DEAD GIRL RUNNING (Cape Charade, 1)

Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd is the first novel in Cape Charade series. Kellen Adams does not remember a year of her life, and she has a gunshot wound on her forehead with no clue how she received it. Kellen is a United States Army veteran who is the assistant resort manager at Yearning Sands on the coast of Washington. Leo and Annie Di Luca, the owners of the resort, are going away for a holiday and leaving Kellen in charge. Kellen notices some bones in the yard as she arrives with guests and goes to inspect them believing they are that of a wild animal. She is shocked to discover that they are human bones. The victim is identified from her ring as Priscilla Carter, the previous assistant manager who left unexpectedly. Lloyd Magnuson is responsible for transporting the victim to the morgue, but he disappears along with the bones. Kellen uses her skills to investigate the crime. She does not know who she can trust and anyone on the estate could be guilty.

Dead Girl Running is well-written and has a steady pace. The book captured my attention from the very first page, and I was captivated until the very end. The story is complex with many twists and turns (which I love). There are three major storylines in the book and, in the end, they all come together. There is the murder of Priscilla, smuggling, and Kellen's missing year. The setting sounded beautiful yet haunting. It is the perfect locale for nefarious activities. The resort sounds like a lovely place to spend a relaxing few days (when they are not finding dead bodies). The mystery was well-crafted, and many readers will be surprised when the solution is revealed. I could feel the suspense as it built up and the tension as it increased. There is some romance sprinkled throughout the story and it blended nicely into the book. I discovered after reading Dead Girl Running that it ties into the Virtue Falls and Bella Terra series. I had no problem, though, with reading Dead Girl Running as a standalone. Dead Girl Running is a gripping tale that will have you on the edge of your seat (and hoping you will not fall off). Be prepared to stay up late to finish Dead Girl Running. My rating for Dead Girl Running is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I am eager for the next book in the Cape Charade series to find out what happens next.