Trolling for Murder (A Vashon Island Mystery)

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.