In 1942, Boston teenager Jessica Stanfield is learning about life and its complexities in a time of war as her German housekeeper Anna is harassed and threatened. Her parents, anxious for Jessica’s safety as well as Anna’s, send them to spend the summer in one of the dune shacks of the backshore of Cape Cod. Jessica is enchanted by her new independence as well as by the wild natures that she discovers in the dunes. She is befriended by a local girl, Sophie, the daughter of a fisherman, and as time passes the girls’ friendship deepens into something deeper. But the summer isn’t just idyllic: rumors of camps in Europe, the presence of U-boats off the coast, and dangers even closer to home put Jessica’s newfound strength to the test. And when she’s called upon to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong, she finds that she has to grow up… quickly.Filled with descriptions of Provincetown and its surrounding dunes during World War Two, Our Lady of the Dunes is a novel that will challenge readers’ assumptions while giving a glimpse into another place in another time.

Our Lady of the Dunes

Literature & Fiction

de Beauvoir, Jeannette

Genre Fiction

HomePort Press

A Romance and Mystery that Redefines the Meaning of Family from Award-winning Author, A. C. Burch Fleeing New York City and an abusive partner, would-be writer Marc Nugent finds work at HomePort, the Provincetown mansion of Lola Staunton, a fabulously wealthy recluse. Aided by an attractive-but-unattainable artist and an all-too-available cross-dresser, Marc investigates accusations of rape and murder that have estranged Lola from a childhood friend for more than sixty years. Past and present converge when a long-lost journal reveals tales of infidelity, adultery, and passion that mirror the life Marc has recently abandoned. When his ex-lover arrives in search of revenge, Marc must confront his past, his notions of family, and his capacity for love.

The HomePort Journals (HomePort Chronicles)

Burch, A.C.

Humor & Satire

Volume 1 of the Provincetown Theme Week Series 
 Sydney Riley is the wedding coordinator for the Race Point Inn in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a resort town on Cape Cod that attracts a diverse flow of summer visitors, including same-sex couples wishing to tie the knot where marriage equality in the United States all began. But Sydney’s busy schedule is interrupted when, right at the beginning of “Bear Week” (one of many theme weeks celebrating various groups) she finds her boss, Barry, the inn owner—and “bear” himself—floating in the inn’s swimming pool…dead. 
 Sydney thinks that everyone likes Barry, but soon she finds that there was a lot going on under the surface that she didn’t know about. Who’s been embezzling the inn’s funds? Was Barry really running a green-card scam out of the inn? Are any of the condo owners next door irate enough to come after Barry? What about that mysterious person in the Gropius house that Barry’s been seeing? And why does Sydney seem to be falling for—of all people—an ICE agent? 
 Join Sydney, her friend the Bulgarian artist Mirela, her coworkers Jason and Mike, Barry’s longtime partner Glenn, local police detective Julie, and a cast of a hundred bears as she tries to find out what really happened to Barry…hopefully before the killer collects any more bodies!

Death of a Bear: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

Provincetown in the '60's and '70's: the realities of the Vietnam War bear down even on those who've tried to escape, arriving with a few possessions and the vague hope of an artist's life on this narrow stretch of sand. Joints and lovers are passed from hand to hand and the dancing at Piggy's reaches a frenzied pitch. . .as the nation holds its breath, fearing a worldwide catastrophe, watching a Presidency unravel.

The Washashores: Provincetown Stories

R. D. Skillings

Second Novel in the Provincetown Theme Week Mystery Series Wedding coordinator Sydney Riley never thought she’d get caught up in a murder investigation, but she became an amateur sleuth when her boss was killed during Bear Week. Now she’s back, this time as the Race Point Inn hosts Provincetown’s venerable transgender event, Fantasia Fair… and murder is once again an uninvited guest! 
 It’s all hands on deck at the inn as visitors arrive for the week-long event and Sydney helps coordinator Rachel Parsons organize the occasion. Guest Elizabeth Gonzalez is attending with her spouse, Bob, who—as Angela—is taking a bold first step into a whole new existence. Angela, Elizabeth, and Sydney learn the ropes and politics from other guests, some of whom have attended annually for more than forty years. 
 But the next day, Sydney’s detective friend summons her to one of the town beaches where Angela’s body has been found—with a knife in her back, a knife stolen from Adrienne, the Race Point Inn’s diva chef. 
 Fair organizers and attendees try and carry on as Provincetown is overrun with police, press, and rampant speculation. Sydney, her boyfriend Ali, her friend Mirela, her boss Glenn, and a host of Fantasia Fair participants scramble to find out who killed Angela—and why—before the killer strikes again.

