Death on the Boardwalk: A Myrtle Beach Mystery
By Caleb Wygal
Franklin/Kerr Press, $12.99
Release Date: February 2021

This book has it all—Myrtle Beach, mystery, and… murder? Death on the Boardwalk explores the reactions and fallout of a gruesome, unsolved murder in Myrtle Beach, a bustling tourist town that still retains its small-town charm. At the center of it all, Clark Thomas finds his world turned upside down after finding the body of a regular customer, Paige Whitaker, on the back doorstep of his book store, Myrtle Beach Reads. From there, readers follow Clark’s adventures into the world of amateur sleuthing, where all is not as it seems at first glance. Will Clark be Myrtle Beach’s newest vigilante detective? Or will his inexperience lead him to ruin everything—his business, his good reputation, and, more importantly, his ability to solve the case? All these questions and more are answered in this 257-page mystery. Death on the Boardwalk is the first of many in a planned series, and Wygal’s fifth book overall. His craft and passion for the topic is clear in every chapter. With a cliffhanger ending that will leave you wanting for more, this is a must-read for Myrtle Beach locals and mystery lovers alike. We’ll be keeping our eyes out for the next installment, Death Washes Ashore, which is set to be released in January 2022.

Images of America: North Myrtle Beach
By Susan Hoffer McMillan
Arcadia House Publishing, $21.99
Release Date: April 2021

Follow along as the communities of Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent, and Windy Hill Beaches finally came together to form North Myrtle Beach, eventually becoming a popular vacation destination. With each area having its own rich history to cover, get lost in photos of the then-named Roberts Pavilion, or look at beachgoers as they do the Carolina Shag at The Pad. From Hurricane Hazel in 1954 to remodels to new trends started at the beach, this book covers it all. Each picture tells another part of the rich history that North Myrtle Beach has, and Susan Hoffer McMillan brings it to life with her expert descriptions and context behind each image. With a background in journalism as well as archaeology, Hoffer was able to choose images for this book from her lifetime collection. Having made the coastal South Carolina area her home for five decades, Hoffer treated the area’s history with a local’s touch. This is Hoffer’s seventh Arcadia Publishing title overall and a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. Be sure to check out Hoffer’s other Images of America books, including Images of America: Conway, Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, and McClellanvile and the St. James Santee Parish.