A banshee's scream pierces the night at Dearborn Manor—and by morning, a guest is dead.
While vacationing in the coastal town of Carmel, California, student filmmaker Eric De la Cruz is approached by a bartender desperate for help. Locals claim to have witnessed a woman vanish on the beach right before their eyes, and at night a banshee's wail carries along the shore. Convinced these are no illusions, the bartender points Eric toward the ocean-front Dearborn Manor.
The following afternoon, Eric is invited for an extended weekend stay. That night, a blood-curdling scream echoes through the halls. By morning, someone is dead.
Rumors spread through the community that the estate is haunted by Melissa Dearborn, who drowned in those waters eight months earlier. Eric refuses to accept the supernatural. He discovers a threatening letter tucked in a drawer, counterfeit paintings in the private collection, and glass shards on the beach.
As a fierce storm surge isolates the manor, sealing every exit, Eric enlists a discreet maid to uncover the real circumstances of Melissa's drowning. The evidence hints at human deceit.
Yet each time the banshee screams again, the body count rises. "Accidents" multiply, suspicions deepen, and no one is safe.
Trapped with a growing threat, Eric must reveal the truth before the next scream claims another life—or his own.
Publisher's Review:
She Tried the Window is a clever LGBTQ+ whodunnit that pays homage to Agatha Christie while bringing the classic closed-circle mystery into the modern age.
When student filmmaker Eric De la Cruz arrives at the opulent Dearborn Manor for what should be a relaxing weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, he expects sun and surf. Instead, he’s thrust into a deadly puzzle involving a guest murdered under impossible circumstances and a ghostly banshee haunting the beach. With his sharp eye for detail and understanding of movie magic, Eric must untangle a web of stolen artifacts, family secrets, and deadly deceptions to expose a killer hiding in plain sight.
Scott crafts an intricate mystery where nothing is as it seems. Eric's investigation is complicated by his growing feelings for François, a kind stranger caught up in the deadly weekend, adding genuine emotional stakes to the puzzle. The novel balances sharp wit with poignant moments, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the masks people wear to protect themselves from pain.
A fresh take on the classic whodunnit with compelling LGBTQ+ representation, She Tried the Window delivers surprising twists, atmospheric storytelling, and a bittersweet ending that will satisfy mystery lovers looking for both cleverness and heart.
