MONO COUNTY — “The Loop,” a new murder mystery set in Mono County, is garnering stellar reviews for first-time author Nicholas Holloway, who spent his childhood summers at the Silver Lake Resort in the June Lake Loop.
Author Nick Holloway
Holloway, who grew up in Southern California but now lives in Austin, Texas, received a 4.8 (out of 5) star review for his literary debut on the website Goodreads. Here’s the dust cover synopsis of the new book:
“In the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a freezing snowdrift blankets the June Lake Loop. For months, aspiring novelist Gallagher Finch has not written a single word. To pass the time awaiting inspiration, Gal satiates his boredom with Adderall, Evan Williams and one call girl too many. On the eve of his twenty-sixth birthday, he indulges in all three. And when he awakens, he discovers a bloody secret tangled in his bedsheets.”
“In the novel,” the author adds, “family becomes foe, dark secrets resurface and blood can be found on more than one pair of hands.”
June Lake
“Mr. Holloway really knows how to set the scene,” said one reviewer on Goodreads. “While reading, I kept thinking to myself how vividly he described The Loop in the Sierra Nevada mountains.”
“OMG, what an emotional, nail-biting roller coaster,” said another reader.
June Lake in Mono County is located next to the southern rim of the Mono Basin at an elevation of 7654 feet, about 12 miles south of Lee Vining. The year-round population is less than 1,000 but that number balloons during the summers when thousands of visitors — fishermen, campers, tourists, backpackers and other outdoors enthusiasts — flock to the area.
Holloway, 29, grew up in Yucaipa in San Bernardino County and says he chose the June Lake location as the setting for his book because “as a writer, my passion is landscapes. I like stories with a dynamic backdrop as the plot setting,” he says, “and there is no place more beautiful or awe-inspiring than the June Lake Loop.”
After graduating from California State University Fullerton’s MFA Screenwriting Program, Holloway got a job as a copywriter for an international plumbing manufacturer.
“Essentially, I would write about toilets all day and during my off-time, I began to write ‘The Loop,’ developing character traits from those I know or work with,” he says. “Eventually it became this thrilling murder mystery.”
Holloway still works for the plumbing manufacturer but admits, “My life and my full attention now are on my books.”
He and his wife Nichole live in Austin with their dog, Harvey. His second mystery thriller, “Three Houses on a Hill,” will be available in 2020.
And the author says he’s started working on a sequel to “The Loop,” tentatively titled “That Which Was Golden.”
Published by Austin-based JPM Publishing Co., “The Loop” is available with Kindle and Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.com. Signed paperbacks are available at www.jpmpublishingco.com.
