by Carrie Doyle

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win one full set of Carrie Doyle’s East Hamptons Murder Mystery series:
1 copy of Death on Bull Path
1 copy of Death on West End Road
1 copy of Death on Lily Pond Lane
1 copy of Death on Windmill Way.

They call it Tumbleweed Tuesday in the Hamptons. The day after Labor Day, when all of the summer people finally leave town and the locals can have the place to themselves. Streets stretching from Montauk to Southampton empty out and traffic thins. The only activity on the sandy beaches is the buzzing of the bees that usher in September and escort the vacationers back to their cities. Dogs are finally allowed back on the beach during the day. It’s possible to walk in to a restaurant and snag a table in the window without a reservation. For most people who live in East Hampton, the end of ‘the season’ is the beginning.

I grew up summering and holidaying in East Hampton and have morphed from a second home owner into pretty much a full-time resident, especially now that I serve as a Trustee for East Hampton Village. It is my favorite place on earth, and of course I am biased, but our Main Beach has won an award as “America’s Best Beach” countless times. Renowned painters such as Childe Hassam, Thomas Moran, Jackson Pollock and Willem De Kooning, have flocked to East Hampton for decades because of the light. Now we are inundated with guests from all over the country, as well as celebrities. (Actually, every day in the summer when my husband shaves, he looks out his bathroom window and spies Jay Z walking to the beach. Sometimes with Beyoncé.)

But for those who love East Hampton, it is not the glitz and glamour that attracts us. It is not that it is a playground for the rich and famous. We love the smells, the farmland, the ocean, the bays, the ponds, the lush vegetation and towering trees. The bounty of fruits and vegetables that come out of our soil can’t be beat. The swans that hold court in the Village Pond who live in a tranquil haze along with local birds and other wildlife. The quaint Main Street and historic buildings that had stood stalwart for generations.

I set my cozy mystery series in the Hamptons because there is so much more to it than what you may read in a gossip magazine, and summer isn’t the only truly incredible season. Each of my four books (Death on Windmill Way; Death on Lily Pond Lane; Death on West End Road and Death on Bull Path) take place during a different season. And I try to highlight the beauty and joy that comes with each one, as well as the inevitable emptiness in the dark winter months. East Hampton can feel forlorn and forgotten in January and February.

I chose an innkeeper, Antonia Bingham, as my protagonist, because I figured someone in that position would see a good cross-section of people coming and going. She is also a chef who has a well-regarded restaurant. When I was in college I worked for Ina Garten at The Barefoot Contessa store and loosely based Antonia on Ina. (Back in the nineties Ina’s best friend Antonia had a flower shop next to The Barefoot Contessa where she also sold her exceptional perfume, Antonia’s Flowers. Everyone I knew wore that scent and it reminds me of my teenage years.) Working at The Barefoot Contessa could be challenging because the crowd was demanding. My sister, who also worked there, said some of the clients were the worst because they were “rich, entitled and hungry.” But Ina Garten was so gracious and led by example and always supported her staff. I wanted Antonia Bingham to be that way, so when there are troubles at her inn—say, a murder—she was always rational and polite and kept things moving.

There isn’t a lot of crime in East Hampton though, so the murder element is truly fiction. I went on a ride along with a police officer last Friday, and the only criminal mischief was someone idling in a handicapped parking spot while his daughter got ice cream. He was told to move around and did so. No tickets or arrests. Truth is more mundane than fiction.

I think a visit to East Hampton any time of year is rewarding because it is rich with history. One event that readers of Kings River Life might be interested in is the Hamptons Mystery and Crime Festival, which will premiere next April (dates and details to come soon.) That is a great time to meet some authors and visit some of the actual locations that are featured in my Hamptons Murder Mystery Series. Let’s hope there are no real murders though!

To enter to win a copy of all 4 books so far in this series, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “hamptons,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 10, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win–it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up last week.

You can use this link to purchase the latest book here. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the entire series.

CARRIE DOYLE is the author of several novels and five optioned screenplays. A born and bred New Yorker, Carrie has spent most of her life in Manhattan, except for a six-year stint in Europe (Russia; France; England) and five years in Los Angeles. A former Editor-in-Chief of the Russian edition of Marie Claire, Carrie has written dozens of articles for various magazines.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, which are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.