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The Scarlet Oak: Murder, Spies, and Spirits (Oyster Bay Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by JERRY AYLWARD (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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Late on September 23, 2018 two seventeen-year-old high school sweethearts returning home from a celebratory birthday date are discovered dead. Their car found off the road, in a vacant horse pasture in front of an enormously old deciduous scarlet oak, on the lavish estate of J. Barrington Cook the fourth. A wealthy, but secretive fourth generation landowner.
Finn, a decorated combat veteran, with ten years as a hardened and dogged county homicide investigator, happens upon the recent, yet unreported accident. His initial assessment of the fatal scene is simply a broken pasture fence, along with the lifeless teenagers, and a seemingly undamaged car, suggesting it was anything but an accident, if not a meticulously well-planned execution.
The detective’s suspicions aren’t shared by everyone––or anyone. An inebriated medical examiner refuses to classify the deaths until he has viewed both the toxicology, and pathology findings, delaying the necessary and immediate investigation. Finn’s lieutenant also refuses to authorize an official murder investigation, sighting the lack of medical and scientific certainty. Not satisfied, Finn embarks on his own unofficial murder investigation where he learns the family home of his murdered (accidental death) male victim, may have ties to a series of unexplained deaths dating back two-hundred and thirty-eight years.
The home is also reputed to have an ever-present spirit of a beautiful American Revolutionary patriot who has managed to keep secret her noble and resourceful involvement, though covert, in the war for liberty and independence from that very house.
Finn delves deeper into his investigation, unearthing detailed information from a storied, and seemingly timeless witness, a source he's more than a little skeptical to trust. Mixing with the new details he's learns of a psychotic 18th century British army officer seeking retaliation for the capture and undignified execution of British military intelligence officer Major JohnAndre’ in his failed attempt to seize General George Washington’s strategic fortification on the Hudson River, along with the treasonous betrayal of Benedict Arnold.
Weighing his self-imposed lack of empathy against a die-hard commitment to a hero friend creates a point-of-no-return decision for Finn, landing him mysteriously on the front doorstep of his murdered boy’s family home, only its 1780. It’s here he meets the vivacious and living version of one of the original homeowner's three beautiful daughters, Sally Townsend. He’s immediately smitten. All the while trying to evade the ruthless British army's door to door search throughout the tiny hamlet of Oyster Bay for members of General Washington’s elusive Culper Spy ring.
After solving the unexplained deaths associated with the Townsend's house, though severely wounded, Finn is reunited to life in 2018, while the life of his love interest remains mysteriously uncertain, back in 1780.
Conflicted with reoccurring thoughts of an overlooked clue, suggesting someone may be still getting away with murder, lands Finn back at his crime scene, at the horse pasture of the estates wealthy owner, with an ultimate show down under the Scarlet Oak.
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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 1
    Oyster Bay Mysteries
  2. Print length
    324 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 4, 2022
  6. File size
    5382 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The story opens in modern times, however, as detective Finn faces a deadly and puzzling car accident involving teens. Who might have wanted these kids to die? There are no obvious clues in the present, but he does dig up a series of related events which hold their roots in early American history. Nobody else believes the wreck to be anything more than an accident.

Finn embarks on his own unofficial query, mixing in facts about a deadly murderer on a rampage in the past with present-day events until he literally finds himself in 1780, confronting the British, the truth, and the possible love of his life, Sally Townsend. She is facing her own murder inquiry in her times and solving this problem of the past could result in resolution in Finn's future...as well as loss.

It's rare to see a time travel story blended into a murder mystery replete with historical details and social and political observations past and present. Jerry Aylward achieves this synthesis of subjects with an engrossing and realistic portrait that will appeal to readers on different levels.

His ability to create the foundation of the tale in present-day events, then link them to past circumstances, enables them to take on unexpected life in a way usually not seen in the traditional detective/murder investigation scenario. This approach makes for a story filled with surprises.

"This will build your character. It will give you strength. It will make you mentally strong. You'll need this, I promise you, because you are the Final One."

As Finn also probes his motivations, influences, psyche, and destiny, readers receive a mystery, historical probe, love story, and social inspection, all in one. These themes are seamlessly woven into a tale of intrigue that traverses past and present events to capture matters of the heart and soul.

