Judas Island

Bay Tanner #4

by Kathryn R. Wall

After an abruptly-ended stay in Paris, Bay Tanner is more than happy to return home to South Carolina and immerse herself back into the tranquil scenery, small-town gossip, and affection of numerous concerned friends. But her peaceful return is short-lived when her fledgling detective agency gets a new client-Gray Palmer, an archeologist friend of Bay's sleuthing partner Erik Whiteside. While digging around one of the isolated coastal islands, Gray discovered a far-from-ancient body and wants help in identifying it. But it isn't long before Gray turns up dead in a freak boating accident ... or before it becomes plain that some very deadly people will do anything to stop an investigation. Now, Bay must travel the darkest byways of the past, from Charleston's historic streets to an infamous local island's shore to the heart of several civil-rights-era disappearances...and into a lethal confrontation.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Southern, Fiction

321 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 6, 2004

About the author

Kathy wrote her first story at the age of six, then decided to take a few decades off. She grew up in a small town in northeastern Ohio and attended college in both Ohio and Pennsylvania. For twenty-five years she practiced her profession as an accountant in both public and private practice. In 1994 she and her husband Norman retired to Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Her road to publishing success has taken many twists and turns. She self-published her first Bay Tanner mystery, In For a Penny, in 2001 using the innovative print-on-demand technology. Its success led to an offer from a small, regional publisher who reissued the first novel along with its sequel, And Not a Penny More, on Valentine's Day of 2002. A reprint of both books had to be ordered within six weeks.

Then serendipity struck. An editor for St. Martin's Press, visiting relatives in nearby Beaufort, was introduced to the Bay Tanner mysteries. A month later she called to offer Kathy a hardcover contract. They have since published Perdition House, Judas Island, Resurrection Road, Bishop's Reach and Sanctuary Hill in both hardcover and paperback. The eighth Bay Tanner novel, The Mercy Oak, is slated for release April, 2008.

Kathy is a founding member of Island Writers' Network and serves as treasurer for both the Sisters in Crime National Board and the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Kathy has been a mentor in the Hilton Head schools and participates as a Friend of Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry. When not writing and touring for her books, Kathy and Norman play tennis, share long walks on the beach, and enjoy the lush beauty of the tidal marsh from the decks of their Hilton Head condominium. She has two stepsons and four grandchildren.

Series:
* Bay Tanner

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading at least four Bay Tanner books, I can tell you this is not one of the best and far from it. This one was not fleshed out the way the others are, I wonder if Kathryn R. Wall felt rushed into writing this one, because that is how it feels, rushed and not well thought out. I had a lot of stop and go while reading this book, I literally got bored reading it and almost quit several times.
It basically starts with a friend of Eric's calling and hiring Bay and Eric, because he found something on an island and wants more information. I know that is vague, but I don't want to spoil anything. On a side note, Bay is asked by Lavinia to find out about another woman who has been visiting Bay's father, who is she, what does she want and why is the judge sending her money?
In all, the book is a nice read, two stories for the price of one, but neither well fleshed out or well-wriiten.

On a personal note, I wish Wall would quit saying SWIG when it comes to drinking a coke or something like tea. As a southerner, SWIG or SWIGGING, means BEER not coke,etc. If you mean gulp, say gulp, sip, swallow...not SWIG!!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I love the setting and like some things about Bay, but others just don't work at all. The whole idea that she is a private investigator is totally improbable, given her utter lack of knowledge about what to do or how to do it. The mystery itself was silly and not believable. Much of Bay's behavior relating to others makes her unlikeable and totally selfish. For example, Dolores just comes and goes as is convenient to the plot. Though Bay repeatedly refers to Dolores as her "friend" that's clearly not the case, since Bay can just forget about her for months in spite of Dolores's life-threatening illness, come back to town without calling her, and then Dolores shows up in time to clean up the house and do some laundry. Darnay is another thin plot device. Disappointing.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since we are heading to HHI soon, I decided to break out my next Bay Tanner mystery. This one, like others, has tangental stories and characters aplenty, but the mystery driving all the action is a straight shot through the book and keeps things moving. Also, Bay is changing--she's not quite as careful as in the past and she is learning to rely on her partner Erik's ideas a bit more. Finally, for reasons I won't divulge now, I read this particular novel at the exact perfect time.

