Folly Beach Mystery

For the first time, three novels in the award-winning Folly Beach Mystery series by best-selling author Bill Noel are presented in one box set. Enjoy: BONEYARD BEACH Chris Landrum's peaceful retirement on Folly Beach, South Carolina, is thrown into disarray when he learns that one of his friends is arrested for murdering a college student, and in the same week another close friend is the prime suspect in the murder of a man who had been blackmailing him. Chris and his cadre of quirky friends have to do what the police have been unable to do to bring the killers to justice. SILENT NIGHT A restful holiday season is all but forgotten as Chris gets involved as the theft of a priceless figurine from a church's nativity scene threatens to suck the spirit of Christmas out of Folly Beach. Chris is joined by his posse of pals to return the figurine to its rightful place in the heart of his Folly Beach community. DEAD CENTER Little can ruin a peaceful morning walk more than stumbling on the body of a killer for hire. Chris's friends are convinced they know who the hit man was sent to kill and ask him to stick his nose in business that should be left to the police. Once again, Chris is in the crosshairs of a murderer.

Chris Landrum is about to have it all-an extended vacation, a second home at the beach, and early retirement in his fifties. There's only one glitch: murder is part of the package on the small South Carolina barrier island of Folly Beach, where eccentric residents live bohemian lifestyles in the shadow of historic Charleston. Soon after settling in Folly Beach, Chris is befriended by an unlikely cadre of quirky locals: a real estate agent who looks like an out-of-season Santa with an attitude; a waitress who shares rumors and effuses charm; a professor; a lovely, intelligent, and unattached reporter; and a president-quoting, tag-along companion. He is fascinated by the company of his newfound friends, the novelty of the strange island that they call home, and the contrast of it all with stately Charleston. But when Chris finds the body of a prominent developer and lands in the middle of the Folly Beach spotlight, he immediately becomes a threat to the killer-and his vacation paradise might be the scene of his own untimely death. Vacations aren't nearly as much fun when one of your new acquaintances is trying to kill you, and catching a murderer is not the normal way to spend an extended holiday. But on Folly Beach, what's normal?

Bill Noels debut novel, Folly, introduced Chris Landrum and his adventures on the small, quirky island of Folly Beach, South Carolina, where he spent an extended vacation, purchased a retirement home, and solved a murder. In this second installment of A Folly Beach Mystery series, murder and mayhem continue to interfere with Chriss laid-back retirement plans.

A routine trip to the local hardware store propels Chris Landrum into a world of revenge, hate, and murder hardly the peaceful outcome he had planned for his retirement on the small island of Folly Beach, South Carolina. Chris learned during his first year of retirement that friendships are more important than surf, sand, and the beauty of Charleston and South Carolinas Low Country. When his friend, Larry, a retired cat-burglar-turned-hardware-store-owner, appears to be the target of a brutal murderer, Chris and his other friend, Charles, work on catching the killer before Larry becomes his latest victim. The police throw up their hands in defeat as bloody and macabre warnings begin appearing in greater numbers than suspects with few leads. What do the cryptic, chilling notes mean? What has Larry, a model citizen of Folly Beach, done to deserve the wrath of the killer? Chris seeks the help of some of his quirky friends charming, attractive waitress; a blustery, rude realtor; and an aging sentence-challenged hippie who owns a surf shop to wade through the increasing number of suspects to help catch a killer and save the Washout of his friend. Will friendship cost Chris his life?

AFTER A MURDER VICTIM IS DISCOVERED ON FOLLY BEACH, A RETIREE AND HIS MISFIT FRIENDS MUST FIND THE KILLER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. After Chris Landrum survives the first hurricane to hit Folly Beach, South Carolina, during this century, he breathes what he is about to discover to be an overly optimistic sigh of relief. When the body of his acquaintance Lester Patterson is discovered with an arrow plunged straight through his heart. Chriss formerly peaceful retirement on the tiny barrier island suddenly goes from bad to worse. With the help of his remaining quirky acquaintances, Chris launches a relentless mission to stop an imperfect murderer who has already made one critical error in judgment. A weird boardinghouse and a country music bar are all that connect the victims and now it is up to Chris to determine which one of his misfit friends is the killer and which one is vulnerable enough to be the next victim. Is it Country Cal, a washed-up musician; Harley McLowry, whose name matches his 99 Road King Classic; or songstress Heather Lee, whose friends think a half-dead hog carries a better tune than her? When Chris discovers the police chief is bent on running him off the island, he soon realizes there will be no shortage of roadblocks to finding a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing.

