Our Lady of the Overlook

by

R.L. Carpentier

Twisting tale of deception, long-held secrets, and murder in the rural Catskill Mountains of New York.

Our Lady of the Overlook is the twisty new murder mystery by author R.L. Carpentier about both a cold case and a recent murder that eerily mimes its 40-year-old, unsolved predecessor. The story uniquely features several generational pairs of law enforcement officers: the men who were involved in the 1980 cold case and their progeny now working in the same department. With little to go on but an unrelenting need to know the truth, it is the rookie officer, the son of the late police chief, who shoulders this character-driven tale of secrets and deception. 

Young Michael Ellis is the new man at the Hunter Police Department, a small collection of villages in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Mike is the son of the town’s revered former chief of police, the legendary Charlie Ellis, a father he feels he never really knew nor whose expectations he ever fulfilled. Initially, the young man is socially awkward and tentative in his interactions with others, physically uncomfortable and clumsy under the necessary accouterments of his uniform. Honestly, he is not the picture of a potentially successful police officer. Still, he seems to perform his duties well, is determined to maintain a low profile, and begins to make friends among his coworkers. It was great to watch as the story progressed how much he changes as he confronts the ghosts of his past and uncovers the surprising truths behind the murders on the Overlook hiking trail. 

Just as Mike is gaining his footing on the job, a true-crime podcaster researching “Jane Doe of the Overlook,” a 40-year-old, unsolved murder of an unknown young woman that haunted his father until his untimely death, approaches him for his help. Although intrigued and never having heard of the murder before then, he refuses to participate, wanting to focus on his new career and remain out of the limelight. Days later, though, Mike, just like his father before him, discovers the body of a young woman on the hiking trail up to the Overlook, circumstances eerily similar to the earlier murder. Reluctantly, he agrees to act as the department liaison with the investigator from the state, a man with a reputation for self-promotion and a history of latching onto the easiest suspect found, whether there’s supporting evidence or not. From that point forward, Mike can never be certain who to trust, and mistakes in judgment obscure his path to resolving either crime and place him in jeopardy. 

The author surrounds Mike with well-developed secondary characters, many with seemingly ulterior motives, and some of the best scenes in the book are between him and the men and women working to solve the two cases. One of my favorites, for the setting and the absolutely sparkling banter, is when Mike and his fellow officers and their older relatives, former officers, gather at the library to finally team up and devise a plan of action. 

While the ending doesn’t suggest a sequel, I would enjoy reading more about Mike and what may have happened after the events of this book. I recommend OUR LADY OF THE OVERLOOK to mystery readers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

As the holiday season approaches, Soulman's Bar-B-Que is excited to announce its holiday pre-order program, designed to make your festive gatherings easier and more delicious than ever. Customers can now place their orders in advance for Soulman's mouthwatering barbecue and signature sides, ensuring a hassle-free holiday experience.

This year, Soulman's is offering an extensive holiday menu featuring fan-favorite items, including:

• Slow-Smoked Brisket: Tender and juicy, expertly smoked for hours.
• Whole Turkeys: A flavorful twist for those looking to celebrate with a classic holiday bird.
• Savory Sides: Including coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread, perfect for any feast.
• Desserts: Sweet treats to finish your meal on a high note.
• “Pre-ordering is a game-changer for the holiday season,” said Brett Randle, CEO at Soulman's Bar-B-Que. “We want to help our customers spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their family and friends. By offering a pre-order option, we can ensure that everyone has access to the best barbecue in town, without the last-minute stress.”

Soulman's pre-order program allows customers to conveniently select their desired items and schedule a pickup time, making it easy to plan for holiday gatherings, office parties, and family feasts.

To place your holiday pre-order between now and December 20^th and explore the full menu, visit www.soulmans.com.

This holiday season, let Soulman's Bar-B-Que bring the flavor to your festivities—making every meal a celebration!