Murder at Fantasia Fair: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

Product Description Provincetown in the '60's and '70's: the realities of the Vietnam War bear down even on those who've tried to escape, arriving with a few possessions and the vague hope of an artist's life on this narrow stretch of sand. Joints and lovers are passed from hand to hand and the dancing at Piggy's reaches a frenzied pitch. . .as the nation holds its breath, fearing a worldwide catastrophe, watching a Presidency unravel. About the Author R. D. Skillings has been a unique and compelling chronicler of Provincetown and its people for more than fifty years. He moved to Provincetown in 1967, became one of the first Fine Arts Work Center Fellows (1969 - 1971), then joined the Writing Committee, where he was instrumental for many years. His works include: Alternative Lives, stories, Ithaca House, 1974; P-town Stories (or The Meat-rack) 1980; Apple-wood Books, stories; In a Murderous Time, 1984, stories, Apple-wood Books; Where the Time Goes, stories, University Press of New England, 1999; How Many Die, novel, University Press of New England; Obsidian, novella, Arts End Books, 2001; Memory for Marisa Rose, Arts End Books, poems 2003; Summer's End, Provincetown Arts Press, stories 2016. Author Jhumpa Lahiri said of Skillings, "For forty-five years this town has been Skilling's muse, his mooring, the setting and subject of much of his fiction. He is a character for whom place is character and vice versa."

Skillings, R.D.

Short Stories & Anthologies

If there’s a dead body anywhere in Provincetown, wedding consultant Sydney Riley is going to be the one to find it! The seaside town’s annual Portuguese Festival is approaching and it looks like smooth sailing until Sydney’s neighbor decides to have some construction done in her home—and finds more than she bargained for inside her wall. Now Sydney is again balancing her work at the Race Point Inn with an unexpected adventure that will eventually involve fishermen, gunrunners, a mummified cat, a family fortune, misplaced heirs, a girl with a mysterious past, and lots and lots of Portuguese food. The Blessing of the Fleet is coming up, and unless Sydney can find the key to a decades-old murder, it might yet come back to haunt everyone in this otherwise-peaceful fishing village.

The Deadliest Blessing: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

Set during the reign of King Phillipe le Bel, this panoramic novel by bestselling author Jeannette de Beauvoir shares the passions and politics of medieval France in a tale rich with adventure, turmoil, and heartbreak. When three girls betrothed to Phillipe’s sons arrive at the French Court, they are soon swept up by palace intrigue and deadly betrayals. In the short period from 1301 to 1315, Phillipe will orchestrate the murder of a pope, drive the Jews from France, ensure the destruction of the Knights Templar, and thwart the love affair of his daughter, Isabelle—who, as Queen of England, will sow the seeds of the Hundred Years’ War. A master of suspense, de Beauvoir is renowned for creating authentic, compelling characters. Her nuanced, knowledgeable, and heartfelt portrayal of these real-life individuals not only brings their stories to life but also reveals the machinations of a troubled time all too reminiscent of our own.

Lethal Alliances: A Novel

Sydney Riley is busier than ever organizing parties, weddings, and even a float for Provincetown's Carnival Parade. When her boyfriend's sister, Karen-who happens to be Boston's Police Commissioner-arrives for an unexpected visit, things don't add up. It's totally out of character for Karen to take a vacation, never mind at high season in a tiny summer resort packed with tens of thousands of scantily-clad revelers. Sydney suspects an ulterior motive and starts to investigate, which brings her face-to-face with some ugly truths about the world-and herself. Filled with the colorful characters and unexpected twists you've come to expect, this fourth book in the Sydney Riley series offers a gripping tale of courage and conviction set against the festive backdrop of Provincetown's most outrageous week.

A Killer Carnival: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

Holly Folly is approaching, and Sydney Riley is feeling far from festive. She hasn’t heard from her boyfriend in weeks, a mysterious stranger has crashed into her beloved “little green car,” and, in a moment of temporary insanity, she’s invited her parents for the holidays. She’s convinced things could not possibly get worse—until she stumbles over a body at the lighting of the lobster pot Christmas tree. As if this is not enough, when a gold coin and nameplate of a missing fishing boat are discovered, she’s asked to investigate the unsolved mystery of a murdered fisherman. While Provincetown is aglow with holiday lights and events, Sydney, Provincetown’s unofficial sleuth, is in the dark but determined to uncover the motive for both murders.

A Fatal Folly: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

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Books by HomePort Press

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the HomePort Press publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Our Lady of the Dunes

The HomePort Journals (HomePort Chronicles)

Death of a Bear: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

The Washashores: Provincetown Stories

Murder at Fantasia Fair: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

The Washashores: Provincetown Stories

The Deadliest Blessing: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

Lethal Alliances: A Novel

A Killer Carnival: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)

A Fatal Folly: A Provincetown Mystery (Sydney Riley Series)