In the South, family is the one thing worth dying—or killing—for. . . .
Things are heating up between young widow Bay Tanner, sometime private investigator, and Red, local sheriff’s sergeant and her late husband’s brother. But a new case that strikes too close to home endangers more than just her love life.
An unexpected call from her housekeeper’s son hints that a recent hit-and-run may have been more than an accident. Roberto fears the victim, a local crusader for the rights of illegal immigrants, may have been silenced. But almost immediately it becomes clear that the dead girl was not the intended victim, and before Bay has a chance to launch an investigation, Roberto himself disappears.
Meanwhile, Red and the rest of the sheriff’s deputies are working overtime to solve a string of holdups terrorizing local businesses and banks. When Lavinia Smalls, longtime companion to Bay’s crippled father, is caught up in one of these robberies, Bay finds herself enmeshed in yet another mystery. What does Lavinia know about this gang of thieves, and why is she so reluctant to share her secret? What clues does her friend, the ancient black man with the intricately carved walking stick, carry in his muddled memory?
Then the strange phone calls begin, and Bay realizes someone desperately wants her off the case—but which one? Determined to protect those she regards as family, Bay struggles against the fear that she may be endangering the very people she’s come to love in order to bring a killer to justice. Almost too late, she discovers that tempers run hot and prejudices deep when it comes to the growing immigrant population of the sultry South Carolina Lowcountry.
In Kathryn Wall’s eighth captivating Southern mystery, Bay Tanner will pay a terrible price to uncover the secrets of the Mercy Oak.
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.
