“Traces of Red” is a new mystery by a Maine woman. The story takes place in Boothbay Harbor.

The self-published, 298-page book has been available throughout most of the summer in Boothbay Harbor at The Footbridge Shop, and is now being sold at Sherman's Books and Stationery. It is also available on Amazon Kindle eBooks.

The author, Diana Washburn, 54, from Garland, said writing a novel has always been at the top of her “bucket list.” The book was written during weekends over the past summer, because Washburn works full-time as a medical assistant.

The story is about a woman, Samantha, who came to Boothbay Harbor from New Jersey, where Washburn is originally from. Samantha buys a bookstore, and moves in with her uncle, who has a mansion on Southport. She goes home one day to find her uncle missing, and sees bloodstains.

Samantha calls her uncle's business partner, a man named Jackson, who comes and joins her on a quest to find “the bad guys.” A few more characters come into play, secrets from the past are revealed, and the plot thickens.

“I really enjoyed writing the book,” Washburn said. “I just kept writing because I wanted to know what happened next.”

Boothbay Harbor landmarks are mentioned throughout the story. At one point Samantha takes a bike ride down Townsend Avenue. Washburn took the same ride and wrote notes about it.

“I love Boothbay Harbor,” Washburn said. “My mother and my daughter and I used to come here just for fun. Sometimes I just come by myself and stay for a few days.” She has stayed at the Thistle Inn and Greenleaf Inn, among others places.

The description on the back cover says, in part: “Nothing really exciting ever happens in the tourist town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. That's why Samantha Nelson moved here. For her it was love at first sight. Owning her own bookstore and living in her uncle's mansion made for a comfortable, SAFE life. Just what she needed right now in her life.”

She describes her book as a cozy mystery. “It's not hard core,” she said. “To me it's a feel good book. And it practically wrote itself.”

After the book was finished, Washburn took a class in self-publishing. “CreateSpace Independent Publishing is a site where you can do everything to publish your book,” she said. “I did the whole thing in about five hours, while I was in a hotel room here in the harbor.”

A customer review on Amazon.com reads: “This mystery is a great read! It introduces readers to Boothbay, Maine and depicts the town's charm and quirkiness in a vivid, intriguing way. I want to visit Boothbay after reading about it! The main character struggles through a scary situation, but the book is kept from being too dark and heavy by her sense of humor and a compelling romance. This book has it all — romance, humor, setting, interesting characters and a suspenseful plot. I want to read more about this town and its characters after finishing this book. Sequel, please!”

A sequel is in the works.