Ray Elkins Thriller

It is late June in Michigan's gold coast resort area. The summer residents are settling in for the season and the tourists are beginning to flood the highways and beaches. But the idyllic vision of a summer at the shore is suddenly shattered by a gangland-style shooting. This murder is quickly followed by the deaths of three more summer residents, each taking place under suspicious circumstances.

It's a tranquil October morning in northwest lower Michigan, a rural paradise of cherry orchards, blue lakes, and sandy shorelines. The serenity of the day - and the season - is shattered when an elderly woman walking her dogs along the beach stumbles upon the bodies of a brutally murdered couple.

Autumn has come to Cedar County. It's harvest time. The trees and vines in the orchards and vineyards are heavy with ripening fruit. For the tourists flocking to the tasting rooms of the region's vineyards, the landscapes and seascapes provide an elaborate tapestry of rich colors and textures. However, there is one discordant note in this pastoral splendor: The crumpled body of an international wine maven has been discovered in a steeply terraced vineyard of merlot grapes.

The wedding would be perfect. Every contingency had been anticipated...except a body. Everything is in place at the Gull Point Estate for the Memorial Day wedding bash - the lawns are perfectly manicured, the caterer is stocked and ready, the champagne is chilled. And the string quartet is brushing up on their Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, and Mozart. But before they end their rehearsal, they’d be well advised to have a version of stormy weather ready to go just in case the day doesn’t go as planned.