| Category: | Fiction - Mystery- Sleuth |
|---|---|
| Author: | Charlotte Stuart |
| Publisher: | Colvos Publishing |
| Publication Date: | April 17, 2026 |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| ISBN-13: | 979-8-9938223-2-7 |
In Charlotte Stuart's Trolling for Murder,
workplace investigator Lavender “Lew” Lewis discovers the body of Quin
Armstrong at the base of Vashon Island's iconic Bird King Troll sculpture, a
note declaring him “no friend of nature” taped to the wooden giant's pointing
finger. When high school teacher Audrey Young becomes the prime suspect due to
volatile confrontations about bullying, Lew digs into the victim's extensive
list of enemies—from feuding neighbors to scorned developers—only to uncover
that the killing resulted from decades of suppressed trauma and desperate
self-defense rather than premeditation.
Stuart populates the island with authentic, layered
characters, particularly Lew, whose commune upbringing and military background
inform her unorthodox investigative methods and her complicated. The setting of
Vashon Island is a portrait that enthralls—a tight-knit Pacific Northwest
community accessible only by ferry, where environmental stewardship, local art
culture, and small-town gossip create a pressure-cooker atmosphere for secrets.
The Trolling for Murder stands out in its clever
balance of cozy mystery tropes with cyberbullying, ecological responsibility,
and the long-term psychological impact of harassment. Stuart employs
first-person narration with sharp, observational wit while weaving in
suspenseful red herrings involving property disputes, a missing sailboat, and
an impending tsunami threat. The title's clever double meaning—referencing both
internet trolling and the island’s maritime culture—mirrors the story's
examination of how cruelty manifests across generations, from high school
hallways to adult rivalries, eventually delivering a morally complex resolution
that challenges simple notions of guilt and innocence.
Hand-picked reviews our authors and readers are loving right now
Essays, author interviews and publishing advice for curious readers and writers.
The Amazon Editors often get asked: What’s your favorite book? For the Editors who have more than one child, it’s probably easier to choose which they like best. But when it comes to books, we’ll likely have a different answer for you today than we will next week (or in a couple hours for that matter). Narrowing the fi...
Read the article →
Books open doors to different worlds, offering both entertainment and enlightenment. Whether diving into a gripping novel, exploring a thought-provoking nonfiction piece, or examining the layers of a critically acclaimed masterpiece, book reviews are invaluabl...
Read the article →
In the expansive canvas of human existence, words stand out as powerful tools for communication, connection, and transformation. Books, as timeless repositories of the written word, possess the unique ability to shape and transform our lives profoundly. This a...
Read the article →
I starred as nurse Lilian Raines on the soap opera the Guiding Light for nearly three decades. That is a long time to hold one job. Typically, when you hold a job for such a long time at one company, you advance up the corporate ladder. After twenty-six years,...
Read the article →
I do believe that the world has never been more fragile than it is now, but it’s definitely worth saving. We live in unprecedented times when our sustainability efforts as well as our technological advances and failures will soon define humanity. Perhaps des...
Read the article →
Recently I purchased a collection of Hitchcock CDs as a birthday present for my husband. He and I both enjoy watching them, even when we’ve seen them scads of times before. What’s especially fun about this collection is the bonus footage in the form of product...
Read the article →
 Mommys_Boy_6x9.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
