Murder at Beulah Crest - by Russ Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

Welcome to Beulah Crest, a small community overlooking beautiful Crystal Lake. Nobody locks their doors here because they feel safe. Neighbors meet at the old Mouse House in the center of the park for coffee and potluck dinners. The residents of Beulah Crest enjoy the natural beauty of Benzie County and feel lucky to have neighbors who are trusted friends.

Trust soon turns to fear and suspicion when one of the residents of Beulah Crest is found brutally murdered on the deck of a neighbor's home. Anger and speculation spread quickly after another resident is poisoned. The whole county gets involved in trying to solve the crimes when people begin posting a mix of fact, fiction, and gossip related to the murders on the Internet. Meanwhile, the sheriff hinders the investigation by his own officers when he tries to pin the murder on migrant farm workers in an effort to guarantee his re-election.

Meet some of the interesting residents of Beulah Crest. Any one of them could be the murderer. They include Elsie, the retired librarian, known for her love of gossip and bridge. Elsie's neighbor, Max, is a retired history teacher from nearby Interlochen Arts Academy. Xander, a physics professor from Chicago comes "Up North" on weekends and for the summer. Then there is the social activist, Reverend Hortense Parker and her husband, Derek, who has a small dental practice in Frankfort. Another couple, Herb and Dorothy Cooper, are retired veterinary surgeons from Ohio who are financially embarrassed because of bad investments. Finally, there is the park manager, Ian, who lives in a studio apartment in the Mouse House, Albert the volunteer manager of the Beulah Crest coffee shop, and Ben, the groundskeeper and handyman. Why would one of these people start killing their neighbors?

Book Synopsis

Welcome to Beulah Crest, a small community overlooking beautiful Crystal Lake. Nobody locks their doors here because they feel safe. Neighbors meet at the old Mouse House in the center of the park for coffee and potluck dinners. The residents of Beulah Crest enjoy the natural beauty of Benzie County and feel lucky to have neighbors who are trusted friends.

Trust soon turns to fear and suspicion when one of the residents of Beulah Crest is found brutally murdered on the deck of a neighbor's home. Anger and speculation spread quickly after another resident is poisoned. The whole county gets involved in trying to solve the crimes when people begin posting a mix of fact, fiction, and gossip related to the murders on the Internet. Meanwhile, the sheriff hinders the investigation by his own officers when he tries to pin the murder on migrant farm workers in an effort to guarantee his re-election.

Meet some of the interesting residents of Beulah Crest. Any one of them could be the murderer. They include Elsie, the retired librarian, known for her love of gossip and bridge. Elsie's neighbor, Max, is a retired history teacher from nearby Interlochen Arts Academy. Xander, a physics professor from Chicago comes "Up North" on weekends and for the summer. Then there is the social activist, Reverend Hortense Parker and her husband, Derek, who has a small dental practice in Frankfort. Another couple, Herb and Dorothy Cooper, are retired veterinary surgeons from Ohio who are financially embarrassed because of bad investments. Finally, there is the park manager, Ian, who lives in a studio apartment in the Mouse House, Albert the volunteer manager of the Beulah Crest coffee shop, and Ben, the groundskeeper and handyman. Why would one of these people start killing their neighbors?

About the Author

Russ Smith grew up in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, and now lives in Benzie County, near the Village of Beulah in northwest lower Michigan. He spends part of the year in Arizona and traveling to find ideas for his next story. Before moving to Benzie County, Russ lived and worked in several states and in many different countries in Europe and Asia.

Russ has always been intrigued by the politics of the criminal justice and court systems. The idea for this book arose while has was on a jury for a criminal case in Phoenix. He decided to explore some of the peculiarities of these systems in this book while also sharing some of the highlights of life in Benzie County.

Russ has a B.A. in Hotel Management and Marketing from Michigan State University and has MBA and M.Ed degrees from Arizona State University.

Before he began to write mysteries, Russ worked in the semiconductor industry, holding various positions in organizational development and supply chain management. When not writing, Russ likes to travel, golf, play bridge and poker, and cook.

Murder at Beulah Crest is the author's third novel. Table 29 - A Murder Mystery, was published in 2017 and The Carinthia Secret was published in 2018.