River Bend Chronicles

An introduction to the River Bend Chronicles series, you will encounter fascinating characters, three murders, a marriage, and the beginning of a romance between Lynn and a detective known as Dusty. The story takes place over several weeks from May to August. Lynn learns from her father that she has a half -brother, a man whom she has known all of her life. She learns of this relationship on the eve of their 25th high school reunion. As she deals with this new wrinkle in her life, two classmates are murdered, then the sister of a benefactor of the River Bend Philanthropies, her employer, is kidnapped and murdered. New family relationships thread through this mystery, as Lynn works with a local detective to provide moral support to families of the murder victims. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

In this third book in the River Bend Chronicles, Lynn Powers, a fortyish widow with a teenage son, continues to build her new life in River Bend. It's two weeks before Christmas and the holiday season is going full tilt -- except for Lynn and her son.In an effort to rekindle their slow starting romance, chief detective Dusty Reid pays a visit and finds Lynn's household untouched by holiday cheer. Dusty takes Jason on a routine call and starts a series of events that mirrors the death of Lynn's husband two years ago. In addition to grieving on the anniversary of her husband's death, Lynn has been advised by one of the board members of the River Bend Philanthropies that his review of a local nonprofit, River Bend Reads, has revealed embezzlement.This story weaves through the Christmas holidays, with Lynn and Dusty's big New Year's Eve date spent in the morgue identifying the body of a staff member of River Bend Reads. And then another body turns up. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

Sonny Bosco, one of the actors who came to River Bend for a community project last spring, stayed to die. She is a friend of a local physician. Dr. Rita Rutledge, and the River Bend gang, led by Lynn Powers and her family, have rallied to help with Sonny's care. A sick child is also facing death as his mother, an environmental attorney, and her team investigate water quality issues on the river. One of the environmentalists is murdered at the same time detectives find another body. The inhabitants of this small town explore love and loss while learning from Sonny to celebrate life well lived. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

This holiday season in River Bend includes family gatherings, snowmobile races, and a little romance. And murder. Lynn Powers and her family begin celebrations for Christmas with the first big party, Dusty's birthday. However, on Christmas Day Dusty is called to a murder scene where a young man is found dead in his bathtub. And returning from a school administrators Christmas gathering Pam finds a hit-and-run victim in the icy road. Is she under suspicion of the crime? Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

Lynn Powers is facing the month of May caught up in the activities driven by a son who is graduating from high school. But that doesn't stop her from becoming embroiled in mayhem as she discovers an elderly black woman who has been assaulted. Throughout the story Lynn and her family learn about the history of many people in town, including the simmering feuds and sad stories among members of River Bend's African-American community. In addition, Lynn learns more of her own family history as she discovers a small diary belonging to her mother. Mix all this in with the usual antics of Lynn, Dusty and their family and it adds up to another installment of the River Bend Chronicles. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

It's the beginning of a new year. Lynn Powers is still recovering from witnessing her friend Susan Carmichael die in an explosion. Polly, Susan's teenage daughter, has agreed to stay in River Bend for the rest of her freshman year of high school. She is having some difficult periods of adjustment. As Lynn and her friends cope with Polly, Yolanda Valeri receives a bequest from an elderly admirer. She is given a half-a-million dollars to distribute to local nonprofits as she sees fit. After consulting with Lynn, Yolanda accepts funding proposals but is soon overwhelmed with gifts from eager nonprofits. She meets the son of her elderly admirer and begins to date him, causing local eyebrows to raise. As usual, Lynn and her friends are drawn into a mystery as a nonprofit tries to intimidate Yolanda into granting it all her money. They soon learn that the agency is fake, is running a gambling establishment, and is responsible for assaulting several of their clientele, resulting in at least one death. As usual, Lynn and her husband, Dusty, surprise one another during an investigation as another local River Bend nonprofit causes murder and mayhem. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.

River Bend is alive with spring blossoms and Lynn Powers is doing her best to trade, barter or steal samples of some of the best perennials for her garden. Dusty, her husband, interrupts her spring fever as he draws her into helping with his new assignment. He has been named to a local county board by the sheriff to work with early release felons. According to a new state law, each county is to create a new local nonprofit to help the early release prisoners as they update their education, enroll in job training, find work and create a stable life in the county. Dusty, a law enforcement professional, has no expectations for success of the program or the early release felons. His suspicions are proved valid as two of the three felons rob a bank and kidnap Lynn and her friend, Amelia Shipley. The River Bend gang muddles through spring with robbery, dancing lessons, Memorial Day parades and unexpected romance. Renee Kumor has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years. The setting for the River Bend Chronicles series reflects her early life in Ohio and her later years in western North Carolina. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years developing a personal ethic of community service. Through the years as her children aged, she became active in the political and non-profit life of the community. She began writing a political opinion column for the local newspaper, but retired from writing when she announced her candidacy for local political office. After eight years as a county commissioner, she returned to non-profit service and began writing a monthly column for the newspaper on non-profit management and service issues. Renee has been married to her husband for forty-four years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Renee Kumor enthralls readers of her popular romance series -- The River Bend Chronicles -- drawing them into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of this all-too-familiar small town.