Dead Man's Leap - (A Batavia-On-Hudson Mystery) by Tina Debellegarde (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Rushing waters...dead bodies...secrets...

As Bianca St. Denis and her neighbors scour their attics for donations to the charity rummage sale, they unearth secrets as well as prized possessions. Leonard Marshall's historic inn hosts the sale each year, but it is his basement that houses the key to his past. When an enigmatic antiques dealer arrives in town, he upends Leonard's carefully reconstructed life with an impossible choice that harkens back to the past.

Meanwhile, when a storm forces the villagers of Batavia-on-Hudson to seek shelter, the river rises and so do tempers. Close quarters fuel simmering disputes, and Sheriff Mike Riley has his work cut out for him. When the floods wash up a corpse, Bianca once again finds herself teaming up with Sheriff Riley to solve a mystery. Are they investigating an accidental drowning or something more nefarious?

Dead Man's Leap explores the burden of secrets, the relief of renunciation, and the danger of believing we can outpace our past.

Review Quotes

"The river is rising and the residents of Batavia-on-Hudson take shelter in the community center, along with their pets, their treasures, and their secrets. DEAD MAN'S LEAP is the best kind of claustrophobic and all kinds of compelling. A real treat."

Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

"Deep, long-hidden secrets form the core of Tina deBellegarde's fascinating sophomore mystery, a sophisticated and heartfelt exploration of a small Catskills community, those who have chosen to call it home, and the measures they'll go to protect it from internal and external forces, both natural and otherwise. This novel will leave you thinking long after you've turned the last page.

Edwin Hill, Agatha- and Edgar-nominated author of THE SECRETS WE SHARE

"A fierce rainstorm, and the resulting flooding, uncovers long buried secrets in Batavia-on-Hudson. Themes of love and loss, holding on and letting go, and the tight bonds of friendship are paramount in this second character driven mystery by Agatha Award nominee Tina deBellegarde."

Eleanor Kuhns, author of the Will Rees Mysteries.

"DEAD MAN'S LEAP is a rich tale of love, loss and murder that will stay with you long after you close the book. In its pages, author Tina deBellegarde brings us back to Batavia-on-Hudson, where the town's annual rummage sale and a sudden, dangerous flood uncover long-held secrets that lead to disaster. This installment in deBellegarde's excellent series again features village newcomer Bianca St. Denis, Sheriff Mike Riley, and a charming ensemble cast of characters. But what sets this series apart is the wise, nuanced way the author conveys her characters' longings for love and their disappointments. A must-read mystery for fans of Louise Penny."

Mally Becker, Agatha Award-nominated author of The Turncoat's Widow

"From the opening pages of the richly atmospheric DEAD MAN'S LEAP, deBellegarde creates a strong sense of place, immediately transporting us to her small blue-collar town in the Catskills. Each time I returned to the story was like sinking into a warm bath. The characters first introduced in WINTER WITNESS are further revealed layer by layer, leaving us with a true feeling of community among the complex and flawed, yet ultimately good souls of Batavia-on- Hudson. We not only discover the answers to long-held secrets, but subtle truths about the human condition. I absolutely loved this book."

Korina Moss, author of the Cheese Shop Mysteries