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Alice MacDonald Greer Mystery Series #3
Ghost Letter
The third title in the Alice MacDonald Greer mystery series, Ghost Letter follows the lawyer and sometime sleuth as she continues to build her practice—and her life—in the arid beauty of Texas Hill Country.
When a local antiques dealer presents a letter to Congressman Sandro Navarro that suggests his father, Alejandro, is the illegitimate heir of a long-dead oil scion named Alex Drinkman, Alice knows that this information will likely cause plenty of waves in the community.
Sure enough, someone leaks the letter to the press, setting off a chain of events that culminates in the death of one of Sandro’s top aides…and Alice agreeing to represent ninety-four-year-old Alejandro in his quest to establish himself as Drinkman's rightful heir.
But powerful oil barons don’t take kindly to people staking claim on their land or money. Alice and Alejandro quickly find themselves targets of the Drinkman family’s considerable power—plunging Alice into a world of antique rifles, spy technology, and corrupt politics—all while juggling her friendships with local characters like Red, who runs a horse rescue operation, and navigating an increasingly smoldering relationship with Ben Kinsear.
When a local antiques dealer presents a letter to Congressman Sandro Navarro that suggests his father, Alejandro, is the illegitimate heir of a long-dead oil scion named Alex Drinkman, Alice knows that this information will likely cause plenty of waves in the community.
Sure enough, someone leaks the letter to the press, setting off a chain of events that culminates in the death of one of Sandro’s top aides…and Alice agreeing to represent ninety-four-year-old Alejandro in his quest to establish himself as Drinkman's rightful heir.
But powerful oil barons don’t take kindly to people staking claim on their land or money. Alice and Alejandro quickly find themselves targets of the Drinkman family’s considerable power—plunging Alice into a world of antique rifles, spy technology, and corrupt politics—all while juggling her friendships with local characters like Red, who runs a horse rescue operation, and navigating an increasingly smoldering relationship with Ben Kinsear.
- GenresMystery
316 pages, Paperback
Published January 12, 2016
30 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Helen Currie Foster
15 books44 followersHelen Currie Foster writes the Alice MacDonald Greer Mystery series, set in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, with its quirky characters, hidden springs and spectacularly rough landscape.
Helen taught high school English and covered local politics for a weekly newspaper which gave her a ringside seat for battles over sewers, water mains, and development. She headed for law school and after thirty years practicing environmental and regulatory law and litigation, she found the character Alice and her stories had suddenly appeared in her life. From childhood Helen loved mysteries...and still does.
Married with two children, Helen lives north of Dripping Springs, Texas, supervised by three burros. She's deeply curious about human history and how, uninvited, the past keeps crashing the party. Current preoccupations include the impact of mass production of weapons in the Bronze Age, debates over altruism vs. competition in human nature, and the fascinating research on human prehistory.
Helen serves on the boards of Austin Shakespeare and the Heart of Texas Sisters in Crime.
Helen taught high school English and covered local politics for a weekly newspaper which gave her a ringside seat for battles over sewers, water mains, and development. She headed for law school and after thirty years practicing environmental and regulatory law and litigation, she found the character Alice and her stories had suddenly appeared in her life. From childhood Helen loved mysteries...and still does.
Married with two children, Helen lives north of Dripping Springs, Texas, supervised by three burros. She's deeply curious about human history and how, uninvited, the past keeps crashing the party. Current preoccupations include the impact of mass production of weapons in the Bronze Age, debates over altruism vs. competition in human nature, and the fascinating research on human prehistory.
Helen serves on the boards of Austin Shakespeare and the Heart of Texas Sisters in Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 25, 2025
This was my favorite of the first three in the series! Bryce is an antiques dealer who we meet in book 1. His partner in the antiques business, Cassie, is the woman who was missing in Ghost Cave. Bryce finds an old letter, lock of hair, and bullets hidden in an oiled cloth in an old piece of furniture belonging to Alex Drinkman.
Alex Drinkman is heir to the Drinkman land and fortune, and a WWI fighter pilot. He is shot while riding his motorcycle home. His father Alistair Drinkman's fortune ends up going to Alex's stepmother Ella and Alex's sister Bonnie. Ella's son Willy ends up running and growing the fortune. The letter indicates that Alex planned on marrying a girl he loved named Susanna Navarro and adopting her son, Alejandro. Alice partners with Alejandro to prove that he is the biological son and heir of Alex's land and, in particular, The Blue Pool body of water which Willy's son Warren Drinkman wants to siphon off to a golf course.
As always, there is great description of the Texas Hill Country which I really enjoy.
Alex Drinkman is heir to the Drinkman land and fortune, and a WWI fighter pilot. He is shot while riding his motorcycle home. His father Alistair Drinkman's fortune ends up going to Alex's stepmother Ella and Alex's sister Bonnie. Ella's son Willy ends up running and growing the fortune. The letter indicates that Alex planned on marrying a girl he loved named Susanna Navarro and adopting her son, Alejandro. Alice partners with Alejandro to prove that he is the biological son and heir of Alex's land and, in particular, The Blue Pool body of water which Willy's son Warren Drinkman wants to siphon off to a golf course.
As always, there is great description of the Texas Hill Country which I really enjoy.
March 9, 2022
Don't you ever wonder
how even in fiction, a person can end up involved in so many murders? Well, there are enough murders (and other crimes) that if we all were as passionate as this protagonist about justice we could be . . .
Each book has been singular, not trite or repetitive in plot of character. That good bar-b-que keeps showing up is just natural to the setting!
how even in fiction, a person can end up involved in so many murders? Well, there are enough murders (and other crimes) that if we all were as passionate as this protagonist about justice we could be . . .
Each book has been singular, not trite or repetitive in plot of character. That good bar-b-que keeps showing up is just natural to the setting!
June 17, 2017
Good Texas mystery! Accurate description 0f central Texas. Characters sounded like central Texas good old boys.
September 24, 2022
could not put it down.....
July 9, 2023
Loved the description of the Texas Hill Country
November 5, 2023
Ghost Letter
Best book so far of her series. I can’t wait to read book 4. This book made it really hard to put down. Highly recommend it!
Best book so far of her series. I can’t wait to read book 4. This book made it really hard to put down. Highly recommend it!
October 17, 2016
Enjoyable story of a 100 year old murder in Texas involving the victim's relatives and estates. Alice Greer is where the action is, and she does not shy away from it. I enjoyed the legal proceedings the most although I wondered how many readers would understand the various filings and documents easily. The book could have gone on, but the author agreeably ends this book and the reader assumes that there will be another one in the near future.
Definitely I would read other books by this author.
I won this book is a Goodreads giveaway.
Definitely I would read other books by this author.
I won this book is a Goodreads giveaway.
June 24, 2016
This book has everything going for it: family secrets that span generations, political intrigue, evil- doing big companies willing to put people's life at risk for the sake of profit, murder, and fascinating and informative legal battles.
The characters are well-developed, introduced slowly at the beginning so one can keep track, and downright interesting. There is even an ongoing romance, and a lovely surprising new romance between two of the minor though exceedingly important characters.
In short, I really, really liked this book.
The characters are well-developed, introduced slowly at the beginning so one can keep track, and downright interesting. There is even an ongoing romance, and a lovely surprising new romance between two of the minor though exceedingly important characters.
In short, I really, really liked this book.
June 20, 2016
I am always happy when I win a book from Goodreads, so thank you once again for allowing me the chance to win Ghost Letter.
At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like this mystery, but as I read on, it got better and better. There are so many layers and so many characters and so many mysteries to be solved, I really got involved in it pretty quickly. I recommend it to all mystery lovers and look forward to her next book.
This is an exceptionally well-written mystery novel.
At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like this mystery, but as I read on, it got better and better. There are so many layers and so many characters and so many mysteries to be solved, I really got involved in it pretty quickly. I recommend it to all mystery lovers and look forward to her next book.
This is an exceptionally well-written mystery novel.
February 28, 2016
I love a mystery novel that is intent on having fun from start to finish while still driving the story forward. Ghost Letter is one of those mysteries. It's got lovable characters who feel grounded in their very specific spot in the world. A mystery with lots of layers. And a heroine that you can't help but root for. Highly recommend.
January 30, 2017
I liked the book but I didn't love the ending.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews