Murder At Exit 0: A Cape May Mystery

by Miles Nelson

Overview

In a small beach town, isolated from the mainland and in the grip of a harsh winter, death is stalking the streets...As the snow falls and the body count rises, Police Chief Tate Saxby and his small band of deputies race to catch the killer. Between a powerful local businessman, an ambitious mayor, and a mysterious visitor with a deadly past - who can Saxby trust? In the dark of night, with a blizzard moving in, old friends, old secrets, and old sins will come together for a final, violent showdown. And mugs will be turned towards the sea.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732640566
Publisher:	Working Stiff Press
Publication date:	07/10/2020
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)

Editorial Reviews

2022-09-22
In this novel, the police force of an off-season resort town investigates a spate of murders and suspicious deaths.

Cape May, a small peninsula town on the New Jersey coast, is home to some 5,000 residents in winter—a mere 10% of the summer population. Of those 5,000, half to two-thirds have relocated while the bridge across the harbor is being repaired. This stark reduction is what triggers Police Chief Tate’s suspicions when several apparently accidental deaths—a statistically unlikely number—pile up in the space of a few months. Though he can’t prove it, Tate wonders if the deaths might be murders disguised as accidents. That a killer is at work becomes unequivocal when a woman’s body is found on the shore, moved there after being drowned in her own bathtub. Further deaths follow, and soon Tate and two of his deputies—Vicki Barstow and Chase “Three” Connor III—are investigating what looks to be a serial killer. But what is the motive? The only connection between the victims is that they had coffee mugs on display at the Ugly Mug Tavern that had been turned to face the sea—a mark of respect for the deceased—before they died.Nelson presents an omniscient, past-tense narrative, focusing mainly on Tate’s viewpoint but switching to other characters’ perspectives for purposes of exposition or to arouse suspicion. The result is an investigation in which, despite a clever premise and the potential for drama, there is little tension or sense of mystery. Tate is a tepid protagonist. His deputies show more personality, but all concerned are careful to act responsibly and to talk at length through their feelings and theories. On the one hand, this makes for a pleasant change. Real-life small-town police departments no doubt perform much of their work without exaggerated conflicts or lone-wolf disregard for procedure. On the other hand, the committee-style approach and paucity of character flaws will do little to engage readers. The author employs a simple prose style that is most effective when establishing location. Cape May makes itself present throughout and feels moodily entwined with the narrative. But the characters lack distinctive voices. Still, the story offers plenty of escapism for lovers of the cozier variety of murder tales.

A gentle and entertaining procedural mystery.

Kirkus Reviews