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Hilton Head Mystery #3
Spanish Wells
A family vows to stop the killing, but one twisted mind wants them all dead before the final secret is revealed.
The Gramer family has endured their fair share of troubles over the years, from uncovering hidden treasure to fighting off deadly enemies. But their latest ordeal may be their most harrowing yet.
A depraved killer is stalking the quiet community of Hilton Head Island. Bodies are piling up.
With JJ Gramer's childhood friend, Connor's brutal murder tying it all together, the newly appointed sheriff vows to catch the person responsible. But the deeper he digs, the more complication and danger he unearths - pointing towards one man steeped in a history of bloodshed and violence. Now the Gramers are in the crosshairs of a man with nothing left to lose.
As the body count rises and dark secrets from the past resurface, one family will fight for their lives against an unimaginable evil with deeply personal vendettas. To survive, they'll have to outwit a twisted killer at his most ruthless - before the next grave has their name on it.
The Gramer family has endured their fair share of troubles over the years, from uncovering hidden treasure to fighting off deadly enemies. But their latest ordeal may be their most harrowing yet.
A depraved killer is stalking the quiet community of Hilton Head Island. Bodies are piling up.
With JJ Gramer's childhood friend, Connor's brutal murder tying it all together, the newly appointed sheriff vows to catch the person responsible. But the deeper he digs, the more complication and danger he unearths - pointing towards one man steeped in a history of bloodshed and violence. Now the Gramers are in the crosshairs of a man with nothing left to lose.
As the body count rises and dark secrets from the past resurface, one family will fight for their lives against an unimaginable evil with deeply personal vendettas. To survive, they'll have to outwit a twisted killer at his most ruthless - before the next grave has their name on it.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 15, 2023
Yeesh.
Spanish Wells is a crime thriller with promise of a good story, but plays out like one of those really bad, cheesey sci-fi movies. It's not sci-fi, but I'm just trying to make a point.
It was a fast read, which I could appreciate as I typically do not DNF books, but it would've been a hard sell to pick this up again. It was as if this book was started as a project for a high school English class, finished after graduation, and the high school teacher decided to not read or edit it before sending to the publisher. There's just SO much going on.
It is a short book, and thankfully it seemed short, but how can it be almost 300 pages and almost no character development? There's no real suspense, it's just boom boom boom done. The ending wasn't even a surprise.
I'm sad because the synopsis sounded interesting, but there was nothing for the imagination. It seemed weird that the police department didn't seem to work together (why wasnt this Mathis person common knowledge), the sheriff didn't want to go to the hospital for a gun shot wound (you're a police officer, not a criminal), it seemed like the kids knew who Mathis was to the mom, but then it was explained separately to them later... It was just weird. All of it. I could follow it but I also felt lost through it all.
If you need to get through a book and like crime types, give it a try, but don't say I didn't warn you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Spanish Wells is a crime thriller with promise of a good story, but plays out like one of those really bad, cheesey sci-fi movies. It's not sci-fi, but I'm just trying to make a point.
It was a fast read, which I could appreciate as I typically do not DNF books, but it would've been a hard sell to pick this up again. It was as if this book was started as a project for a high school English class, finished after graduation, and the high school teacher decided to not read or edit it before sending to the publisher. There's just SO much going on.
It is a short book, and thankfully it seemed short, but how can it be almost 300 pages and almost no character development? There's no real suspense, it's just boom boom boom done. The ending wasn't even a surprise.
I'm sad because the synopsis sounded interesting, but there was nothing for the imagination. It seemed weird that the police department didn't seem to work together (why wasnt this Mathis person common knowledge), the sheriff didn't want to go to the hospital for a gun shot wound (you're a police officer, not a criminal), it seemed like the kids knew who Mathis was to the mom, but then it was explained separately to them later... It was just weird. All of it. I could follow it but I also felt lost through it all.
If you need to get through a book and like crime types, give it a try, but don't say I didn't warn you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2026
not great
So the plot of these books is pretty good, but the character development is horrible and details are poorly written. It’s like the book (none of them, actually) was not edited before publishing. A little research would go a long way. Dead bodies aren’t still putrid after ten years. Doctors and nurses don’t panic or have tears streaming down their face because they saved someone (maybe later in private but rarely during the event). It’s their JOB to save lives. These books leave me cringing, and yet, I will finish the fourth-and hopefully last-one (insert shrug and eyeroll).
So the plot of these books is pretty good, but the character development is horrible and details are poorly written. It’s like the book (none of them, actually) was not edited before publishing. A little research would go a long way. Dead bodies aren’t still putrid after ten years. Doctors and nurses don’t panic or have tears streaming down their face because they saved someone (maybe later in private but rarely during the event). It’s their JOB to save lives. These books leave me cringing, and yet, I will finish the fourth-and hopefully last-one (insert shrug and eyeroll).
June 29, 2024
As a regular visitor to Hilton head island, I like to read Perrealt’s Charles and Mary Gramer books. This one was a quick read with some familiar places and a twist. I’d actually rate it a 3.5 as I think it could have been edited more professionally before publishing which would have helped - I get distracted from the confusing conversation and duplicate wording I identified in the book. Still felt it was worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews