Lady of the House

by Richard Lannon

In 1971 Jack Holstrum, a native of New York City and a writer of children’s books, has encountered the infamous writer’s block syndrome and feels the need to take a hiatus from the big city and writing for a few weeks. His agent agrees and even recommends renting a cottage that he’s just heard about in Bar Harbor.Arriving in that community and settling into the cottage known as Pirates Overlook, Jack quickly finds himself immersed in a 200-year-old mystery that includes a woman who shows up to be his housekeeper who is sometimes there and sometimes isn’t. Then sheets from his own writing tablet show up on his desk that craft a novel that seems to write itself—in his own handwriting. Its tale is set just after the Revolutionary War and tells the story of Myke Redburn, a privateer, and his love Lady Cora. As the story progresses, Jack sees that it involves murder, deception, betrayal, and a plot hatched by Lady Cora’s uncle, who, though pretending to be a loyal patriot to the colonial cause, is instead selling contraband armament to the British. Redburn, learning about this, tries to stop the uncle. That eventually leads to a sea battle between the two, one unique in the annals of naval history because it ends without a single shot being fired and yet causes the uncle’s downfall.At the same time, Jack himself is confused by the odd events that are happening, so he enlists the help of the local librarian—who is suspicious of Jack’s motivation for even being in Bar Harbor. They then have their own adventure—falling in love at the same time—as they try to unravel the mystery and determine the truth, a truth that leads them to an incredible treasure and an outcome that neither one of them could have foreseen.

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2020

About the author

A dynamic business speaker, strategist, coach, author and cheerleader, Richard takes the audience on a powerful journey, engaging people, bridging gaps and building business brainpower for better decisions and solutions for your organization. An award winning speaker, international publication contributor and radio personality, Richard researches, writes and speaks on how to structure, engage and transform business through strategic planning and leadership development for business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals globally. Alongside his cross industry experience is a cheeky and fun personality. When Richard speaks, get ready to be entertained! With his no nonsense approach, stories and examples, Richard guides you to renewed vision, common direction and an action roadmap for your business success.