By Morgan Bryce

Staff Reporter

Downtown Opelika is the setting for a new murder mystery/novel set for release on Amazon tomorrow.

Written by West Point, Ga. resident Greg Clark, ‘Ashes of Arson: A Katie MacKenzie Mytery Thriller’ focuses on a fictitious warehouse fire in 2013 that MacKenzie, an insurance adjuster, is investigating.

Originally thought to be an act of arson, the discovery of two charred bodies turn MacKenzie’s case into a murder investigation. During the story, Clark said MacKenzie realizes that she is no longer just an insurance adjuster, but a detective who is facing danger from every direction.

Clark said inspiration for the novel came from he and his wife’s recurring visits to downtown Opelika and its restaurants.

“My wife and I really love the Railroad Avenue district of Opelika … and we visit there frequently to eat the restaurants and often just walk around the neighborhood. As we were walking around in Eighth and Rail, I just got this idea of writing a novel, an idea that I’d been toying around with for years,” Clark said. “And that’s when we started talking about the whole novel taking place and being set in Opelika.”

The book is available for $2.99 pre-order, but can be downloaded for free Nov. 1-5 through the Amazon app and website.

For more information about the book or release details, visit www.amazon.com/Ashes-Arson-MacKenzie-Thriller-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B0768PCRYJ.