THE NEST: BOOK #1 IN COUNTRY CLUB CRIMES
Honoré de Balzac once said, “Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.” I also believe that behind many, many crimes is a big fat secret.
As much as I like who-done-its, my passion is why-they-done-it! What makes a person tick? What motivates him/her to act the way they act, do what they do, say what they say? What are they afraid of? What are they hiding?
In stories, just as in real life, intrigue is spawned by relationships gone bad. The unexpected slights. The hurtful betrayals and dangerous jealousies. The need for acceptance. And once in a while, the need for revenge.
So why center a mystery series at a country club? At their essence, all clubs – whether you pay dues or simply sign up – are communities, nests, if you will. They gather together people with at least one thing in common and declare them like-minded associates.
But clubs are also like petri dishes that often cultivate discontent. Whether it’s a country club, a church group, a book club, a running club, a garden club, a whatever club, they’re collectives created by a singular, tenuous tie. People are thrown together and expected to thrive in a collegial atmosphere. But then two people announce that they don’t like the way things are being done. They declare that they want to take over the leadership of the club. The membership chooses sides. Three people disagree with three other people about the way the organization is being managed. Four people have completely different, clearly better ideas. Cliques are formed. Gossip is spread. Stories are exaggerated. Secrets are revealed. Daggers are drawn. And sometimes, murders are committed.