A Death at Tippitt Pond (The Sweet Iron Mysteries Book 1)

When a genealogist learns that her birth mother was murdered, it sets in motion a dangerous hunt for the truth in this Midwestern mystery novel. In the summer of 1971, nineteen-year-old Melanie Tippitt was murdered. As the daughter of a wealthy family, it was major news when her body was found floating in Tippitt Pond. Six people had been there that day, and one—Melanie's boyfriend—was convicted of her murder. Everyone thought the story was over. Until it's discovered that Melanie had given birth before she died... Forty-five years later, genealogist Beth Russell is contacted by a lawyer who believes she is Melanie's daughter—and heir to the Tippitt fortune. When Beth arrives in the small Midwestern town, she finds herself surrounded by people who want her gone. But the more they push her away, the more determined Beth is to discover the truth. Now, as the ghostly presence of Melanie looks on, Beth uncovers the shocking secrets of her own identity, her family's legacy, and a murderer who might strike again. Freelance researcher and genealogist Beth Russell is summoned to the town of Sweet Iron, Illinois, as the possible long-lost daughter of Melanie Tippitt and heir to the Tippitt fortune, only to be pulled into the secrets surrounding Melanie's murder at Tippitt Pond in 1971