About Soulman’s Bar-B-Que

For 50 years, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que has satisfied the hardest to please bar-b-que lovers….Texans!  Founded in Pleasant Grove, Texas in 1974, Soulman’s had only a few simple goals—serve great Texas-style BBQ and offer friendly, sincere service.  Soulman’s original family recipes are still the foundation for the company’s success from their 8 different types of meat that are smoked “low & slow” over only hickory wood to their famous homemade sides, including Ranch house beans and Texas style cream corn! Throughout the years, this family-owned and operated company has remained true to its original strive for success and customer satisfaction and is honored to be considered one of the Best Roadside Restaurants in America (2024), Top Bar-B-Que Chains in America (2024), the Best Bar-B-Que in Dallas for Takeout  & Delivery (2020) and one of the Best Bar-B-Que Chains in America (2018).

Soulman’s currently owns and operates 21 North and East Texas locations in Allen, Cedar Hill, Fort Worth, Forney, Garland, Greenville, Hurst, Hurst Grapevine Highway,  Lancaster, Lewisville, Mabank, Mansfield, Mesquite, Quinlan, Red Oak, Rockwall I-30, Rockwall Goliad, Royse City,  Sulphur Springs, Terrell, and Van. To learn more about Soulman’s Bar-B-Que, visit them online at http://www.soulmans.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soulmansbbq.

As the holiday season approaches, Soulman's Bar-B-Que is excited to announce its holiday pre-order program, designed to make your festive gatherings easier and more delicious than ever. Customers can now place their orders in advance for Soulman's mouthwatering barbecue and signature sides, ensuring a hassle-free holiday experience.

This year, Soulman's is offering an extensive holiday menu featuring fan-favorite items, including:

• Slow-Smoked Brisket: Tender and juicy, expertly smoked for hours.
• Whole Turkeys: A flavorful twist for those looking to celebrate with a classic holiday bird.
• Savory Sides: Including coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread, perfect for any feast.
• Desserts: Sweet treats to finish your meal on a high note.
• “Pre-ordering is a game-changer for the holiday season,” said Brett Randle, CEO at Soulman's Bar-B-Que. “We want to help our customers spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their family and friends. By offering a pre-order option, we can ensure that everyone has access to the best barbecue in town, without the last-minute stress.”

Soulman's pre-order program allows customers to conveniently select their desired items and schedule a pickup time, making it easy to plan for holiday gatherings, office parties, and family feasts.

To place your holiday pre-order between now and December 20^th and explore the full menu, visit www.soulmans.com.

This holiday season, let Soulman's Bar-B-Que bring the flavor to your festivities—making every meal a celebration!

About Soulman’s Bar-B-Que

For 50 years, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que has satisfied the hardest to please bar-b-que lovers….Texans!  Founded in Pleasant Grove, Texas in 1974, Soulman’s had only a few simple goals—serve great Texas-style BBQ and offer friendly, sincere service.  Soulman’s original family recipes are still the foundation for the company’s success from their 8 different types of meat that are smoked “low & slow” over only hickory wood to their famous homemade sides, including Ranch house beans and Texas style cream corn! Throughout the years, this family-owned and operated company has remained true to its original strive for success and customer satisfaction and is honored to be considered one of the Best Roadside Restaurants in America (2024), Top Bar-B-Que Chains in America (2024), the Best Bar-B-Que in Dallas for Takeout  & Delivery (2020) and one of the Best Bar-B-Que Chains in America (2018).

Soulman’s currently owns and operates 21 North and East Texas locations in Allen, Cedar Hill, Fort Worth, Forney, Garland, Greenville, Hurst, Hurst Grapevine Highway,  Lancaster, Lewisville, Mabank, Mansfield, Mesquite, Quinlan, Red Oak, Rockwall I-30, Rockwall Goliad, Royse City,  Sulphur Springs, Terrell, and Van. To learn more about Soulman’s Bar-B-Que, visit them online at http://www.soulmans.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soulmansbbq.

Did you know that Win Kids hosts a free monthly storytime? Our story time event has started becoming a beloved gathering for families in the community, offering a warm and welcoming event families look forward to every month. Every storytime we welcome families to come experience magical storytelling and a playful invitation to play in our open gym after.

At the beginning of story time there is a lively welcome as we sing our welcome song and fun preschool tunes to engage children in the fun! We even include musical instruments and fluffy friends to enjoy the fun. Following the songs, we transition into reading interactive stories that all the family can enjoy including holiday themed stories and classic fairy tale twists. After reading together, children enjoy a lively playtime in our open gym where they can explore our facility and socialize with new friends! 

The best part of storytime is bringing together a community of families at Win Kids, all united in support of fostering the growth and development of children. There are many benefits for children attending story time including enriching literacy, creativity, and social skills. Our story time curates an hour of these skills in a fun interactive way!

One parent remarked, “It’s so nice to see the same families month after month. It’s like our little community within a community.” These connections are what make Storytime more than just a reading session—it’s a space for building relationships that last.

As Story Time continues to grow, we're excited to continue to host future story time events. We invite you to join us at the next story time! 

Free Story Time Event - No need to register!

What: Interactive story time, open gym, and take home craft

When: Every second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 am (2024-2025 School Year)

Where: Win Kids Sports & Learning

3000 Waketon Rd. Flower Mound, TX 75028

For more information:

Call: 972.355.9988
Email: info@winkids.net

For a fifth year and just in time for the holidays, the Center Table Fall Harvest Thanksgiving food distribution event will be held Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, from 9-11 a.m. at the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center (1800 Bonnie View Rd, Dallas, TX 75216). Additionally, meal boxes will be delivered to older adults living in the neighborhood as well as a nearby high school and recreation center. In total, the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center team will deliver approximately 1,300 food boxes and turkeys, providing meals for more than 5,000 people.

HEB is the lead sponsor. Center Table Fall Harvest is also presented by The Mark Cuban Foundation, The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, The Heroes Foundation, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and NFM, in partnership with the North Texas Food Bank.

Free and open to the public, the drive-through event is geared toward people who reside in the surrounding neighborhoods of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center including Oak Cliff and southern Dallas County. Pre-registration is NOT required.Food boxes are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Food insecurity is still an issue, especially with inflation continuing, childcare costs rising and student loan payments resuming – it’s a tough time,” said Trina Terrell Andrews, CEO of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center. “The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center and our partners hope that this gesture helps as families and friends come together for Thanksgiving.”

The Thanksgiving meals, serving 4-6 people, will include a whole turkey or two whole chickens, three sides, two cans of cranberry sauce, dessert and a one-gallon drink or case of water along with containers to warm the food in the microwave or oven. This year, the boxes will also include snacks and three additional meals.

“With children being home from school during the holiday break, we’re especially grateful to HEB for generously supplementing our event with extra food items this year,” added Scott Tomlin, director of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation who recruited HEB to join the Center Table initiative.

Members from Dallas Fire-Rescue, the Dallas Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety will volunteer to distribute the meals. Entertainment will be provided by The Guitar Slayer, Infinite Arts Movement and Ollimpaxqui Ballet Co. In addition, artists from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture will be on hand.

In addition, as part of Center Table Fall Harvest, specially catered meals will be delivered to a pre-selected group of older adults in the Center’s surrounding neighborhoods prior to Thanksgiving week. Additional meal boxes and turkeys will be distributed through a special distribution at Dallas ISD’s Roosevelt High School and Kiest Park Recreation Center.

Center Table launched in May 2020 to address the difficult times many families have faced since the onset of the pandemic. Since then, Center Table events have provided more than 32,000 meals and 2 million pounds of food to families and households.

For more info, go to markcubanheroescenter.org, call 214-379-7451 or email heroesactivities@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE MARK CUBAN HEROES BASKETBALL CENTER.The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center is a multi-purpose facility for neighborhood youth and families providing sports and leadership programs. The Center expanded its services to address the critical needs arising during the pandemic related to food insecurity, including the distribution of afterschool snacks, meals and food boxes to neighborhood families.