| Category: | Fiction - Mystery- Sleuth |
|---|---|
| Author: | Charlotte Stuart |
| Publisher: | Colvos Publishing |
| Publication Date: | April 17, 2026 |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| ISBN-13: | 979-8-9938223-2-7 |
In Charlotte Stuart's Trolling for Murder,
workplace investigator Lavender “Lew” Lewis discovers the body of Quin
Armstrong at the base of Vashon Island's iconic Bird King Troll sculpture, a
note declaring him “no friend of nature” taped to the wooden giant's pointing
finger. When high school teacher Audrey Young becomes the prime suspect due to
volatile confrontations about bullying, Lew digs into the victim's extensive
list of enemies—from feuding neighbors to scorned developers—only to uncover
that the killing resulted from decades of suppressed trauma and desperate
self-defense rather than premeditation.
Stuart populates the island with authentic, layered
characters, particularly Lew, whose commune upbringing and military background
inform her unorthodox investigative methods and her complicated. The setting of
Vashon Island is a portrait that enthralls—a tight-knit Pacific Northwest
community accessible only by ferry, where environmental stewardship, local art
culture, and small-town gossip create a pressure-cooker atmosphere for secrets.
The Trolling for Murder stands out in its clever
balance of cozy mystery tropes with cyberbullying, ecological responsibility,
and the long-term psychological impact of harassment. Stuart employs
first-person narration with sharp, observational wit while weaving in
suspenseful red herrings involving property disputes, a missing sailboat, and
an impending tsunami threat. The title's clever double meaning—referencing both
internet trolling and the island’s maritime culture—mirrors the story's
examination of how cruelty manifests across generations, from high school
hallways to adult rivalries, eventually delivering a morally complex resolution
that challenges simple notions of guilt and innocence.
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