Lies Are Better At The Lake: A Claire O’Keefe Mystery
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Arkansas
Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 24, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
Digital

Synopsis

Welcome to Osage Springs, where small-town charm meets big trouble.

When Claire O’Keefe’s father suffers a stroke, she puts her plans to teach overseas on hold and returns home to Osage Springs, Arkansas. Between caring for her parents and reconnecting with her roots, she expects a quiet few months—until a chance encounter at the grocery store changes everything.

An old high school classmate, now an English teacher at Lakeside High, asks Claire to fill in during her maternity leave. It sounds simple enough—grading essays, managing teenagers, and maybe sneaking in a lakeside walk or two. But when a fellow teacher is found dead in Beaver Lake, the sleepy Ozark town turns tense, and Claire once again finds herself drawn into a mystery she can’t ignore.

This time, the sheriff’s department is asking for volunteers to aid the search, and Claire can’t resist lending a hand. But as secrets rise to the surface, she begins to wonder if the lake is hiding more than just one deadly truth.

Can Claire help solve the case before the next body surfaces… or will she be the one caught beneath the calm, cold water?

Amazon

Guest Post

The Stories That Inspired the Claire O’Keefe Mysteries

Guest Post by Cindy Quayle

One of the questions I’m asked most often as a cozy mystery author is where the ideas for my stories come from. The truth is that inspiration can appear almost anywhere. Sometimes it comes from travel, sometimes from conversations with interesting people, and sometimes it begins with a simple question every mystery writer loves to ask: What if?

That question is actually how the Claire O’Keefe Mysteries began.

Claire is an English as a Foreign Language teacher who loves adventure and travel. She never planned to become an amateur sleuth, but her curiosity and strong sense of justice have a way of pulling her into mysteries wherever she goes.

Her first brush with sleuthing happens during what is supposed to be a carefree trip to Cozumel, Mexico for her best friend Julia’s bachelorette party. The plan is simple: enjoy the sunshine, go scuba diving, and celebrate before Julia’s wedding.

But cozy mysteries rarely allow vacations to remain peaceful.

When a murder disrupts the trip, Claire begins noticing small details that others overlook. One question leads to another, and before long she finds herself following clues and trying to uncover the truth.

The setting for that first mystery was inspired by a real scuba diving vacation my family took to Cozumel. The island’s clear blue water, vibrant marine life, and welcoming diving community made a strong impression on me. While I was there, I remember thinking it would be the perfect backdrop for a mystery.

That experience helped shape the direction of the series. Travel became an important part of Claire’s story, allowing each book to introduce new locations, cultures, and characters.

In cozy mysteries, the setting often becomes almost like another character in the story. The atmosphere of a place can influence the tone of the mystery, the types of suspects that appear, and even the secrets that people are trying to hide.

In my newest book, Lies Are Better At The Lake, Claire’s story brings her back to Northwest Arkansas. She returns home to help her mother and spend time with her father while he recovers from a stroke. While Claire hopes the visit will give her a chance to reconnect with family and enjoy a slower pace for a while, it isn’t long before tensions between old acquaintances around Beaver Lake begin to surface. Naturally, Claire’s curiosity draws her into another mystery.

Lake communities are fascinating places. On the surface, everything feels calm and peaceful. Boats drift across the water, neighbors gather on docks, and the scenery is beautiful. But cozy mystery readers know that those tranquil settings can often hide complicated relationships and long-held secrets.

Writing this story was especially meaningful for me because I live in Northwest Arkansas, and I enjoyed weaving the beauty and atmosphere of the area into the mystery.

For me, inspiration often comes from observing the little details of everyday life. A place, a conversation, or even a passing comment can spark the idea that eventually grows into a full mystery.

And one of the most rewarding parts of writing cozy mysteries is knowing that readers become part of the puzzle. Cozy mystery readers are wonderfully observant. They notice clues, form theories, and try to solve the mystery right alongside the sleuth. Do you enjoy mysteries set in vacation destinations, or do you prefer stories set in small towns and close-knit communities?

Thank you to StoreyBook Reviews for welcoming me today and for supporting cozy mysteries. And thank you to readers who enjoy stepping into Claire’s world of travel, secrets, and unexpected mysteries.

About the Author

Cindy Quayle is the author of the Claire O’Keefe Mystery series, cozy whodunits set in a variety of scuba diving destinations. After years of teaching students, Cindy took the plunge into fiction with her debut novel, Death on Cozumel Island, inspired by a family scuba diving vacation to Cozumel.

When she is not writing, Cindy teaches ESL part-time and draws inspiration from her love of travel and the underwater world. An avid scuba diver, she enjoys exploring new dive sites and weaving the sights, culture, and atmosphere of each location into her stories. Cindy enjoys connecting with readers and is active on social media, where she shares updates on her writing life, travel adventures, and upcoming Claire O’Keefe mysteries.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok