When Greg Parnell returns to Great Bridge, Virginia, he's hoping for a little quiet time after an adrenaline-packed undercover operation with the Fish and Wildlife Department. He is quickly disappointed when a dead body turns up floating in the Great Dismal Swamp. And this is not just any dead body. Ashley Myrtle was the wife of a prominent local politician. Greg soon discovers that Ashley, an apparent drowning victim, may have been murdered. Unfortunately, no one wants to believe him. The mayor, the woman's husband, an old boyfriend and even her coworkers seem eager to rule her death an accidental drowning. With help from a reluctant FBI agent, Greg follows a trail of small town secrets and lies to discover what really happened on that cold spring day. Refusing to give up, he discovers a vital clue deep in the swamp that leads to the killer. But justice won't be served until he can prove it was a case of murder.
I'm a mystery writer whose first novel, In The Dismal Swamp, was published by Avalon Books in 2008. I wrote the novel while living in Virginia near the real Dismal Swamp (yes, it does exist). My protaganist, Greg Parnell, is a special agent with the US Fish and Wildlife Department. His main responsiblity is protecting our wildlife from poachers and habitat destruction. But something else is lurking in the Great Dismal Swamp. When Greg discovers a body in the swamp, everyone assumes the victim drowned...or did she?
I am currently in exile from Virginia, living in Kansas City. The BBQ is great, by the way. I am currently working on a second Greg Parnell novel, set on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
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