Leaves are turning red in cottage country, and Charley Scott is putting on an immersive Halloween pulp art installation based on a local lake monster legend. But life imitates art when Laura, a mercenary newcomer with a controversial agenda for the dam, claims she was attacked by a lake monster she accuses Charley of raising.

Hours later, Laura is found dead by dry drowning.

Accident, murder, or a lethal encounter with a mythical beast? Tension mounts as snaking tracks, an animal carcass, and a witch's ladder are found near the lake, but could there truly be supernatural forces at work?

Charley teams up with chocolatier Matt Thorn to investigate, but it'll take more than seafoam toffee to bait this trap. To find the truth, Charley will have to risk it all to look the monster in the eye.

A legendary lake monster is great fodder for pulp art, but has Charley's exhibition summoned a real beast from beneath the waves?

About the Author
An avid reader of mysteries, Vanessa Westermann is a former Arthur Ellis Awards judge, holds an M.A. in English Literature and a Bachelor of Education, and has taught creative writing. Cover Art, first of the Charley Scott Mysteries, was published to great acclaim in 2022. At the heart of all of Westermann's stories are strong female protagonists inspired by the heroines in her own life. She currently lives in Ontario.


Book Information
ISBN 9781770867741
Author Vanessa Westermann
Format Paperback
Page Count 300
Imprint Cormorant Books,Canada
Publisher Cormorant Books,Canada
Weight(grams) 200g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 25mm