Bishop's Reach: A Bay Tanner Mystery (Bay Tanner Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathryn R. Wall (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bay Tanner Mysteries | Publication Date: May 29, 2007

HOW FAR WILL SHE GO…
Bleached-blonde call girls rarely bring good news, especially the one who bursts through the door of Bay Tanner’s struggling inquiry agency. Karen Zwilling swears she’s been viciously attacked but can’t, or won’t, go to the police. But why? Bay barely has the energy to find out. With the tragedy of her husband’s murder finally resolved, Bay’s been yearning for a little tranquility…and then, just when she’s making strides with Karen’s case, a man named Win Hammond enters the picture.
 
BEFORE AN OLD FRIEND BECOMES A DANGEROUS ENEMY?
An aging playboy and scion of an old Beaufort family, Hammond has been missing for more than twenty years. His reappearance spells trouble, as does a disfigured corpse that washes up on the beach at Hilton Head. Suddenly nobody is who they appear to be, including Bay’s own employees and her former nemesis Ben Wyler…and until the final pieces of this puzzle tumble into place, Bay’s investigation may prove to be as treacherous as the waters of…

Bishop’s Reach

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wall's winning sixth Bay Tanner mystery (after 2005's Resurrection Road) finds the Hilton Head, S.C., "inquiry agent" up to her lovely green eyeballs in clients with hidden agendas. When a two-year search by Bay's partner in her PI agency, Erik Whiteside, finally locates the black sheep brother of Miss Addie, an elderly lifelong friend of Bay's family, the brother's return to Hilton Head is the first clue in a tangle of criminal activities and murder. An attractive escort service employee enlists Bay's help to hunt down a rapist, and a Georgia socialite wants to locate her missing Prince Charming. When a badly beaten corpse shows up on the beachfront, the dead man may fit one or both of these bills. Digging deeper whisks Bay into a puzzle that stretches from the mainland to the Virgin Islands and involves both lowlifes and the monied aristocrats. Oozing Southern charm, this whodunit flows like hot molasses to a deliciously clever conclusion. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In this sixth in a series, the fledgling inquiry agency of Simpson & Tanner is juggling multiple cases, and the agency's silent partner, Ben Wyler, is becoming increasingly involved in Bay Tanner's professional as well as personal life--to her dismay. While reminiscent of Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson mysteries, with their evocative sense of place, strong female main character, and struggles with personal issues, Wall also provides interesting colleagues in Bay's father (a former judge), computer-specialist Erik Whiteside, and Ben Wyler, all of whom contribute to solving the cases in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312941587
• ISBN-13: 978-0312941581
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Like many of you, I found turning 50 more than a little traumatic. It suddenly dawned on me that, if I ever hoped to realize my goal of becoming a published writer, I needed to get cracking. Fortunately, that "ugly" birthday coincided with my husband's and my early retirement to South Carolina. With the pressure of my accounting business behind me (although I still get a little twitchy around April 15), I set out to chase my dream.

It took nine months (hmmm...?)to complete "In For a Penny," the first Bay Tanner mystery, and much longer than that to get it published. You can read about that whole odyssey on my Web site. Now, with several books in print, I have come to appreciate how very fortunate I've been because there aren't many people who get to realize their childhood fantasies. So if you've ever had a dream, and earning a living or raising a family has kept you from pursuing it, go for it now. It's never too late.

When I'm not hunched over my keyboard, I try to resurrect my tennis game and read voraciously, even in the kitchen. My philosophy? Why waste all that time while you're waiting for things to boil? I love working in the local schools to encourage kids to write, and I've been a mentor for more than eight years. I used to list travel as one of my favorite pastimes; but, now that we live on our island paradise, we don't seem to have much incentive to leave. I have come to a deep appreciation of the beauty and grace of the South Carolina Lowcountry, and I hope that love shines through in all the Bay Tanner mysteries.

The business of being an author takes up a lot of time, too. When I was yearning after a writing career, I never fully understood how much time and money would have to be expended on marketing and promotion. I do dozens of signings, speaking engagements, conferences, and appearances every time a new book comes out. In addition, I've been a Kids Love a Mystery representative and been in charge of the Eastern Region of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. I'm currently the treasurer of that chapter. I've spent two terms as National Publicity Chair of Sisters in Crime, including being heavily involved in the planning for their 20th Anniversary celebration in 2006.

Did that sound like complaining? A little, I guess, but it all comes with the terriotry of being a published writer, and I wouldn't change that for anything. I'm doing something I love, and you can't ask for much more than that. Life is good.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific regional mystery, June 17, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bishop's Reach: A Bay Tanner Mystery (Bay Tanner Mysteries) (Hardcover)

After two difficult years, private investigator Erik Whiteside finally succeeds in finding the bad boy brother Win Hammond of elderly Miss Addie. Not long afterward, Win returns to Hilton Head allegedly to see his sister. However, Erik's "partner" at Simpson and Tanner, Inquiry Agents Lydia "Bay" Tanner wonders what the odious Win really wants. She and her family, friends of Miss Addie, plan to insure her sibling does not rip her off as they expect him try.

At the same time that the prodigal brother returns home, Bay and Erik have two other clients. Karen Zwilling better known to her customers as Britt Swensen, an escort service employee, wants Bay to find a male rapist, and a Georgia socialite Star Kennedy wants her to locate her beloved Wade, who vanished without a trace. When a badly battered corpse is found on the beach, Bay ponders if one of her cases just has been solved, but which one. Not sure, she keeps digging until she finds herself being yanked by the wealthy and the poor of the underbellies of society.

The sixth Bay Tanner regional mystery is a terrific entry as three distinct cases keep the Inquiry Agent and her wannabe partner Erik hopping. The Savannah feel to the delightful story line augments the investigations that Bay and Erik conduct. Fans of Southern heated mysteries will want to read Kathryn R. Wall's latest Georgia peach escapades.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars A mystery worth staying up late to finish, July 14, 2009

By 

Writer "Book worm" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bishop's Reach: A Bay Tanner Mystery (Bay Tanner Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wall has a skill for bringing her characters to life. I have enjoyed becoming acquainted with contemporary Southern living. Her endings leave you surprised and satisfied.