Burnt Records

Set in rural northern Michigan among the descendants of timber barons and hardscrabble farmers, BURNT RECORDS unravels Ashford's 26-year mystery while exposing the shame of its leading citizen. He had burned newspaper archives and courthouse records, murdering a man in the process, to prevent discovery of his cowardly role in the death of David Baxter, his cousin, who should have inherited the fortune he now enjoys. His tranquility is shattered when Diane, David Baxter's daughter, arrives to search for her long-lost father. Her quest threatens his wealth and his liberty. At first he just observes, until she and a young Ashford lawyer begin to uncover details about David Baxter and the courthouse fires; then he decides to act. From one false lead to the next, both reader and characters experience a roller coaster of anticipation and suspense, but discover the killer's identity and final plan only after Diane falls into his measured trap.