Winner of the Literary Titan Silver Award
Lanie has no idea what awaits her in Piney Falls...
Lanie Anders has a perfectly-ordered life. From her half-foam morning latte to her high-powered executive job - she controls every outcome. But when her house burns to the ground in mysterious circumstances, her life is thrown into confusion.
Searching for some kind of purpose, she stumbles across a century-old mystery and flees to Piney Falls, Oregon, an oceanside hamlet with a curious past. But something isn’t quite right in the picturesque town. Her neighbor speaks in riddles, the death rate is alarmingly high and the impossibly handsome town baker is hiding something.
With each clue she unearths in the present and the past, she becomes more convinced that the townspeople are in imminent danger.
Will Lanie be able to solve both mysteries without putting her own life in jeopardy?
Will Lanie be able to solve both mysteries without putting her own life in jeopardy?
Find out why readers are calling Welcome to Piney Falls “immensely immersive and totally gripping.” Don't miss the first in this exciting new mystery series!
Review
Her house burned down to the ground and forced to take a hard look at her life, Lanie Andrews decides to take her creative writing assignment on the road to find the answer to her question about this historical nuance she discovered and gain perspective. Off she goes to Oregon to a small town in the middle of nowhere. Originally called Flanagan, the town changed its name to Piney Falls with no explanation some time ago.
Keder shifts from the history of Flanagan to current day Piney Falls and Lanie; from one of the Flanagan sister's journal of their lives as the two Scotswomen marry Americans, traveling across the ocean generations before. An experience to be sure as the two couples establish a cannery, have children, and build homes. The shift in perspective from those initial days and the Flanagan sisters to Lanie's experience as she tries to find out what prompted the name change leads to her questioning why so many residents of Piney Falls are taking their lives by jumping off the top of the Falls.
Stick with it and the rhythm builds, characters are well-developed, and tension in the current day Piney Falls builds. For sure, everyone Lanie talks to has a history and their own secrets, with a cult history adding to the mix. It takes time for Keder to set the stage and for Lanie to realize she went to Piney Falls, not to write the story but to grow and reflect on her life as she lived it and how she wants to live it in the future.
This is the first in a series, though the obvious mysteries Lanie unraveled are all resolved. Lanie is a flawed character, but emerges in the end a much better person - not quite so controlling, but still a strong female protagonist. Well-written, unique writing style, and well-developed characters, this was an interesting read. I look forward to reading more from Keder.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
About the Author
Joann Keder spent most of her years in the
Midwest, growing up and raising a family on the Great Plains of Nebraska. She worked for sixteen years as a piano teacher before returning to school to receive a master's degree in creative writing. A mid-life move to the Pacific Northwest lead her to re-examine her priorities. She now creates stories about life and relationships in small towns while her ever-patient husband encourages her on.
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