Murder in the pines

the long version

"The year is 1921 in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California. Fresh out of Mills College, Nora Finnegan aims for a journalist's career at a time when her peers are marrying and bearing children. Hired by the publisher of the Carmel Pine Cone, the fledgling reporter is eager to tackle meaningful topics, not the mundane stories that he assigns her. When he grudgingly gives her more significant subjects to cover, Nora finds herself reporting on a heated conflict over an East Coast developer's proposal to build a hotel on Carmel's unspoiled, white sand beach. Although she attempts to maintain objectivity, Nora's sympathies lie with the townspeople -- the Bohemian artists and writers who are determined to protect their habitat. First one prominent person, and then another, are murdered. Nora's tenacious inquiry into their deaths make her a target by someone intent on silencing her." --