Notes from Ellie · Issue No. 5 · July 1, 2026

Summer in Central Virginia

Long evenings, warm rivers, and a good book in your beach bag. Here’s how we’re spending summer in our corner of Virginia, and the two new mysteries we can’t wait for you to pack.

Hello, Dear Reader

Summer has settled over the Blue Ridge. The mornings start out misty, the afternoons hum with cicadas, and the fireflies come out right on schedule every evening. It’s the season when our writing sessions tend to move outside, onto porches, under shade trees, and occasionally (we admit it) onto a tube floating lazily down the river.

If you’re visiting Central Virginia this summer, or just daydreaming from your own porch, here are a few of our favorite ways to soak it all in.

Our favorite summer days around Charlottesville

• Tubing on the Rivanna RiverGrab a tube, a hat, and plenty of sunscreen, and let the Rivanna carry you along. Rivanna River Company rents tubes and runs trips just minutes from the Downtown Mall. Tip: river levels change with the weather, so check before you go.
• Fridays After FiveA free outdoor concert series at the Ting Pavilion on the Downtown Mall, every Friday evening through the summer. Bring friends, grab dinner on the Mall, and dance till dusk.
• Sunsets at Carter Mountain OrchardOn Thursday evenings, the orchard hosts its Sunset Series with live music, food trucks, and sweeping views of the valley. Come early to pick sun-ripened peaches.
• Hiking Humpback RocksA short but steep climb off the Blue Ridge Parkway, rewarded with one of the best views in the mountains. Go early, before the heat (and the crowds) arrive.

Two new adventures for your summer reading list

Paws and Prejudice (Tails of Maple Ridge, Book 2)

Maple Ridge is hosting its very first Fall Literary Festival, and Tess is thrilled to supply the novels, the lattes, and the literary flair, while Cocoa happily mooches peanut butter twists. But when a bestselling Jane Austen fan-fiction author drops dead in the middle of her keynote address, it’s clear someone has written her off for good. As pride, rivalry, and long-held grudges surface, Tess discovers that not everyone is who they first appeared to be.

Old Tricks, New Trouble (Canine Confidential, Book 2)

Lucy Hart never expected to witness a murder before lunchtime. When the town’s beloved radio host collapses live on air, everyone calls it a tragic accident. But Lucy and her retired K9, Echo, aren’t so sure. Echo may not hear much these days, but his nose tells him something isn’t right. Soon Lucy is digging into station rivalries, whispers of town corruption, and an angry caller with a grudge.

The best summer reads go everywhere with you: the porch, the pool, the riverbank, and under the covers with a flashlight.

On our shelf this season

Until next month, stay cool, wear your sunscreen, and keep a mystery close by.
With love from the Blue Ridge,
Ellie (all of us)