Only two seasons matter in Coho Bay, Alaska - cruise ship and winter. Caribou King, owner of The Broken Antler Gallery, is hip-deep in tourists when her old college pal Taylor shows up asking for refuge, saying she has no place else to go. Cara is cautious; Taylor was the wife of one of Alaska's most renowned artistsββJonathan Snow, who was mauled to death by a bear the previous year. Why would his widow want to return to the location of her tragic loss? Something about Taylor's story just doesn't ring true.
Of course, she may not be the only liar in town. Taylor's former father-in-law accuses her of killing his son in front of a diner full of people, except he may have had a stronger motive. A handsome boat captain seems to fancy both Cara and Taylor but he can't make up his mind between them ββor between lying and telling the truth. The local constable mistrusts everyone, but may have a reason to be mistrusted himself. Will Cara help her old friend Taylor, or will doing so get her into a heap of trouble? When a headless body is discovered in the bay, Cara wonders just who she can trust in this tiny town.
**
Review
Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite -- Linda Crowder's murder mystery novel, The Deadly Art of Deception: Caribou King Mysteries, Book 1, is filled with twists and turns, and even the most dedicated armchair sleuths will have their work cut out for them in figuring out the culprit in this original and entertaining whodunit. I was fascinated by the Coho Bay setting and the lifestyles of the residents whose outside lives seemed intimately linked to the tourist season. While Cara's four hard months of work seemed well rewarded by eight months of reading, those endless dark days are off-putting, to say the least. Cara is an intriguing and well-developed character, as are her sister and brother-in-law and the other townspeople Crowder introduces in this first book of the series. The Deadly Art of Deception is solid mystery material with an engaging main character and a grand puzzler of a plot. It's highly recommended.