The Dragon Lied

In Franklin, North Carolina, Tuesday nights mean friendship, laughter... and the occasional murder. Three and a half years after Casey O’Hara’s tragic death, her widower Frankie discovers a photograph that changes everything. The equipment blamed for her accident wasn’t broken at all-not until someone made sure it would be. And someone in town has worked very hard to keep that truth buried.When Frankie turns to the Tuesday Night MahJong group, the women rally the way they always do: with sharp eyes, steady hearts, and the kind of teamwork only true friends can manage. Donnie Carlisle brings her investigator’s instincts. Maya Lin reads the riverbank like a living map. Mabs Carter follows the paper trail. Dodo McCray’s wild theories suddenly feel a little too possible. And Bea Tran-artist, survivor, and quiet observer-recognizes the shape of a lie that has been growing for years.As the group pieces together clues, they uncover a dangerous secret running beneath their peaceful mountain town. The river is still carrying evidence. Someone is still profiting. And someone is willing to kill again to keep the past from surfacing. Yet even as danger rises, the women discover something else: that courage grows stronger when shared, that friendship can steady even the most shaken heart, and that community-real community-has the power to heal what grief has broken.Warm, witty, and rich with small‑town charm, The Dragon Lied blends the cozy camaraderie of a weekly MahJong game with a gripping mystery at the heart of a community that refuses to look away. Walter A. Cook-known as the Smoky Mountain Storyteller-brings Franklin and the surrounding mountains to life with textured atmosphere, emotional depth, and the quiet magic of people who show up for one another. His stories help readers feel better about their own lives, their relationships, and the world, reminding us that kindness, loyalty, and courage still matter.Perfect for fans of Barbara Barrett’s Mah Jongg Mysteries and character‑driven Southern whodunits, this novel welcomes readers back to Franklin, where the mountains hold their breath, the river carries its secrets, and the Tuesday Night MahJong players never turn away when someone needs help.