Amateur Sleuth Confronts the Chicago Mob in Exciting New Novel Set in Palos Woods
The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is the third book in the Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery series.
In The Mystery at Mount Forest Island, when an automobile accident leaves Valerie Pawlik totally blind, she masters the daily activities of a dark world, but is haunted by painful mysteries from her childhood, leaving her without the confidence to lead the independent life she longs for. With the help of Cora and Cisco Tozzi, Frannie Berkowitz, and Billy Nokoy, Valerie sets out to search for the mother who deserted her and the killer of her beloved uncle. The quest leads the friends back over fifty years to a dangerous world of the Chicago Mob, an abandoned golf course, a stalker, and paranormal phenomena in the area’s forest preserves.
“Before I begin writing, I spend a lot of time on research. It helps me to not only represent time periods accurately, but fills in details that define and enrich the story. It’s these details that my readers love. Also, my books are not just about the chase to solve the mysteries. The stories delve into the relationships between people, families and friends. The characters in this new book are loners that learn how to build meaningful friendships.
“This book is all about crime, deceit, love and the value of friendship and is set in the woods near Lemont, Illinois, where I live. The story was inspired by the memory of a childhood friend who was always outgoing and cheerful. I later found out she was hiding painful secrets. Another friend had grown up in a secluded but historically-important area of the Cook County Forest Preserves. In my mind, the stories came together into a new fictional work that brought out the history of the area and dramatized the personal conflicts of the characters.
“And for my fans that like a touch of the supernatural, the story will introduce you to a mystical woods, a ghost, and a little-known paranormal phenomenon.”
The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is available for purchase now from Amazon in paperback and Kindle, and free with Kindle Unlimited membership.
Early Reviews
A ghost haunts the woods outside Lemont, Illinois, in this third installment of a mystery series.
Billy Nokoy, a 20-something Native American, knows he is considered a loser, but now he also thinks he must be going crazy. He seems to have the power to cause lightning bolt–style destruction. There is only one person who might be able to help him understand what happened at Mount Forest Island—Cora Tozzi. Grandmotherly Cora was there the day Billy’s mysterious force was released. Meanwhile, Valerie Pawlik, who was permanently blinded in an automobile accident two years ago, also faces a crossroads. She has mastered navigating without her eyesight, but her brother and sister-in-law want her to move out of their home. Divorced, without a job, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter living in California, and just about out of savings, Valerie is stuck in place. According to her psychological counselor, Father McGrath, she needs to make friends, never her strong suit, and to confront her unresolved emotional baggage—her mother abandoned the family when Valerie was 13 and she never saw her again. Father McGrath recommends she seek help from Cora, with whom she had a bitter fight just before her car crash. Everything is in place for Camalliere’s special sauce, a mixture of present-day drama, history, and unexplained phenomena—plus, of course, a ghost, in this case one who is a bit confused but determined to exact revenge. From the 1920s until the early ’40s, Mount Forest Island was home to a golf course and clubhouse used by Al Capone and his friends as well as a farmhouse with mob connections. The structures were torn down decades ago, but left behind, apparently, was some unfinished personal business. Billy’s and Valerie’s quests begin to converge when he becomes the reluctant mystical conduit between past and present. He alone sees the once-abandoned, now nonexistent structures, and only he interacts with the very talkative spirit. The author supplements genealogical research and supernatural meddling with satisfying, well-paced action scenes.
A fun escapist read with engaging characters and intriguing historical morsels; a solid series addition. – Kirkus Reviews
David W. Berner, author of Things Behind the Sun, reviewed The Mystery at Mount Forest Island (Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series)  A wonderful read! April 15, 2020 This is a joy of a book. Great characters with rich stories and compelling, forward-moving dialogue. Filled with everything you want in a mystery—smart narrative, great research, and unlike some mysteries, highly believable. It rings with authenticity. Read this! |
“A taut, well-crafted mystery story that hits close to home.
“The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is an intricately-woven work of historical fiction that highlights Camalliere’s writing skill and ability to effectively combine the elements of time, place, setting, and character into a unique mystery story that spans generations and culminates in a satisfying conclusion.
“Camalliere’s writing captured me with her first sentences and kept me engaged throughout the story. I especially enjoyed learning, in great detail, about the locations depicted in the story—which are close to where I live—and the history and mysteries buried there. With the additional elements of a group investigation, family drama, organized crime, and the supernatural, her story is varied but balanced and is guaranteed to garner a diverse readership.
“The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is the third installment of the Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series, establishing Camalliere as an author committed to the form and genre, and establishing herself with a community of readers who will no doubt wait patiently with anticipation for the next installment.” Dan Burns, author of Grace: Stories and a Novella, 5 stars April 19, 2020:
“An engaging mystery set against the back drop of organized crime in Chicago’s south suburbs.” – John Binder-author of Al Capone’s Beer Wars and The Chicago Outfit.
LB Johnson rated it 5 stars. “This is the perfect read for a late night with a cup of tea. It combines elements of historical fiction, women’s fiction, and paranormal in a wonderfully crafted tale. Valerie, blind from an accident, is looking for the killer of a beloved relative only to be drawn into a world of ancient grudges and Chicago Mob mentalities where the ghosts you may find are the least of your fears. I loved reading about parts of Chicago I have not visited – it really adds to the storyline and I literally read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down.”
| scm reviewed The Mystery at Mount Forest Island (Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series Book 3) Excellent characters April 13, 2020 For me, this 5-star rating is based on the wonderfully well-drawn characters, their relationships with one another and their development throughout this story. There is depth and authenticity to these people that had me rooting for them. Well-written dialogue. The clearly meticulous attention to historical detail is interesting and thorough. Nice work! |
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