Thanksgiving Murder in the Mountains: A Cold Case

"Skeletons sometimes talk to us from the grave," said Grandpa Niall in a four-way phone conversation with his grandchildren, Brooks, Eliza, and Austin, teenagers who make up the B.E.A.Wares Detective Agency. If Grandpa was right, a murder took place in the dark of night, more than thirty years ago in the tiny village of Cassel, California, located in the intermountain area featuring Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta, world-famous volcanic mountains in northern California. A cold case if there ever was one, it became suddenly current once heavy November rains, a mud slide, and a visiting dog partially uncovered an unmarked grave containing a full skeleton. A DNA sample soon identified it as belonging to a prominent attorney who had disappeared 30 years before. Unlikely twists and turns led to the involvement of prominent figures in the Northern California community and the possibility of prison time for local Native Americans and for one of the wealthiest ranchers and property owners in the area. A retired FBI agent, now Sheriff, was called in, but was only slightly interested until Grandpa disappeared. The tale of intrigue, murder, kidnapping, and greed continued to excite Grandpa and the B.E.A.Wares. However unlikely finding the killer may have been, the cold case sparked interest and some fear in the small communities in Northern California, as the antagonism between the ranching community and the Native Americans rose like the memories of a distant past. Well-established interests were threatened as well. For more of Niall Magill's books, please check out our website: http: //www.holidayhistoriesandmysteries.com Thanks

Niall Magill has written ten non-fiction books and more than 100 poems. He continues to write blogs and short articles about the issues of the day and reads mystery stories avidly. His travel and residence in several regions of the States and in a host of countries abroad provide the background for these exciting stories, honed by his journeys to more than 80 countries of the world. His mystery-relevant experience ranges from on-site evaluation of Peace Corps programs in Niger and Chad, to serving as the World Affairs expert in 7 Peace Corps Training programs, to training faculty in the International University of Kyrgyzstan, to teaching at the University of Istanbul, to serving in the Air Corps in China in World War II, to conducting educational tours, and to lecturing in the main countries of Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. These experiences serve to enliven his stories and lend a sense of reality and cultural insight. He is a former college Professor of International Relations, Department Chair, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Deputy President. He also served as Vice-President of the local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers and the Vice President of the California Educational Computer Consortium. A member of Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa chapter, he has experienced the unusual honor of being asked to give the Members In Course address three times at his university in the past twenty-five years. An avid sports fan and former all-state player in football and basketball and a college varsity letter winner in basketball, he maintains a lively interest in most major sports which is often reflected in his stories. He has two children and three grandchildren. His son heads a theatre arts company in Shanghai and his daughter serves as a Pandemic Coordinator for the State of Wisconsin. In addition to a life-long attraction to mysteries, his current interests include the legitimate stage, musical comedy, jazz, pop, and classical music, domestic and international politics and a continuing desire to explore the ＂highways and byways＂ of the world. ＂Our times are so interesting and so challenging, I would not wish to live at any other time,＂ he contends.