Friday Memes: Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

There was a rug I wasn't expecting awaiting me in the alcove by the backdoor of my bookstore as I arrived to start the day. The rug had an art deco pattern of periwinkle and sepia toned multi-colored squares with a tan border. Each square was different. Random. It was a nice rug.

Except for the body rolled up on the middle of it.

Friday 56:

"It was weird, Clark," Margaret said after I returned. "I've never seen a young person have problems with that card reader before."

This week I am spotlighting Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal. It was free when I got it in April 2025. It is also the start of a nine-book series. Here is the description from Amazon:

THE BOARDWALK IS BEAUTIFUL—UNTIL SOMEONE TURNS UP DEAD.

Welcome to Myrtle Beach, where the sunsets are vibrant, the sea breeze carries secrets, and murder lurks just beneath the surface. Clark Thomas, a grieving bookstore owner trying to rebuild his life, makes a chilling discovery: the body of a friend rolled up in a rug behind his shop.

As Clark digs into the mystery, he’s pulled into a web of suspects that include business owners, environmental activists, and even the victim’s own coworkers. With the police focused elsewhere, a beautiful and suspicious tipster encourages Clark to investigate the crime himself.

But is he ready to face what he might uncover—and confront the ghosts of his own past along the way?

Perfect for fans of Southern mysteries, amateur sleuths, and small-town secrets, Death on the Boardwalk is a witty, fast-paced read that blends charm, suspense, and heart.

Don’t miss your chance to start the Myrtle Beach Mystery Series—where every charming corner hides a secret.