Things are getting even stranger in Caper Cove...
When Claire Fontaine and her best friend, Suggie Oh, stumble upon the body of a competitive surfer, their quiet coastal town is once again plunged into chaos. To make matters worse, a famous cosplayer washes ashore, leaving behind more questions than answers. What begins as Claire's quest to clear her father's name quickly spirals into a deadly game involving fierce surfing rivalries, identity-altering cosplay, and long-buried secrets.
As Claire and Suggie delve deeper into the worlds of extreme sports and cosplay, Claire must also confront her ongoing struggles with French Foreign Accent Syndrome. Between clashes with her roommate, Detective Ben Torres, navigating the politics of the surfer elite, and uncovering the killers, Claire starts to question whether her legal skills or culinary passion are what truly define her. With whispers around town growing that she's "faking" her accent for attention-just like cosplayers craft false personas-Claire finds herself doubting where performance ends and authentic identity begins. Behind the scenes of both worlds, Claire discovers a cutthroat battle for lucrative sponsorship deals that turns competitors into enemies, where athletes and cosplayers alike will go to extreme lengths to secure their financial futures in industries where fame is fleeting.
Can Claire untangle the threads of jealousy, greed, and betrayal before another life is lost? Or will her search for the truth put her in the killer's sights once again?
Autorentext
Elle Jauffret is a French-born American lawyer, former criminal attorney for the California Attorney General's Office, and culinary enthusiast. She graduated from Université Côte d'Azur Law School (France) and the George Washington University Law School (USA) and is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. An Agatha Award nominee, PenCraft Award recipient, and Claymore Award finalist, Elle volunteers as a write-in host for Sisters in Crime and regularly appears as a panelist, moderator, and guest speaker at conferences across the country (including WonderCon, Comic-Con, San Diego Writers Festival, and Southern California Writers' Conference). She has chaired the Pediatric Literacy Program at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (aka Bethesda Naval Hospital), promoting children's literacy among the military community. Elle is an avid consumer of mystery and adventure stories in all forms, especially escape rooms. She lives in Southern California with her family, along the coast of San Diego County, which serves as the backdrop for her Suddenly French Mystery series.