The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…

When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.

She’s not looking for closure. She has not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.

As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money, wealth, and privilege.

Titles in the Martha’s Vineyard Murders series include:  A Chain of Pearls ~ Death at Dark ~ Widow’s Walk ~ Final Exit ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  A Chain of Pearls
Series:  Martha’s Vineyard Murders #1
Author:  Raemi A. Ray
Published:  April 9, 2024
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4 stars

A Chain of Pearls is the first story in the Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries series.  Kyra has returned to her father’s home on Martha’s Vineyard from London when informed of her father’s death.  They may have been estranged for years, but he was still her father… and things surrounding his so-called accidental drowning do not make sense.  Especially since he lived near the water for years, he knew how to be safe.  

Kyra will find herself delving into her father’s notes, his paperwork. She will find that although the journalist was supposed to be retired, he was, in fact, researching some wicked political shenanigans involving a powerful Senator.  Following up on her investigation, it seems that Tarek, the detective on the case, doesn’t think the evidence adds up either.  Intrigued by what they both suspect, Kyra and Tarek will be working together to solve this mystery… and begin to look at each other as more than simply two people who want justice found for her father.  Soon, they will find themselves enveloped in a mystery, another death, and threats upon their own lives… someone doesn’t want the truth to come to light any time soon.

I enjoyed A Chain of Pearls by Raemi A. Ray.  The story is well-written, easily captured my attention and imagination while following the red herrings, as well as the twists and turns of the story.  This is (at this time) a four-book series, so I imagine that we’ll see Kyra and Tarek explore that attraction that’s developing between them in future books.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)