Heritage of Darkness
Chloe Ellefson Mystery #4

This book takes place during December 1982 in Decorah, Iowa, with flashbacks to events set in the 1940's to 1960's.

For curator Chloe Ellefson, a bonding trip with her mother Marit to take rosemaling classes at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum seems like a great idea—until the drive there begins. Chloe’s cop friend Roelke McKenna tags along, hoping to do some bonding of his own. During the drive Roelke responds with good nature to Marit's talk of Norwegian romantic customs, but Chloe’s emotional distress increases with each passing mile.

In Decorah, Chloe's resolve to adopt a positive attitude is challenged when she discovers the body of her rosemaling instructor in the museum, stuffed inside an antique immigrant trunk. Then Marit volunteers to teach the dead woman's class, placing Chloe in the hot seat of motherly criticism.

Soon Chloe and Roelke are reluctantly drawn into the investigation. Together and apart they uncover old Norwegian customs―and dark family secrets―that may prove deadly to them all.

Heritage of Darkness is available as a 360-page trade paperback and in ebook versions. Each contains a map, photos, and cast of characters.

Places

Most scenes in this book are set at real places that still exist and can be visited (except for the private homes).

Below is a custom map designed to enable you to virtually visit the key locations where the story takes place.

Related Blog Posts

Happy Solstice!

Centuries ago, our ancestors built bonfires on the darkest day of winter. Many Europeans feared the evil spirits that roamed winter skies.

Why Vesterheim?

“Why is the new Chloe book set in Iowa?” The question came in an email. “Why is Chloe crossing the border? Why not explore other sites in Wisconsin?”

Chip Carving

I knew Roelke McKenna needed to accompany Chloe and Mom to Decorah in Heritage of Darkness. Signing him up for a woodworking class wasn’t hard, either; I’d already established in an earlier book that he enjoying carving. The question was: what style of carving should he pursue?

Researching Heritage Of Darkness

Mr. Ernst here. This month the focus is on a surprise that turned up when researching a specific scene in this book, the fourth in Kathleen’s award-winning Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites mystery series.

Lefse

Since a lefse pin spattered with blood is on the cover of my latest Chloe Ellefson mystery, Heritage of Darkness, it’s not much of a spoiler to say that the murder weapon is. . . you guessed it, a lefse pin.

A Retrospective

was the first to cross state lines. It’s set at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. By the time I started planning this book I’d visited this wonderful museum while writing the first Chloe mystery, Old World Murder, to study ale bowls.