by C. Hope Clark

Sergeant Detective Callie Jean Cantrell is one of Boston’s finest. In the first chapter of the book, she has to deal with the Russian mob, the murder of her husband and she is still grieving the death of her daughter in infancy. How much more pain does Callie have to deal with? It turns out, a lot more.

Callie’s parents lovingly give her a place to escape her heartaches by giving Callie and her son their beach home in Edisto, South Carolina. Soon after she moves in, Callie finds her childhood neighbor murdered. Not only is there a murderer on the loose in town, but homes are broken into with interesting results. The burglar doesn’t always steal people’s possessions, but sometimes he leaves a treasure from someone else’s home.

The Edisto Police don’t seem to have her police skills to keep Edisto safe. They also don’t want her help as a big city detective and won’t take her advice. She does her best to keep her family safe, but that isn’t so easy.

The residents of Edisto are very colorful and interesting. Callie’s instincts are tested by having to know which ones she can trust. If she gets it wrong, someone else might die – possibly someone very close to her.

This is the first book I’ve read by C. Hope Clark, but certainly not the last one.