Some say it was the spirt of one of the pirates that haunt the island that killed him. Others say the death was the result of greed and revenge. All that was known for certain, was that death did not come peacefully for the last inhabitant of a now deserted island. The lighthouse on Skull Island is a mysterious place steeped in legend and folklore. The lighthouse which had stood tall for over a … for over a century was abandoned when the last lighthouse keeper died under mysterious circumstances. When a friend of George’s, a fellow author, disappears while researching the history and legend surrounding the now dilapidated structure, the Mystery Mastermind group pull together to find the missing writer and solve the mystery of the death of the lighthouse keeper once and for all.
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I had to sit and read this in one seating. I was drawn into the holiday aspect and the relationships deepening as well as the mystery.
What started out as a missing writer, well, a man who had been doing research and hadn’t been heard from for several days, became a murder investigation when his body washed up on shore.
With a major fund raising festival taking over the island, local law enforcement is stretched thin. Since the writers have been helpful in previous investigations, they, also being part of the newspaper and knowing the victim, are welcomed into following up with interviews.
Everything ties together with the local election and island history and loyalty.
Another winning tale spun by Kathi Daley. With her fascinating characters and the warm friendships and sense of community she creates this is a 5 star addition to an intriguing and fascinating series. Each mystery is very different.
Seventh Chapter is the seventh book in Kathi Daley’s awesome Writer’s Retreat Southern Mystery series. Ms. Daley’s writing style flows smoothly at a steady pace, the characters are well rounded and affable, and the mystery is well plotted. Ms. Daley has provided readers with a clean read, filled with caring and compassionate characters who warm the reader’s heart, an intriguing mystery to solve, plus a touch of sweet romance. There are lots of twists and turns and suspects to keep the reader engaged and guessing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.
Jack Jones is covering the latest in a rash of intentionally set fires for the newspaper and Jill Hanford is attending a town meeting where the four candidates who are competing for two open seats on the island council are being introduced. Things are going well in their personal relationship and Jack wants to take things to the next level, but Jill is somewhat hesitant. Jill, who never had a pet before, is enjoying spending time with Kizzy, the dog she and Jack share. George Baxter has asked the Mystery Mastermind Group to look into the disappearance of his friend and fellow author, Bosley Newman. The group usually looks into cold cases, but they agree to try to locate Bosley even though he’s only been missing a few days. Bosley was working on a historical novel based on the history of the lighthouses along the East Coast and was staying at the writers’ retreat on Gull Island while researching the deserted lighthouse on Skull Island where the last lighthouse keeper had died under mysterious circumstances. Bosley had told George that he’d uncovered a secret that might affect some Gull Island residents, but he hadn’t shared his discovery with George yet. Unfortunately, a body washed up on the nearby shore that’s identified as Bosley whose death wasn’t an accident. Deputy Rick Savage, who the group has worked with before, asks Jack and Jill to help interview people who had contact with the victim since his arrival on the island. While retracing Bosley’s steps, the group discovers that strange things occurred on Skull Island during the years between 1893, when a hurricane destroyed most of the island, and 1924, when the last lighthouse keeper died.
fun and interesting book! Bosley is a historical writer staying at the retreat while he works on a piece about lighthouses around the country. While researching the lighthouse on nearby Skull Island, Bosley apparently comes across something scandalous. After Bosley doesn’t show up for a meeting with George, George becomes worried and asks the other writers for help. Bosley washes up on the shore shortly after and it is clear someone murdered him. Another man, Billy Waller, who was a descendent of the men who supposedly founded Gull Island, is found dead after his car was run off the road. The group tries to figure out if the two murders are connected and what exactly Bosley found regarding Skull Island that got him killed. An intriguing book with a fascinating tale behind Skull Island. I loved the Halloween events that were included while the group investigated. I enjoy the cases the writers group works on investigating. Whether the cases are more recent with a tie to the past or more of a cold case, these stories are always so enjoyable and intriguing. I would love to see thus series go on for a long time as long as there are intriguing cases. I look forward to reading the next book!
love this series and the characters, can’t wait for the next book
Seventh Chapter is book seven in the Writer’s Retreat Mystery series. Once again, we are pulled into a mystery that keeps us hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed this one. I definitely recommend it.
Not as entertaining as the previous books. I had a hard time following
In this next book of the series the author takes you on a wonderful and mysterious adventure. The lighthouse on Skull Island has always been surrounded by intrigue. There are some who say that it is haunted by the ghost of a pirate that was killed on the island. When the friend of one of the writer’s group goes missing everyone wants to jump in and help George figure out what happened. The man had been researching the island and it’s many stories when he disappeared. Why did he go missing and is he still alive? The group hopes to find out what happened to the man and also solve the mysterious death of the last lighthouse keeper. Follow along as they dive right in to asking questions, looking for clues, and trying to solve another mystery along with the new one that has befallen them. Daley truly knows how to deliver a wonderful read. She fills the pages with a fantastic mystery that you can’t wait to figure out and leaves you wanting more in the end. I always look forward to what the characters will be getting into next and she never disappoints.
“Seventh Chapter” earns 5+/5 Cold Case Closures…Engaging Fun!
“He’s missing.” George Baxter, writer and permanent resident of the Gull Island writer’s retreat, is deeply worried about the disappearance of Bosley Newman, his friend and fellow author. He presents to the other members of the Mastermind Mystery group details about the research that Bosley had been conducting surrounding the lighthouse on Skull Island and an “amazing secret” that could be problematic for current Gull Island residents. The group is intrigued by the possible century-old cold case issue surrounding the death of the lighthouse keeper under “mysterious circumstances,” but it is the immediacy of the author’s disappearance that gets everyone involved.
This seventh book in Kathi Daley’s Writer’s Retreat Mystery series has topped the previous six books as the best in the series. It is easy to start here, but the other books are highly recommended as well, so newbies should not pass them up. This series traditionally involves cold cases of varying time frames, but in this story a century-old cold case directly relates to current events and people. Kathi Daley’s style always provides a realistic and clever story with an engaging first-person narrative from Jill Hanford, writer and manager of the resort. It offers an excellent description of various settings, background, and character connection. A unique inclusion for readers to reference is the excellent and informative lists of characters and descriptions: Writers’ Retreat Residents, Townsfolk, and The Cast. However, Daley doesn’t rely on just the narrative by including entertaining and informative banter which illustrates the tone and personality of those involved. The reveal unfolds methodically through various informal interrogations, reviewing research, and just happening on clues, but it’s all realistic. The action is there, too, because someone is always in peril when the truth is ready to rear its head. Again, another entertaining and engaging story from Kathi Daley!