All Aboard for Murder - (A Golden Motel Mystery) by Ellen Byron (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Dee Stern is starting to feel at home running her Golden Motel in the scenic California village where she relocated after leaving behind her LA life as a sitcom writer. But a killer sees the town's Halloween celebration as a golden opportunity to write a script for murder . . .

It's October in Gold Rush country and all manner of tricks and treats are happening in the lead-up to Halloween. October also happens to be the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man responsible for the town being designated a historic landmark, and the residents are celebrating his memory as well. His only living descendant, Moses Sprockles, runs the narrow-gauge railroad--once used to ferry lumber from the mountains to the sawmill, now a tourist attraction. The Sprockles Railroad is hosting a Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society.

But when a body is found on the tracks, it's not a Halloween prank. It's Moses himself, seemingly felled by a fallen tree branch. Dee's dad Sam is convinced his friend is the victim of foul play and urges his daughter to apply her sleuthing skills. Dee's train of thought leads her to suspects ranging from a former child star and one-hit wonder, the owner of a nail salon with her claws in everything, and even the mayor. When a self-proclaimed ghost hunter throws his hat in the ring and claims to know who did it, the investigation really goes off the rails. No matter how crazy things get, Dee is determined to blow the whistle on a runaway killer with a one-track mind.

Review Quotes

Praise for Ellen Byron and The Golden Motel Mysteries

"Sure to appeal to all who love cozies or traditional mysteries."--firstCLUE on Solid Gold Murder

"Byron, an award-winning novelist and sitcom writer, has written a model cozy with delightful, slightly inept sleuths, quirky characters, and an entertaining mystery." --Library Journal STARRED REVIEW on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Filled with small ironies, Byron's debut novel is well paced, good-natured, and, as promised, very woodsy." --Kirkus Reviews on A Very Woodsy Murder

"A laugh out loud, make you snort, tale chock full of oddball characters in the delightfully rustic setting of an old motel. Come for the laughs, stay for the puzzler of a mystery that will keep you up entirely too late, trying to solve it." --Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author on A Very Woodsy Murder

"This delightful series debut ticks all the boxes of a cozy mystery while also offering an unconventional heroine in Dee." --Lee Goldberg, # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Ellen Byron shows off her comic chops in this clever, well-crafted series debut, featuring a fun cast of characters and an especially appealing heroine. Loved it!" --Laura Levine, author of Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket on A Very Woodsy Murder

"A great start to a new series that will have you heading for the nearest retro motel." --Libby Klein, Author of Silent Nights are Murder on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Fragrant California woods are a welcome change for Los Angeles scriptwriter Dee Stern--until they turn dark and threaten her dream of renovating the Golden Motel in the Gold Rush foothills of the Sierras. Readers will love Byron's well-scripted series debut, a tale both twisty and humorous, as she explores small-town loyalties and murderous rivalries, family both original and chosen, and following a new dream." --Maddie Day, Bestselling Author of the Cece Barton Mysteries on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Only a TV comedy veteran and skilled mystery author could have written this twisty little masterwork. Fun characters, a puzzling mystery and a unique setting. There's even a dog. What more could you want?" --E.J. Copperman, bestselling author of the Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Ellen Byron combines a witty and resourceful heroine with a dream, a shabby motel in a spectacular setting, a host of interesting characters, and a puzzling murder that hits a little too close to home in this delightfully quirky, clever, and laugh-out-loud mystery that delivers a hefty dose of nostalgic charm. Byron's A Very Woodsy Murder will leave readers clamoring for another visit to the Golden Motel." --Darci Hannah, Author of Murder at the Blarney Bash on A Very Woodsy Murder

"Recovering TV sitcom writer Dee Stern leaves behind punchlines for peril in a delightful whodunnit set at a remote motel in rural California that mixes a perfect cocktail of gut-busting one-liners with heart-stopping suspense!" --Lee Hollis, Author of Death of a Clam Digger on A Very Woodsy Murder

About the Author

Ellen Byron is the Agatha and Lefty Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of the Golden Motel Mysteries, the Vintage Cookbook series, and the Cajun Country Mysteries, as well as the Catering Hall Mysteries written under the name Maria DiRico. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and The Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at ellenbyron.com.