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Dan Hanel

In the Shadow of Diablo: Mystery of the Great Stone House alternates between a local teacher's present day adventure and the historical accounts of the brutal murder of Dr. John Marsh, one of the most important figures in California history.

Harrison Barrett, a Brentwood science teacher, is compelled to investigate the sudden and tragic suicide of one of his students. Along with a colleague, the captivating Celeste Scott, Harrison finds himself engulfed in the legend of a hidden treasure, and drawn into the real-life tale of a distraught son, Charles Marsh, whose wealthy father was slain in 1856.

Past and present become linked as Charles seeks justice and Harrison searches for answers. The journeys of both men are filled with mystery and intrigue, separated by generations but united by a common yearning, a common motive, and a common setting–the shadow of Diablo.

Patrice Smith

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO: Mystery of the Great Stone House

Book two in the series. When foreign language teacher Celeste Scott is asked by police to help translate a strange note found on a mummified corpse, she and science teacher Harrison Barrett are drawn into the intriguing history of the Byron Hot Springs Resort. Their present-day mystery alternates with the desperate journey of Baron Leopold von Haas, who flees post-World War I Austria and winds up at the famous resort, a half-a-world away. Harrison and Celeste uncover a web of clues spanning the gruesome death of Charles the Bold in 1477 France to a covert World War II interrogation center in California. Meanwhile, in order to return to his family, Baron von Haas must reveal his secret to one of the resort’s many fabled guests including Fatty Arbuckle, Lefty O’Doul, and the renowned sugar baron, Adolph Spreckels. What untold story links it all? The answer can only be found where past meets present, fact meets fiction, and mystery meets romance ... in the shadow of Diablo.

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO: Death at the Healing Waters

Wedding plans for high school teachers Harrison Barrett and Celeste Scott are put on hold after finding a murder victim’s cryptic message scrawled on a pioneer cemetery headstone. As the couple investigates the mysterious warning, Celeste becomes inescapably linked to a centuries-old legend rooted in Pythagorean philosophy and a sinister quest for power. Harrison and Celeste’s search for answers draws them into the historical accounting of Nortonville, a 19th century coal mining town set among the Mt. Diablo foothills. The untimely deaths of some townsfolk have a few prominent residents fearing the misfortunes are more than tragic accidents. What ancient secret lies hidden among the Welsh immigrants and their toil for lucrative black diamonds? Follow Harrison and Celeste on their epic and often precarious journey traversing secret societies, mystic symbols, and medieval legends. Will they discover Celeste’s connection to the profound mystery before it’s too late? The answer can only be found where past meets present, fact meets fiction, and mystery meets romance . . . in the Shadow of Diablo.

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO: Ghosts of Black Diamond

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO - The book series

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO - The book series

IN THE SHADOW OF DIABLO books in order

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