Celebrate Lit / October 21, 2026

Dockside Secrets

About the Book Dockside Secrets

Book: Dockside Secrets

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Christian Cozy Mystery

Release Date: October 17, 2025

When Finley Burke moves to the peaceful lakeside village of Sunset Cove, she’s looking for a fresh start-not a mystery. But when a violent storm washes a strange tackle box onto her dock, she discovers more than fishing lures inside. Hidden within are antique jewels and secrets that link to a long-buried family feud and a suspicious death. As Finley digs deeper, she finds herself tangled in a web of

lies that threaten the calm of the cove- and her own safety.

With the help of her quirky but loyal neighbors, a sharp-eyed detective, Finley must uncover the truth before the past catches up to her.

Full of Southern charm, close-knit friendships, and suspense that keeps you turning the pages. Dockside Secrets is a heartwarming cozy mystery that proves it’s never too late to start over or to solve a mystery.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Dockside Secrets

Finley, a new widow, has moved to Sunset Cove. She’s settling in. Life is good. And then it’s not. She’s putting her skills as a forensic psychologist to the test. Can she figure it out? With the help of new friends, she’s going to try!

It all starts with an estate sale and a tackle box.

As she investigates, she forms new friendships over her crime board, four women and one man. They’re not the normal grouping, but they sure are fun!

Antique jewels. Secrets. Feuds. And even deaths. There’s much to find within the pages of this novel.

This is such a sweet and cozy mystery. Nothing too much and nothing too scary. Just enough to keep you reading and following along to try to help solve the mystery.

I loved the underlying message in this novel of how the truth comes out no matter how well we think we hid it. Another thing that leapt out ot me was that everyone needs someone. Finley gets her group of amateur sleuths. Everyone needs someone whether they think they do or not.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Dockside Secrets

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a PhD in Psychology.

Her professional experience includes teaching in public schools, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real-world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult-level novels.

More from Terry

I must admit I have probably watched and read just about every Hallmark cozy mystery I have come across! I have become addicted to mysteries lately! I don’t limit it to just the cozy mysteries. Lately, I have been watching plenty of true crime. The attraction for me is the puzzle. I mean, really, who can resist a “whodunit?” I prefer more of the gumshoe approach, but I also watch several crime scene investigations.

It started out with a curiosity about why people do such actions. What motivates people to commit these crimes and then try to cover them up? In many cases, criminals just aren’t that bright. But there are some cases that remain puzzling.

I decided to give it a go. Dockside Secrets is my first cozy. It was fun to write this mystery in the little community outside of a big city. We moved to this new little cove on a lake, Sunset Cove, and this is where the characters live. The large city in the book, Sagebrush Bend, is in reality Fort Worth, Texas. Plenty of changing landscapes here, and these appear in the story.

Grab this cozy and meet the quirky cast of characters: a retired forensic psychologist, a very proper southern lady, a nutty and loud best friend, and a middle-of-the-road peacekeeper join a fumbling local sheriff and a handsome detective to discover what really happened at Sunset Cove.