Chris Landrums morning has already started on a down note, as he stands in a cemetery listening to the eulogy for a friend. But his entire day deteriorates rapidly when he hears that a murder victim has been found in the marsh behind his retirement home on Folly Beach, South Carolina. Worse yet, the victim is the business associate of one of his friends. In a matter of hours, Chris's quiet, relaxed life is turned upside down. The police are convinced that Sean Aker, the victim's law partner, is the killer. Chris has no reason to disagree other than the fact Sean is a friend feeble defense at best. With the help of a group consisting of a tagalong buddy and wannabe private detective; an aging hippy and surf shop owner; a has-been country music singer; and a new acquaintance who runs a marsh tour business, Chris is thrust into a murder investigation that soon puts his dream of spending an idyllic retirement on hold yet again. As Chris and his merry band of misfit friends stumble, bumble, and come face-to-face with death in their amateurish quest to find a killer, they all wonder if the golden years are like this for everyone or just them.

Sixty-year-old retiree Chris Landrum has simple needs: stay healthy, avoid sunburns, and steer clear of vacationers on the small South Carolina island where he hopes to live out his remaining years. But when local teenager Samuel Perkins pulls Chris aside and tells him he just witnessed the kidnapping of a beauty queen right off Folly Beach, Chris wonders if his hopes for a peaceful retirement have just disappeared with the sunset. While Chris and his close friend, Charlesa faux detectivecontemplate whether Samuel actually witnessed a horrific crime, dead bodies begin appearing on Folly Beach. But with trouble brewing within the ranks of the police department and a newly elected mayor nurturing a vendetta against Chris, the two men have their work cut out for them as they launch their own investigation. As the body count rises and the list of suspects increases, Charles suddenly becomes the target for a serial killer intent on eliminating anyone who gets in his way. In this new installment in the Folly Beach Mystery series, Chris and Charles must rely on help from a few eclectic acquaintances to solve the murders before a cold-blooded murderer strikes again.

A knock on Chris Landrum's retirement cottage door proves that he doesn't have to leave home to find trouble. His friend, Mel Evans, a marsh tour-boat captain, arrives to tell Chris that there might be a little problem. Chris is shocked to hear that the little problem is that his friend is accused of murdering a college student. Before he has enough time for that to sink in, Chris learns that another friend Larry's shady past is threatened to be exposed by a con artist and former partner-in-crime who has moved to their South Carolina beach community. Chris and his best friend Charles, a self-appointed private detective, join a senior citizen's walking group to learn more about Larry's nemesis, but instead of the health benefits of walking and the comradery of a group of friends, he and Charles come face-to face with deception, intrigue, and murder. Mel's in jail, Larry is moments away from being arrested, and Chris escapes death by inches and must find not one, but two murderers, before they can kill again.In a new Folly Beach mystery, Chris and his cadre of quirky pals, once again risk their lives for their friends, and to prevent more deaths, including their own.

A knock on Chris Landrum's retirement cottage door proves that he doesn't have to leave home to find trouble. His friend, Mel Evans, a marsh tour-boat captain, arrives to tell Chris that there might be a little problem. Chris is shocked to hear that the little problem is that his friend is accused of murdering a college student. Before he has enough time for that to sink in, Chris learns that another friend Larry's shady past is threatened to be exposed by a con artist and former partner-in-crime who has moved to their South Carolina beach community. Chris and his best friend Charles, a self-appointed private detective, join a senior citizen's walking group to learn more about Larry's nemesis, but instead of the health benefits of walking and the comradery of a group of friends, he and Charles come face-to face with deception, intrigue, and murder. Mel's in jail, Larry is moments away from being arrested, and Chris escapes death by inches and must find not one, but two murderers, before they can kill again. In a new Folly Beach mystery, Chris and his cadre of quirky pals, once again risk their lives for their friends, and to prevent more deaths, including their own.

