Book Review: Murder On Edisto

The fast pace of Murder on Edisto (Edisto Island Mysteries) by C Hope Clark is set in the first few pages when the heroine, Edisto, Callie Morgan returns home from her job as a Boston Police Detective to find her home is an inferno and her husband has been killed. Devastated by the murder, she and her teenage son seek refuge and healing in a quiet beach house on one of south Carolina’s barrier islands, but Callie is given no

respite and neither is the reader. One page after another C. Hope Clark builds the suspense to create an entertaining and believable story where the stakes are high and the consequences shattering.

Clark has created a main character, Callie Jean Morgan, that comes to life with incredible strength and genuine flaws. The reader feels her struggle with very real demons, both internal and external, while trying to support her son through the loss of his father and keep him safe but she finds the secrets she has kept from him impeding her efforts.

Adding to the readability of the book, the town of Edisto is populated with a cache of eccentric personalities. From the yoga practicing neighbor to the local handyman to the town cops Edisto island comes to life with classic small town traits.

Murder on Edisto is C. Hope Clark’s fourth novel and is preceded by her Carolina Slade Mysteries. Having read Clark’s first novel, Lowcountry Bribe, I was pleased to return to her work to see Clark’s growth as a novelist.

I received this book as my winnings in a promotional contest but I have just purchased the follow-up, Edisto Jinx.

 Purchase Hope's books on her website or her Amazon author page.

Bay to Ocean 2014

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Oink Well is found abandoned in a bag of swag

Jilly and Marie take a selfie.

 

Well and Pen embrace their new names.

 

Well and Author Jack Downs

Well and David Wilson

Well and Pen found some sidewalk art.

 

Austin Camacho, Marie and Oink Well.

Well and Angela Render, Blogger Extraordinaire

 

Well and Marie take a picture with author Donna Andrews.

Pen is behind the camera.

 

 

Well, Pen and friends build a Pig-a-mid.

 



Omg! They are going to have BBQ Pig for dinner.

 

 

Ahh. Relaxing at the hotel with a pig sized slice of Smith Island Cake.

 

 

And good time was had by all.

 



The Inspiration behind Permanent Oink

In February of 2014, the Oinktastic writing pair of Marie Davies and Jilly Mosier attended the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference in Wye Mills Maryland. The organizers of the conference in a stroke of genius and pure fun making came up with idea of a Social Media Scavenger Hunt. One of the items was to photograph your swag. In that collection of goodies Marie and Jilly found two pink, stress relief pigs and they needed names. The chain of thought seemed logical: Ink Well became Oink Well. And everyone knows an Oink Well is no good without an Oink Pen. Oink Well and Oink Pen were born. The Pigs became the mascots of the time at event, appearing in most of the pictures and tasks of the Scavenger Hunt.

Back at the hotel room, while dining on pig barbeque and Smith Island Cake, Oink Well and Oink Pen became the Inspiration for the duo’s blog title, Permanent Oink. There is more behind the name than just two pig shaped stress balls. First, the inky/oinky nature of their new endeavor.  And second, the where and how of Marie and Jilly met.  Both know that know that no matter how svelte they are there will always be an oink in their past, especially when presented with such delectable things as pig BBQ and Smith Island cake. (Yum!)  And so Permanent Oink.

What you will find here at Permanent Oink?

o   The escapades of Well and Pen as they share Jilly and Marie’s writing journey.

o   Jilly’s book reviews, and ponderings in Oink Pen’s Pages.

o   Marie’s thoughts on the writing life, literary beauty and whatever pops into her pretty head in Oink Well Weighs-in.

o   About Marie and Jilly’s quest to healthier and happier writers.

o   Excerpts of their adventures in writing.

 

Please join Permanent Oink on their journey by becoming Pigpals. Follow our blog Permanent Oink and on Twitter @permanetoink.