Mystery libraries looking for something edgy and different in the genre which holds the uncommon ability to attract readers outside traditional detective whodunit circles will find The Scarlet Oak—Murder, Spies, and Spirits a worthy addition, highly recommended for mystery, history, and romance readers alike.

Midwest Book Review...Senior Editor D. Donovan

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XVQ22CH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wild Lion Publishing; 1st edition (July 4, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 4, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5382 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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Jerry Aylward

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
16 global ratings
GREAT READ
5 Stars
GREAT READ
I liked the mix of Revolutionary War history and mysticism. This is an incredible story written by an exceptional author who melds the factual story of George Washington's secret spies in Oyster Bay New York with a fascinating twist of ghosts and time travel. A book, I, Richard Nesdall could NOT put down. I would recommend this book to historians and anyone interested in the occult.
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Top reviews from the United States

Maltese Falcon Fan
5.0 out of 5 stars A mystery wrapped in history
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
The Scarlet Oak: Murder, Spies, and Spirits is a fast-paced crime novel, but it is so much more than your typical whodunit. The story is infused with Revolutionary War history, weaving a 21st-century crime with 18th-century events. The setting for The Scarlet Oak is the real town of Oyster Bay, New York. The book is an especially fun read for anyone familiar with the town, as they will enjoy riding along with Finn as he searches for clues. Jerry Aylward has artfully combined a series of murders with ghost stories and early American history. I highly recommend The Scarlet Oak - though watch out - once you start reading it will be hard to put down.
2 people found this helpful
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Henry hack
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Thriller - Again!
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
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The author's previous work, "Francis 'Two Gun' Crowley," a true-crime story, reads like a fast-paced thriller novel. Mr. Aylward has successfully transferred those skills to his new thriller novel, "The Scarlet Oak." You will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story as a homicide detective crosses the boundary of time to solve a double murder. And he has done his homework in transporting the reader back to the Revolutionary War period on Long Island, giving flesh and blood to those heroes (and villains!) of yesteryear. A must read - and this advice comes from a mystery writer who recognizes a fellow writer's talent Henry Hack
2 people found this helpful
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Beautiful Eye
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
I liked the mix of Revolutionary War history and mysticism. This is an incredible story written by an exceptional author who melds the factual story of George Washington's secret spies in Oyster Bay New York with a fascinating twist of ghosts and time travel. A book, I, Richard Nesdall could NOT put down. I would recommend this book to historians and anyone interested in the occult.
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Beautiful Eye
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022
I liked the mix of Revolutionary War history and mysticism. This is an incredible story written by an exceptional author who melds the factual story of George Washington's secret spies in Oyster Bay New York with a fascinating twist of ghosts and time travel. A book, I, Richard Nesdall could NOT put down. I would recommend this book to historians and anyone interested in the occult.
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2 people found this helpful
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Kathleen Foster
5.0 out of 5 stars The Scarlet Oak has it all! Mystery, fantasy and the thrilling history of Revolutionary War spies.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
From the cover to the last page, you traveled with the main character as he solves as double murder and more. The book is especially delightful as I like history and live in Oyster Bay. Highly recommend you get a copy of The Scarlet Oak, sit back and enjoy the read.
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Kathleen Foster
5.0 out of 5 stars The Scarlet Oak has it all! Mystery, fantasy and the thrilling history of Revolutionary War spies.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2022
From the cover to the last page, you traveled with the main character as he solves as double murder and more. The book is especially delightful as I like history and live in Oyster Bay. Highly recommend you get a copy of The Scarlet Oak, sit back and enjoy the read.
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3 people found this helpful
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frank l
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022
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Awesome reading
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Pat Schilller
5.0 out of 5 stars Going back in time
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
This is one of those mystery books that is hard to put down. I found myself reading it to finally get to the "who did it" part. The author did his homework describing the political atmosphere when the British controlled Long Island. However, the twists and turns of the story had me guessing as to who the culprit(s) are. This book is a great read.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars This book is so poorly written and edited it’s nearly impossible to read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2022
I can’t believe all of the five star reviews. How can anyone take a book seriously that has such terrible editing and spelling mistakes? The author loves to write sentence fragments. It’s infuriating and I can’t even continue past a few chapters. Re-edit your book, please.
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Louie
5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, historical, and mystical , very enjoyable read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2022
From the beginning relates to present day investigation and then leads you through present day oyster bay , Long Island to the revolutionary war and the spies on long islands oyster bay. The author knows his “stuff”
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