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Bay Tanner can't catch a break. Now her hot romance with her French spy has blown up. Oh well, let's go home and see what kind of life-threatening danger she can get into. As usual, plenty. Of course. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much of a book, now would there? A quick read, with Bay only being the usual amount of immature and impulsive.

[Kayte · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Kathryn Wall’s books are amazing. The details are all there to paint the picture in your mind of what is going on and the surroundings in the novels are spot on. This was another hard book to put down and I am ready to hit the next one.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live these little, unlikely mysteries.. totally unbelievable yet, believable in our world... escape.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent writing, technically, but poor plotting. But the setting is described very well. Having been to the area before (Hilton Head), I enjoyed her insider descriptions.

[Pcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likely significant but didn't feel the caperesque.

[Jo-ie Atchison-Dangerfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt very slow to start and my interest didn’t pick up until 2/3 of the way through. I felt underwhelmed by the ending.

[Dick Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathryn you are the best

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

In late 1963 3 black twenty something year olds were innocently partying on Judas Island - off the South Carolina coast. Unfortunately for them, a few also 20 somethings, good for nothing, shouldn't breathe the same air as us, degenerate, bigoted, inhuman...I could go on, but to the point...and a disgrace to every other marine...happened upon them as they also used Judas Island as a party place. They hung the 3 innocent black men and then buried them on the island!

Now, all these years later and the one is a Colonel in the marines - UNBELIEVABLE!!! - he has maintained a watch over the island to protect their sorry a_ _ es.

One day, along comes Gray, an archeologist, running a detector over the ground on Judas Island when it picks something up. It turns out to be the watch on a corpse of someone now only bones. He sends a piece of bone to his old college roommate, Eric. Before it reaches him and before Eric can talk to Gray about it, he is dead in a boating accident...but he is a well seasoned boater. Eric knowing something is not right seeks Bay's help and off they go investigating.

End of story, Gray's dad, Gray Sr., was one of the marines who murdered the 3 black men.

One of the 3 murdered men was Lavinia's fiance who mysteriously disappeared in October 1963 leaving her pregnant and mad at him all these years thinking he abandoned them.

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential but it was hard for me to get past some major annoyances. I did enjoy the well written descriptions of all the settings which really made you feel like you were there. What I could not stand, however, was how a climactic scene would begin to unfold only to be suddenly cut off at the end of the chapter. Instead of the next chapter picking up where it left off, there was a "fast forward" to an entirely new scene where the characters would rehash bits and pieces of what the previous scene entailed (in their dialogue with each other). I hated this, and the author did it all throughout the book.

Much of the story seemed to drag on with repetitive dialogue of the main characters constantly presenting their theories to each other and speculating about the mystery at hand. A long, gradual buildup is fine as long as the readers are rewarded in the end. Unfortunately the ending was extremely rushed and unsatisfying

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and will read more of this series, but I didn't care for the way the author hinted at what was to come and left us hanging from time to time. Overall I liked the characters and want to read the first of the series next. ( I understand this to be the second of the Bay Tanner series )

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next adventure in this series.

I really like the characters in this series. They feel like old friends waiting for me as I begin the next book.
The settings are also a reason to read this series. It's nice to recognize some of the places the author writes about.

[Amy Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Bay Tanner mysteries! The books are all set in Lowcountry, SC. The author lives in Hilton Head. This was the first book I found. There are some before this if you want to read the whole series.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite so far in this series. I'm looking forward to a shake-up, getting out of the patterns a bit.

[Diana Kloster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author spends time recapping the facts. May clarify points missed, but sometimes it's distracting. Wanted the book to move with a faster rhythm.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in the Bay Tanner series, and another good mystery.

[Allison Mitchell]

Great series

Love this series and love Bay Tanner!! Always great stories with something new each time. Always ready to read the next one

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent from start to finish. Great story and great characters. Love the setting in my home state of SC. Kept me guessing from start to finish. Cannot wait to read some of the authors other books.

[~mad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second Pay Tanner mystery - good little read. I'll read them all!

[Amy Whitaker marzano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wall has a way of making me feel like I am back on Hilton Head. The Bay Tanner series is a nice, smooth read and an easy escape.