The series
Third Lock mysteries
Third Lock is a fictional mill-and-canal town on the Pike Canal, a Great Lakes feeder. The paper mill closed in 1998. The third lock still lifts pleasure craft in season. The air is oil, wet wood, iron. The third lock’s gates hit on the hour.
Bess Ward keeps Ward Lock & Key on Lock Street. Cal left her the building and a board of tagged keys. Deputy Dan Holt drinks coffee at The Wick at 5:38 and looks at hands. Ivy Chen owns the diner and does not replace a mug that still holds coffee.
Each book is one closed murder. The town and Bess carry forward. The civic keys in Cal’s ledger are a long thread; they do not withhold justice at the end of a volume.
Reading order
1. The Spare Key
The mill pay-office is locked from the inside, and the spare beside the body is Bess’s.
Free to read with Kindle Unlimited. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Night Latch
2. The Night Latch
In progress. Join the reader list and Helen will write when it is out.
Get a free Third Lock short story
A locksmith hangs a spare until the customer comes back. In The Returned Spare, Bess Ward hangs MAIL — 18, and on Friday the hook is empty again. Join Helen's reader list and it comes straight to your inbox.
Helen writes when there is a new Third Lock book. No spam, and you can unsubscribe with one click. Privacy.