Publication Date: March 16, 2024
In 1939, fourteen-year-old Violet and her parents arrive at the Sulphur Springs Hotel, drawn in along with other desperate guests by legends of the waters’ restorative properties. Here, curious young Violet strikes up an instant friendship with the hotelier’s worldly daughter, Julia. Together, they attempt to solve the mysteries behind the hotel’s luxury façade — including the cases of the brownie thief, the secretive hotel director, and the flirtatious gardener.
But when one of Violet’s investigations leads her to commit an act of treachery, she unwittingly aides a murderous plot. Seventy years later, the killer has yet to be caught.
In 2009, a widowed Violet returns to the hotel, now in ruins. Her intention is to solve this cold case. The scene of the crime reveals new clues and revives old memories, including that of her lost family and her own sexual awakening. Now, confronting her final years, Violet is desperate to make peace with her ghosts, even if she may be seventy years too late.
For 70 years, Violet McAdams has kept a secret. However, as she prepares to move into a senior care facility, she is determined to put the past to rest.
Author Jeffrey Round takes a determined octogenarian and her niece on an adventure in The Sulphur Springs Cure. While the Sulphur Springs Hotel was destroyed by fire, it didn’t deter Violet.
As the storyline intertwines past and present, Violet’s visit to the hotel with her parents unfolds along with the revelation of the secret. It’s interesting to see how Violet manages to put together all the memories and finally realize she had reached the wrong conclusion about the murder.
While the story possesses the ingredients for a mystery, it’s also a coming-of-age as Violet wrestles with images from her childhood. Seeing them through the eyes of an adult allows her to find the truth.
The Sulphur Springs Cure offers an opportunity for a woman to find peace after being haunted by what she thought was her role in a man’s murder.
Jeffrey Round is an author, playwright, and filmmaker from Toronto, Ontario. His previous books include the Dan Sharp Mysteries, the Bradford Fairfax Murder Mysteries, and the acclaimed war novel The Honey Locust. He co-founded the Naked Heart Festival. Lake on the Mountain, the first Dan Sharp Mystery, won the Lambda Award for Best Gay Mystery and two other books in the series have been shortlisted for the prize. Jeffrey is currently at work on a feature film project.