Chris Landrum is, dragged out of peaceful retirement when the theft of a priceless, hand-carved figurine from a church's nativity scene threatens to suck the spirit of Christmas out of Folly Beach. If that's not bad enough, pieces of valuable jewelry and surfboards are stolen off homeowners' porches on the small, South Carolina island located in the shadows of historic Charleston. Are the crimes related? All that's known for sure is that nothing is known for sure. Rumors abound and in the spirit of it takes a village, Chris is joined by a cadre of quirky characters in his quest to find answers. Adding more pressure, Chris is, told that the figurine must be found by Christmas-mere days away.

Chris Landrum is dragged out of peaceful retirement when the theft of a priceless, hand-carved figurine from a church's nativity scene threatens to suck the spirit of Christmas out of Folly Beach. If that's not bad enough, pieces of valuable jewelry and surfboards are stolen off homeowners' porches on the small, South Carolina island located in the shadows of historic Charleston. Are the crimes related? All that's known for sure is that nothing is known for sure. Rumors abound and in the spirit of it takes a village, Chris is joined by a cadre of quirky characters in his quest to find answers. Adding more pressure, Chris is told that the figurine must be found by Christmas-mere days away.

Chris Landrum's world is turned upside down when he stumbles on a body of a killer for hire. Chris's friends on the laid-back, peaceful South Carolina island are convinced they know who the hit man was sent to kill, and ask the retired bureaucrat to stick his nose in business that should be left to the police. If that's not enough, Chris comes home to an intruder intent on taking his life; his best friend announces he's moving out of state; and, his long-term girlfriend may be leaving him. Add to the mix, a participant in the witness protection program and a bookstore owner with a mysterious past, and once again, Chris is in the crosshairs of a murderer.

Chris Landrum's trip to Nashville to visit his best friend Charles hits a sour note when they learn of the death of the agent who had persuaded Heather, Charles's girlfriend, to move to Music City to seek fame and fortune as a singer. Tagging along on the trip is Cal Ballew, an aging country music performer and owner of Cal's Bar and Grill on Folly Beach, South Carolina. The visit sinks from bad to horrible when instead of finding stardom, Heather, who is already depressed and discouraged about her diminishing chances of succeeding in the music industry, is charged with the agent's murder. Making matters worse, Charles, a man who finds the good in most anyone, is convinced that Heather is guilty. Suspects stretch from the capitol of Tennessee to Chris's retirement city of Folly Beach; in fact, so many suspects that it takes Chris and members of his cadre of quirky pals plus a couple of new acquaintances in Tennessee to cobble together enough clues to close in on the killer, something the police have been unable to accomplish. In this installment in the Folly Beach Mystery series, Chris must rely on his quick wits to solve the murder before the killer adds him to the growing list of victims.

An accidental drug overdose is ruled the cause of the death of the daughter of Chris Landrum's neighbor. The young woman's father, a retired police detective, had accused Chris of murder days after he'd arrived on Folly Beach a decade ago, and they've butted heads frequently since then. So, why get involved and question the cause of death? Could it be because the daughter was dating Joel Hurt, a man on the path to unseating Chris's good friend, Brian Newman, as mayor of the small barrier-island? The political race heats up, and so does the retired executive's search for proof of a crime-a crime the police are certain never took place. While the tight-knit community is being torn apart by politics, life-altering events impact two of Chris's best friends, Charles Fowler, and Bob Howard, and once again prove that life in the town in the shadows of Charleston, South Carolina, is anything but dull.

Chris Landrum and his friend Barbara Deanelli's search for shark teeth abruptly changes directions when they discover a woman at water's edge clinging to a surfboard. How she got there was a mystery-a mystery compounded when she doesn't remember her name, her past, or who abducted her and nearly sent her to her death in the mid-December waters off the coast of Folly Beach, South Carolina.Chris and a cadre of his quirky pals are determined to learn the woman's identity and what happened. Their search is interrupted when they, along with most everyone else on the small barrier island, halt their pre-Christmas plans to search for Pluto, Dude Sloan's beloved Australian terrier, that was nowhere to be found.Will Chris and his pals catch whoever initiated the attempt on the mystery woman's life before another try is made, and will Dude's beloved pet reappear in time for Christmas? Whoever said that retirement was to be a time of peace and relaxation never spent time with Chris and his friends.

