Scarlet At Crystal River


Fiction - Mystery - General
384 Pages
Reviewed on 11/11/2021
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for four decades in a range of roles captured in his novels, from teacher and coach to principal and superintendent. His thriller, Leave No Child Behind (2012) and his recent mysteries, the Amazon No. 1 Best Seller, Blood on the Chesapeake, Crimson at Cape May and Scarlet at Crystal River have earned five star reviews and garnered national awards including “Thriller of the Year--ReadersFavorite.com, “Gold Award”—Literary Titan, “Mystery of the Year”—ReadersView.com and “Crowned Heart of Excellence”—InD’Tale Magazine. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Scarlet At Crystal River is a work of fiction in the mystery and paranormal suspense subgenres and was penned by author Randy Overbeck. The work is intended for the general adult reading audience and follows central protagonist Darrell Henshaw, who is only looking for peace and quiet on a trip to sunny Florida with his new wife, Erin. But fate intervenes when a haunted painting of two young children leads to an investigation into their deaths, and all thoughts of honeymooning go flying out the window. What results is a tense mystery that forms the third novel in the award-winning Haunted Shores series.

Author Randy Overbeck knows how to weave suspense and thrills into every facet of this well-crafted supernatural mystery tale. The plot itself was a strong element for me, with carefully placed clues laid out even from the earliest moments of the novel, and everything relating back to the central mystery with no stone left unturned. It makes you feel that you’re in safe hands with a capable author, who also puts a lot of detail and atmosphere into the Gulf Coast Floridian setting of this truly haunting tale. I loved being immersed in the creepy coastal sights and sounds, dark waters, and frightening surprises around the corner. Darrell makes for an excellent central character, balanced between practical and adventurous to get the job done. I liked his sense of duty to Erin, but also to the case at hand. Overall, I would definitely recommend Scarlet At Crystal River to paranormal mystery fans everywhere.