Local author Jane Kelly's newest novel (released last week( is being published by Plexus Publishing, Inc., the independent publisher of the New York Times bestseller, turned hit HBO show, Boardwalk Empire!  

Some of her past mystery thrillers have featured Ocean City, Ventnor, Cape May, Atlantic City; and now, it's Avalon's turn! 

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Here is what you can expect in Kelly's "Strangers in the Avalon Dunes":

After the turbulence of her last adventure, Meg Daniels swears she never wants to help someone find a lost loved one ever again. She settles into a lazy routine in an upscale home in the high dunes of Avalon, New Jersey, housesitting for a friend of her fiancé, Andy Beck, for several months.

However, Meg finds she can't outrun her reputation. When a young woman asks Meg to find her long-lost grandfather, Ken Patterson, Meg just can't say no. In 1977, Ken, a wealthy attorney, decided he was born too soon. He missed the British Invasion, the Summer of Love, and Woodstock. He may have missed the Sixties, but he wasn't going to miss the Seventies. So, he simply disappeared, leaving behind his wife and daughter. After more than 40 years have gone by, can Meg actually find him? Ken's daughter has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and wants to reunite with the father she hasn't seen in four decades, so time is of the essence.

Meg soon becomes convinced she's investigating a murder. Had Ken really executed a carefully planned escape from the life he no longer wanted? Meg is not so sure. His abandoned wife claims she has never given up on him, but Meg concludes that not everyone—including his wife—was sad to see him go.

As Meg begins to make some progress on the case, it becomes obvious that someone really doesn't want Meg nosing around. Is it the killer or simply a man who doesn't want to be found?