Bibliography:
Wall, Kathryn. 2002. In for a Penny. Beaufort, SC: Coastal Village Press. ISBN: 1882943139

I often discover “forgotten” or “overlooked” titles when I am perusing reviews for new titles.  Not that long ago, I came across a review for Wall’s latest, The Mercy Oak.  The review was very complimentary, and I was interested in the series for the setting alone, the Deep South, coastal South Carolina where my family visited often while I was growing up. I do not think I am alone in my idiosyncrasy–I can almost never start a series in the middle.* So I searched my library and didn’t find the first in the series, and from Wall’s website discovered that it had been self published and then picked up by a small press before the series was picked up by St. Martin’s.  Thank goodness for interlibrary loan!  My local library had the book for me in a matter of days, and I pretty much inhaled the whole thing.

I have recently decided that what takes a mystery and elevates it above being just good, or a good example of its genre is that the book is filled with complex characters and complicated events that just happen to become involved in murder.  Okay, a little flip, as usually those people and events lead to the muder in some way.  But for me, this was how I felt about this book.  Excellent first mystery. I loved Bay Tanner, and the secondary characters and the setting of the Deep South. A little romance, a little murder, a little suspense, a little conspiracy, a little family secrets all add up to a well written and satisfying mystery.  I am still shocked! (Shocked I tell you!) that someone who is not a native Southerner was able to capture the feeling, the sense of place, the dark side of the South so well.

* The one exception to this was when I read a review of Lindsey Davis’ Three Hands in the Fountain, and the trifecta of great review, title, and cover art compelled me to read it immediately.  I have since gone back to the beginning and read about Falco and friends.