WILTON — Andrew Oliver’s first published novel begins with a dead man in a snowstorm and a police chief searching for a suspect still nearby.

For readers in Franklin County, the setting may feel familiar.

Oliver, who grew up in Wilton, has published “Means and Motive,” a murder mystery set in a fictional Franklin County town and shaped by the mountains, roads, weather and rural character of western Maine.

Oliver said his family moved to Wilton in 1979, when he was very young, and he lived there until leaving for college in 1991. His parents still live in his childhood home in Wilton.

“Growing up we spent many summer weekends at Webb Lake, and my mom taught at the school in Weld, so I feel deeply connected there as well,” Oliver said.

The novel follows police Chief Jack Durant as a murder investigation unfolds in the western Maine foothills during the dead of winter. Durant works the case while the state Major Crimes Unit presses in, the weather threatens to slow the investigation and his personal life remains unsettled.

Oliver said the decision to set the mystery in Franklin County came from knowing the area better than any other part of Maine.

“Once I had decided to write a Maine mystery, I realized I had a better sense for Franklin County than any other part of the state,” Oliver said. “I hope the novel is able to convey the natural beauty and unspoiled nature of western Maine. In some ways it is an homage to the region, viewed through the rose-colored glasses of childhood.”

Some locations in the book are directly inspired by real places, Oliver said, including Mount Blue and Bald Mountain. Other locations are loosely inspired by local businesses and architecture, though the characters are original.

“Growing up I climbed several local mountains, and readers will hopefully find the climbing scenery from the book familiar,” Oliver said.

Winter is not just a backdrop in the book, he said. It becomes part of the pressure on Durant from the opening chapter.

“Winter in Maine is a beautiful, yet challenging time,” Oliver said. “The weather adds challenges for Jack from the first chapter, in which thick falling snow obscures his view of a suspect.”

Oliver said western Maine strongly shaped the book’s tone and atmosphere.

“One reader said that the environment felt like another character,” Oliver said. “I really tried to lean into the idea that Jack is constantly fighting against or challenged by the elements.”

He said the openness of western Maine also influenced the story.

“One thing I’ve come to appreciate about western Maine is how much freedom and openness there is,” Oliver said. “In other, more urban parts of the country, you are surrounded by people and man-made structures. But my memories of western Maine are of long roads, openness, and endless nature.”

Readers familiar with the area can expect to recognize Bald Mountain on the cover and Mount Blue in the story, Oliver said. Durant’s investigation and personal life also take him through Route 2, Weld Road, fictional local businesses and other settings inspired by western Maine.

Oliver said “Means and Motive” took about five years to write. He was drawn to the genre partly by Maine-based thrillers and mysteries by Stephen King and Paul Doiron.

“A murder mystery in Maine seems more dramatic since it is such a peaceful, safe state,” Oliver said. “A shocking act in such a naturally beautiful and calm place provides great tension and interest.”

Oliver said he plans to continue writing about Durant, including a prequel focused on Jack and Rebecca.

“Many people who have read the book have asked, ‘What happened to Rebecca?’” Oliver said. “I’m planning a prequel that tells more about Jack and Rebecca, and explains her death by ‘foul play,’ alluded to in ‘Means and Motive.’”

“Means and Motive” is available on Amazon and can also be ordered online from Barnes & Noble in paperback. Oliver said no readings, signings or local events are planned at this time.

“While it is at its heart a murder mystery, the book is shaped deeply by Franklin County,” Oliver said. “The towns, landscapes, natural beauty, and weather influence every chapter. I think that will be especially meaningful to your readers.”

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