Westport Island resident Sandra Neily will discuss her debut novel “Deadly Trespass – A Mystery in Maine” at the Wiscasset Public Library at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.

The book’s story is set in the north woods of Maine. It tells of a girl searching for her wayward dog in the forest who finds her best friend crushed dead under a tree in what appears to be an accident, but proves to be much more than that. Animal tracks larger than any animal she knows lead her to the answer.

“I wrote this book to take people who love Maine, those who know its woods well and those who don’t, on a field trip into a world at risk,” Neily explained. “I wanted to create a story that urged readers on from page to page, so they’d arrive at the last page feeling like they had pitch on their hands and a clear view of what might be lost.”

Neily is a Maine native whose varied career has included working as a registered Maine guide as well as a whitewater river outfitter. An avid outdoorswoman who loves woods, waters, and wildlife, Sandra has paddled, fished, hiked, and skied all over Maine, and enjoys transporting readers into the places she knows so well. She said non-fiction accounts of environmental challenges generally are not best sellers but fictional accounts of such challenges often find wide readership. “Often these works are well researched, compelling, and they take readers to landscapes and issues that need attention, but they do it as page-turning entertainment,” she explains.

The book has received wide praise. Neily was national winner of the Mystery Writers of America Helena McCloy award, was a national finalist in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association “Rising Star” contest, and was an Honorable Mention finalist in Maine’s “Joy of the Pen” fiction competition.

In her appearance at the library, she will read passages from “Deadly Trespass” and share her favorite list of outdoor-based mysteries and thrillers and the issues they illuminate. She hopes guests will bring their favorite outdoor fiction to help grow her list.

The library is at 21 High St. The lecture has been made possible by the Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library. There is no charge to the public and light refreshments will be available. For questions call 207 882-7161. “Deadly Trespass” is available at all Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops. Kindle and paperback versions are available from Amazon.