Four aging comedians deliver anything but laughs when they descend upon Folly Beach, a small, laid-back barrier island near Charleston, South Carolina. Chris Landrum's introduction to the newcomers, is when he averts disaster by escorting one of them out of the center of Folly's busiest street, a task made even more difficult, since the jokester, wearing a long, wool coat over red swim trunks, and black patent leather shoes, is flailing a fishing rod at anything that moves, be it vehicle or human. In addition to the stranger not knowing why he's in the center of the street, he claims to have discovered a dead body at the beach. The problem is he can't remember if he saw it that day, the previous month, or perhaps four years earlier. Jokes, lies, secrets, dead bodies, several murder suspects, and danger follow the comics. It's up to retired bureaucrat Chris along with his cadre of quirky pals to sort out what's going on before some of them are added to the list of victims

On an early-morning walk through the nature preserve on the east end of Folly Beach on their way to photograph the iconic Morris Island Lighthouse, Chris Landrum and his friend Charles Fowler's peaceful morning takes an abrupt turn. They encounter a woman who tells them she got separated from her husband during a storm, then claims they'd been relic hunting. Her husband can't verify what he and his wife were doing. He's dead-murdered.With the horrific death on everyone's mind, Theo Stoll, another of Chris's friends learns his recently widowed daughter-in-law is moving to Folly saying she wants to be near her only living relative. But, what does the woman Theo has never met really want? A family connection or to con the wealthy retiree.Lies, contradictions, stories of ghosts, pirates, Civil War relics, and buried treasure, combine with no shortage of murder suspects to challenge Chris and his friends to solve the crime that's stumped the police. Not only solve it but solve it before more are killed.

Christmas on South Carolina's Folly Beach is a time for festivities, families, friendship, fellowship, and reflection. When a fire ruled intentionally set leaves residents of five apartments homeless days before the holiday, retired bureaucrat Chris Landrum and his friend Charles Fowler take it upon themselves to not only make sure the displaced residents have somewhere to live but are determined to learn who was responsible for the massive conflagration.The burned-out residents include an aspiring novelist, two people who'd recently been accused of killing a bookie, and Police Chief Cindy LaMond's sister and nephew, family members Cindy's closest friends didn't know existed. Finding who set the fire is compounded when Chris discovers each resident knows one or more people who may've had reason to torch the building. And, who's to say one of the residents didn't set it.With more suspects than days until Christmas, can Chris and his cadre of quirky friends restore the Christmas spirit to the small barrier island?

A peaceful kayak trip through the marsh suddenly turns terrifying for Chris Landrum and his friend, Charles Fowler, when a single-engine airplane plummets toward their watercraft. After coming inches from certain death, the kayakers' heroic efforts save two of the plane's occupants but failed to save the other two passengers. Learning the pilot had been poisoned and three of the plane's passengers live on Folly Beach, site of Chris and Charles's retirement homes, Charles, the self-proclaimed private detective, decides it's up to the two retirees to catch the killer. While no simple task, it's made more difficult when they realize they don't know the identity of the intended victim or victims. Further complicating their undertaking, Chris is detracted when he learns another of his friends comes face-to-face with a life-altering secret going back a half-century. Once again, Chris and his cast of quirky characters are challenged to solve a crime the police are unable to unravel before lives are lost, possibly their own. .

Halloween is traditionally filled with ghosts, goblins, and ghouls but this year the holiday brings something more sinister to the small South Carolina barrier island of Folly Beach. The popular fall holiday has never been a favorite of retired bureaucrat Chris Landrum but that didn't stop his friend Charles Fowler from convincing him to tour a haunted house sponsored by a local charity. In addition to being faced with the scary scenes that appear in most haunted houses, they stumble across a dead body-a real dead body.Stir into the cauldron a Wiccan family, a Christian minister, an egotistical dentist, a ghost-hunting couple, and a dog the size of a Fiat and you have the makings of a mystery that Chris and Charles must solve before their bodies are added into the haunted house.

An early-morning phone call from a friend asking Chris Landrum if he'd heard anything about a skeleton discovered on Mosquito Beach, an African American enclave fewer than a handful of miles from Chris's home on Folly Beach, South Carolina, soon embroils Chris and a few of his friends into trying to solve a mystery dating back sixty plus years. Chris and Charles, his friend and self-proclaimed private detective, quest for answers takes on life or death proportions when two more of Chris's acquaintances are killed and his friend Al Washington is next in the killer's sights.The task for the amateur sleuths is made much more difficult since they know few of the locals in the close-knit Mosquito Beach community and one of the people they know might be a killer.

The theft of a Rolex worth more than most new vehicles begins a series of burglaries casting a dark shadow on the Christmas season for Folly Beach, the small South Carolina barrier island. The number of suspects drastically increases when Mackey's Miracle Troupe, a group of singers and actors, arrives on Folly. The Troupe's leader Peter Mackey claims the visit is to bring an upbeat message to the community while performing good deeds throughout the island, but its arrival at the same time the burglaries begin is too coincidental to be overlooked. With the police spinning their wheels, it's up to retired bureaucrat Chris Landrum and Charles Fowler, a self-proclaimed private detective, to wade through potential suspects and catch the thief or thieves. With Christmas only hours away, will the unlikely detectives succeed in bringing joy, peace, and good tidings back to their beloved island?

Three more novels in the award-winning Folly Beach Mystery series by best-selling author Bill Noel are presented in one collection. NO JOKEFour aging comedians deliver anything but laughs when they descend upon Folly Beach, a small, laid-back barrier island near Charleston, South Carolina. Chris Landrum's introduction to the newcomers is when he averts disaster by escorting one of them out of the center of Folly's busiest street, a task made even more difficult since the jokester, wearing a long, wool coat over red swim trunks, and black patent leather shoes, is flailing a fishing rod at anything that moves, be it vehicle or human. RELICOn an early-morning walk through the nature preserve on the east end of Folly Beach on their way to photograph the iconic Morris Island Lighthouse, Chris Landrum and his friend Charles Fowler's peaceful morning takes an abrupt turn. They encounter a woman who tells them she got separated from her husband during a storm, then claims they'd been relic hunting. Her husband can't verify what he and his wife were doing. He's dead-murdered.With the horrific death on everyone's mind, Theo Stoll, another of Chris's friends learns his recently widowed daughter-in-law is moving to Folly saying she wants to be near her only living relative. But, what does the woman Theo has never met really want? A family connection or to con the wealthy retiree.Lies, contradictions, stories of ghosts, pirates, Civil War relics, and buried treasure, combine with no shortage of murder suspects to challenge Chris and his friends to solve the crime that's stumped the police. Not only solve it but solve it before more are killed. FAITHChristmas on South Carolina's Folly Beach is a time for festivities, families, friendship, fellowship, and reflection. When a fire ruled intentionally set leaves residents of five apartments homeless days before the holiday, retired bureaucrat Chris Landrum and his friend Charles Fowler take it upon themselves to not only make sure the displaced residents have somewhere to live but are determined to learn who was responsible for the massive conflagration.The burned-out residents include an aspiring novelist, two people who'd recently been accused of killing a bookie, and Police Chief Cindy LaMond's sister and nephew, family members Cindy's closest friends didn't know existed. Finding who set the fire is compounded when Chris discovers each resident knows one or more people who may've had reason to torch the building. And, who's to say one of the residents didn't set it.With more suspects than days until Christmas, can Chris and his cadre of quirky friends restore the Christmas spirit to the small barrier island?

Chris Landrum answers an early morning call and the first words he hears from his best friend Charles Fowler are, "Called the police chief yet?" The retiree didn't have to be a psychic to know nothing good was coming next. He learns that an acquaintance on his adopted island of Folly Beach, South Carolina, has been murdered and according to the police, suspects are nowhere to be found, which, of course, leads Charles, a self-proclaimed private detective, to declare that it was up to Chris and him to solve the crime.Their challenge doubles when a second murder occurs and the only thing the victims have in common are weekly poker games. Will Chris and Charles be able to solve the crimes before they're added to the list of victims? They're betting their lives on it, and the bad news is the odds are stacked against them.