Death on a Winter Stroll

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Description

No-nonsense Nantucket detective Merry Folger grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and two murders as the island is overtaken by Hollywood stars and DC suits. Nantucket Police Chief Meredith Folger is acutely conscious of the stress COVID-19 has placed on the community she loves. Although the island has proved a refuge for many during the pandemic, the cost to Nantucket has been high. Merry hopes that the Christmas Stroll, one of Nantucket's favorite traditions, in which Main Street is transformed into a winter wonderland, will lift the island's spirits. But the arrival of a large-scale TV production, and the Secretary of State and her family, complicates matters significantly. The TV shoot is plagued with problems from within, as a shady, power-hungry producer clashes with strong-willed actors. Across Nantucket, the Secretary's troubled stepson keeps shaking off his security detail to visit a dilapidated house near conservation land, where an intriguing recluse guards secrets of her own. With all parties overly conscious of spending too much time in the public eye and secrets swirling around both camps, it is difficult to parse what behavior is suspicious or not-until the bodies turn up. Now, it's up to Merry and Detective Howie Seitz to find a connection between two seemingly unconnected murders and catch the killer. But when everyone has a motive, and half of the suspects are politicians and actors, how can Merry and Howie tell fact from fiction This latest installment in critically acclaimed author Francine Mathews's Merry Folger series is an immersive escape to festive Nantucket, a poignant exploration of grief as a result of parental absence, and a delicious new mystery to keep you guessing.

Reviews

Praise for Death on a Winter Stroll

Multi-generational characters, two violent deaths and the authors compelling prose all contribute to the appeal of a first-rate murder mystery.
Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

[Death on a Winter Stroll] is an intriguing mystery, but even more captivating are her descriptions of the island and ocean in winter.
The Denver Post

[Barron] excels at the triad on which successful fiction must rest: plot, people and place . . .A Christmas treat, Mathews latest offers joy to the world for fans of classic and classy whodunits.
The Free Lance-Star

A captivating whodunit.
Shelf Awareness

Absorbing . . .It's quite a juggling act to manage such a large cast of characters living in different worlds, but Mathews pulls it off . . . Readers of Dame Ngaio Marsh's "golden age" Roderick Alleyn series would find themselves at home on Mathews' Nantucket.
Reviewing the Evidence

A fun, quick read, perfect for the season!
Crime Fiction Lover

Matthews imbues the setting with atmosphere and offers stellar characterizations and telling details as she alternates viewpoints between characters . . . Further kudos to the author for her sensitive handling of ongoing Covid concerns.
Criminal Element

This fast-moving mystery packs in a lot, but never too much, and will work for fans of coming-of-age stories, police procedurals, and romance.
First Clue

The perfect Christmas gift for the mystery lover in your life . . . [A] superb holiday mystery.
Gumshoe Review

Francine Mathews is a smooth and expert crafter of murder investigations that honor the warmth of affection, love, and friendship, even as they showcase tight plots with well-built twists . . . This is one to read and savor multiple times.
Kingdom Books

Twists and turns, mysterious motives, and surprising subplots [lead] to a satisfying ending that wont spoil your holiday spirit. This is an ideal quick read to escape the pressures of the holiday seasona well-plotted, gripping novel that you wont want to put down once you start.
Yesterday's Island/Today's Nantucket

An immersive escape to festive Nantucket, as well as a poignant exploration of grief as a result of parental absence. A thoroughly entertaining mystery.
Midwest Book Review

Fans of Katherine Hall Pages Faith Fairchild mysteries will appreciate the careful way this investigation unfolds in the atmospheric Nantucket-set story.
Library Journal

Fresh, well-wrought prose brings the setting of Nantucket to life. Mathews consistently entertains.
Publishers Weekly

Christmas and death come to Nantucket . . . Plenty of fascinating characters and myriad motives make for an exciting read.
Kirkus Reviews

Praise for the Merry Folger Mysteries

"A mystery thats so suspenseful its hard not to skip a chapter to see if certain deeply likable characters are still alive . . . The novel lives and breathes New England island life, with a plot brimming with the best kinds of rude surprises."
The Washington Post

"A story of murder and mayhem set against a chilling storm that threatens all of New England . . . what makes Death on Tuckernuck so riveting is Mathews' description of the storm and turbulent sea."
The Denver Post

An admirable, well-written series, with Folger evolving into an ever more complex character as love and loyalty collide with her professional pride and ethics.
The Orlando Sentinel

What a treat to have a new addition to one of my very favorite series! Francine Mathewss prose is elegant, her heroine appealing, her setting vivid, and her characters shine. For mystery lovers, the Merry Folger books hit every note.
Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of Garden of Lamentations

Author Bio

Francine Mathews was born in Binghamton, New York, the last of six girls. She attended Princeton and Stanford Universities, where she studied history, before going on to work as an intelligence analyst at the CIA. She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Since then, she has written thirty books, including six previous novels in the Merry Folger series (Death in the Off-Season, Death in Rough Water, Death in a Mood Indigo, Death in a Cold Hard Light, Death on Nantucket, and Death on Tuckernuck) as well as the nationally bestselling Being a Jane Austen mystery series, which she writes under the pen name Stephanie Barron. She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.