| Legacy of the Lake is a mystery novel about the Mob's attempt to bring drugs and gambling to a pristine Midwest resort area. Secrets is about the neighbors you really don't know.
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In Legacy of the Lake, Jack Olsen is a down-on-his-luck ex-cop from Chicago. His drinking led to a medical leave of absence from the force. Swimming in a human sewer for years made him unfit to live with anyone else--including his wife, son, and daughter.
Pretending to fish from the shoreline of the Lake of the Ozarks while in fact engaged in mental self-flagellation, Jack witnesses a boating accident. Except it wasn't an accident. The man killed was a retired millionaire and environmentalist who'd worked hard recently to put the kibosh on a planned resort hotel.
Hired by the millionaire's significant other, and encouraged by his new girlfriend, Kate Carter, Jack begins sifting through the clues. In doing so, he encounters a cast of low-lifes who will do anything for money.
The architectural plans for the resort hotel feature a state-of-the art computer system that would be ideal for in-room, online gambling, and the "exhibition center" could easily be converted to a casino, although casino gambling is against state law.
Jack's efforts to shed light on the project tests his newfound sobriety, and his love affair with Kate.
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With newspaperman Frank Montgomery serving as the guide, Secrets takes the reader inside the houses in a typical neighborhood, where you learn what you've always feared--or already experienced.
People buying a house in the suburbs love to drive down tree-lined streets and window-shop from their car. These prospective buyers almost always focus on the attributes of the house and lawn. The proximity of schools, shopping, and public transportation are important, too. But, what about the neighbors? There's no way to find out, really. You can't go door-to-door and ask about their personality quirks and dark secrets. You learn about them the hard way--after you move in.
What does Gail Zimmerman, the local pinup, do on her afternoons in town? Why do the Wright girls look at their father with fear and loathing? Why doesn't Jesse, the aging athlete, talk about his only child? Is Daryl Iverson's handshake a bit too limp? Oh, and by the way, who killed Vernon Richey? With extreme prejudice to boot. Ran him over multiple times with a car.
All of the seven deadly sins are on display in the homes on Horseshoe Drive. Read deeply into the psychology of these characters, and take another look at your real-life neighbors. Even your own life. Then, go house hunting with a whole different attitude.
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