Dorothea in the Mirror: A Jill Szekely Mystery

Immigrants in flight from Hitler, the Szekelys were not part of the huddled masses so often associated with Ellis Island. They were highly educated people; their gifted son Zoltan had been a concert pianist since the age of eight, he had performed with symphony orchestras and entertained the troops in India and Asia during World War II. It was hard to think of them in connection with a murder. Yet by a twist of fate, they find themselves involved and their son stands accused of murder.

It seems the ultimate irony that refugee Jewish pianist Zoltan Szekely is arrested for the murder of Dorothea Granger. Has he escaped Hitler's deadly assault only to become enmeshed in the American legal system? The police believe that they have found their murderer; they feel they have incontrovertible evidence of Zoltan's guilt. Only his estranged wife, Jill, is in a position to pursue an investigation that might prove his innocence. But Jill, disillusioned after years of struggling to make their marriage work, has left Zoltan. Will she ultimately come through for him and be able to prove his innocence?

Lois Wells Santalo is a cancer survivor who began writing in 2001 following a major operation. She always wanted to be a writer and had published a young adult book in 1965, as well as some magazine articles. She lives in California with her daughter, son-in-law and two cats.