A first-time mystery author is returning to her hometown for a book signing and to reunite with childhood friends.

Cheryl Solimini, who grew up on Casta Lane and attended Holy Rosary School, will be at Barnes and Noble Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.

Her first book "Across the River" takes place in a town based on Edgewater. Although she renamed the streets, the "general geography" is there, Solimini said.

"I don’t think people will mistake it for anything else," she said. "Edgewater is a unique location and the feel of the community is special."

The book is about a reporter who returns to her hometown to cover an unsolved murder investigation. Readers will recognize old Edgewater elements like a well-known fire along River Road, the Hess gas tanks, and fireworks from the old Palisades Amusement Park.

Edgewater has changed since Solimini’s family moved when she was 12, but she said she wrote it the way she wanted her hometown to be.

"I know the Holy Rosary School is now a preschool, but I didn’t want to get rid of it," Solimini said.

The book opens in a bar down the street from Casta Lane where the River Palm Terrace restaurant is located, which the character recalls going to once on Halloween. She said the descriptions of the bar came to her in a dream. She pictured herself going into the bar and seeing an old grammar school classmate as an adult. She realized that she and the classmate had to help solve a murder in town.

"I never had a dream this clear so I wrote it down," she said. "And that became the first few pages of the book."

Solimini didn’t do much with it right away, while working for Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine from 1995 to 2000.

"I always read mysteries but I never thought of writing one," she said.

After the magazine folded she had to decide where to find new work, but thought maybe she would try to write something instead. She began on Sept. 10, 2001, a day before 9/11.

"Like most people I wondered why am I trying to do this when the world as we know it is about to end," she said.

With Edgewater having a clear view of the Twin Towers, writing a mystery novel felt especially wrong. But once she got herself "out of the corner" she decided that was definitely an appropriate time to try something new.

At her job she had interviewed several prominent mystery writers, who taught her to trust the writing process.

"You don’t always know how to get from one point to the next, but when you get to know the characters they can lead you to places where you might not have even considered," she said.

She also noticed that the writers had so much fun with writing.

"That’s so important," Solimini said.

The premise of her story came from not only her but from conversations at work with novelist Mary Higgins Clark. They discussed the unsolved JonBenet Ramsy murder.

"We talked about who we thought ‘did it’ and I just went from there," she said.

Solimini said Clark and novelist Janet Evanovich both have best-selling mysteries based in New Jersey.

"I figured there’s got to be a market for New Jersey books," she joked.

Her book was released last month.

"It’s a gift," Solimini said. "You write and hope people read and enjoy."

Solimini said she never expected the book would help her connect with so many friends. She had one reunion while still working on the book. Her best friend from grammar school wrote to her out of the blue one day.

"I was thinking so much about these people [in the book], I guess the message got carried out to Arizona," Solimini said.

Her book readings have already put her in touch with people from her past. She said two of her old classmates are now borough police officers. She’s looking forward to hopefully seeing them, along with other friends and family.

"No matter what happens it’s going to be incredible," she said.

Solimini hopes the book does well enough so that she can write another one. All the research and brainstorming on her childhood gave her ideas for five more books. She enjoyed imagining what her old friends wound up doing and said she’d didn’t want to know too much so that her imagination could really take over.

When she looks back on Edgewater she remembers all the neighborhood fun.

"The days when everyone could run around wild," she said.

On Halloween she walked down from Casta Lane for at least a mile getting as much candy as she could.

"It was just hours of fun with your friends," Solimini said.