricane, Gus discovers the real secret at the heart of the feud: someone who will stop at nothing to make sure their side wins. Including murder.
Packed with shocking twists, exciting action, and fascinating tales of family lore and pirate treasure, Murder on the Brewster Flats is the first LeGarde Mysteries crossover novel with award-winning author Aaron Paul Lazar’s popular Paines Creek Beach series. Don’t miss this installment!
more
Because I’m a Pisces and a shore gal, the ocean scenery described in the beginning of Aaron Paul Lazar’s MURDER ON THE BREWSTER FLATS made me hum with joy. His talent for describing Cape Cod, along with the dinner Gus and Camille first enjoyed at Kate’s, made my mouth water – as they walked along the shores of the Cape made me long to dive into the sea.
Here’s the skinny on the LeGarde’s vacation. When a piano playing musician and professor takes a well-deserved vacation to Cape Cod with his wife, they’re barely settled in before the unimaginable hits the fan. Watch out for flying Corvettes…
This isn’t the vacation Gus had in mind when he and Camille booked their vacation home for a month. Within two days, Gus finds himself embroiled in a century’s old treasure hunt, and a weird set of family values resembling those of Romeo and Juliet.
Such as Beckett who’s been tagged as a person with mental illness, and his young lady, the mother of his child. Her grandfather, who isn’t a fan of Beckett, is an eccentric man, who insists he can still find the long-lost pirate treasure.
And what’s up with those parents of poor Beckett?
This is my first read in this prolific author’s collective mysteries and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’m looking forward to reading what captures his Muse next.
Because I’m not one to review and share the shocking secrets about to commence, I will say this: If you are a historical buff, a mystery reader, and one loving a great murder yarn, MURDER ON THE BREWSTER FLATS is a tale you shouldn’t pass up –
5 Stars for such a breath of fresh air…
Since discovering Aaron Lazar a year ago, I have had the pleasure of reading a number of his books (he has over two dozen) in different genres–mystery, romantic suspense, and romance—and have been impressed with every one of them. He creates characters who draw you into their lives, and stories that will keep you reading well into the night.
In Murder on the Brewster Flats, Lazar offers an added treat by bringing together characters from his Gus LeGarde mystery series (of which this book is a part), and from his Paines Creek Beach romance series, seamlessly blending the characters into an exciting story of murder, history, and ancient treasure.
Set on Cape Cod, my old stomping grounds, Lazar perfectly evokes the sights, sounds, and even the smells of Cape Cod in the summer, while providing a breathtaking and complex mystery revolving around related murders centuries apart. And did I mention the treasure? I love treasure hunts, and this one does not disappoint!
There is no need to have read any of his other books to very quickly get into Lazar’s characters, but chances are, you will quickly search out his other books after reading Murder on the Brewster Flats. Highly recommended!
Well this is a case of maybe a bit too much in the story. It is a good story with interesting characters but I didn’t feel like there was any down time. Not normally an issue, but here I just needed a breath.
This story starts out with action and doesn’t let up. The main characters, Gus and Camille, are on vacation when they get caught up in playing detective, saving lives, finding treasure and unveiling a bit of history. There are twists and turns, mystery and action and a great ending. I will say that the author took some creative leaps with history and facts but if that is not an issue for you, I think that you would enjoy this story. It is original and very creative.
I have not read this author before and this is a book that crosses a couple of the author series. I was not lost or felt like anything was missing so I am going to say that it is a standalone. I liked the character development and the way that family was portrayed in this book. I will look into other stories by this author in the future. I do think this story would make a great TV movie.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I was engaged and intrigued by the events that started to unfold from the beginning, along with the mystery. The characters were likable, and the story flowed for me. This book is further along in the Gus LeGarde series, and I liked the brief descriptions of some of his prior ‘adventures’. It definitely can be read as a standalone, since I did not feel lost in any way, not having read previous books.
Gus and Camille while on their vacation wind up unraveling a mystery/murder that involves lots of twists and turns, action, and suspense. The author includes bits of lore to enhance the story and with the well developed plot and interesting characters made it so real that I felt I was right there experiencing it myself.
I loved it.
I loved, loved this book. It was thorough and complete. Great characters and a engaging story line. Writing was wonderful and length was a great one.
A month long vacation sounds like a wonderful dream, but for Gus and Camille, it was an adventure of sorts. From the very beginning, there were action packed days, rescuing a teenager from a car accident, playing amateur detective while helping locate a local family’s lost treasure, and finding pirate’s loot hidden in a tunnel system under a crazy lady’s home. Interesting story that kept my attention with all of the twists and turns that it took. I wasn’t a fan of the authors’ reference to previously written books in hyperlinks as that information could have been noted in the Foreward of the book or as an information page at the end. They didn’t stop me from reading, but they were an annoyance when they were accidentally clicked.
This is the first book I’ve read in this series but there was enough background information that I didn’t feel lost. I generally liked the characters but the whole idea of strangers who are in town for a vacation being instantly liked and trusted by the townspeople seemed a bit far fetched for me. I’d say this book falls about halfway between a cozy and a thriller.
two people on vacation to relax. only it turns into a nightmare when people go missing and things start to happen. plus there is a on going feud between two families over a treasure that is missing. read to find out what happens.
Witty writing, a great story line, and a vast number of interesting characters makes this book an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Aaron Paul Lazar is a talented author who knows how to keep the reader engaged, involved and enthusiastically enthralled.
very good book.