Murder in Paradise

About the Book

Pete and Lucia Christos are citizens of Burlington, Vermont and are tired of the harsh, punishing winters. They decide to escape to the warmer climes of Florida during the winter months.

Pete and his son, Dave, are proprietors of a detective agency in Burlington, and his wife, Lucia, and his daughter-in-law, Camille, run a travel agency in the same building as Pete on Church Street in Burlington.

After much surfing on their computer and much reading of brochures, the couple decide to visit Paradise Village, an over fifty -five community in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

After touring the facility with the Sales Manager, Barry Gerber, they fall in love with the gated community and decide to rent a cottage. They both become immersed in the activities and amenities of the community which offers club memberships, access to professional golf courses, a clubhouse with a grand ballroom, and indoor and outdoor pools among other amenities. The grounds and cottages are immaculate.

Many residents of the Village are elderly and are being cared for in their cottages by nurses and home help aides. When there is an uptick in the deaths of these elderly patients, Barry Gerber asks Pete for help in investigating the demise of these patients. Pete asks his son, Dave, to come down from Vermont for a visit so that he can help his dad with the investigation. What they uncover is a murderer in their midst who threatens the very existence of Paradise Village.

About the Author

Fred Cerrato was a Middle School Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist for forty years in his hometown of Bloomfield, New Jersey. His high school basketball team won the state championship in 1958. He was named to All-County and All-State basketball teams and earned a basketball scholarship to St. Michaels College in Winooski, Vermont where he was the starting point guard for four years. He was named to the All-Vermont team in 1962. He was an English major in College and has written three books "A Vermont Basketball Story", "The Cruise Detectives", and "Murder in Paradise."