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The Edisto Island Mysteries #1
Murder on Edisto
A big city detective. A lowcountry murder.
Peace, safety, a place to grieve and heal. After her husband is murdered by the Russian mob, Boston detective Callie Jean Morgan comes home to her family's cottage in South Carolina. There, she can keep their teenage son, Jeb, away from further threats.
But the day they arrive in Edisto Beach, Callie finds her childhood mentor and elderly neighbor murdered. Taunted by the killer, who repeatedly violates her home and threatens others in the community, Callie finds her new sanctuary has become her old nightmare. Despite warnings from the town's handsome police chief, Callie plunges back into detective work, pursuing a sinister stranger who may have ties to her past. He's turning a quiet paradise into a paranoid patch of sand where nobody's safe. She'll do whatever it takes to stop him.
Peace, safety, a place to grieve and heal. After her husband is murdered by the Russian mob, Boston detective Callie Jean Morgan comes home to her family's cottage in South Carolina. There, she can keep their teenage son, Jeb, away from further threats.
But the day they arrive in Edisto Beach, Callie finds her childhood mentor and elderly neighbor murdered. Taunted by the killer, who repeatedly violates her home and threatens others in the community, Callie finds her new sanctuary has become her old nightmare. Despite warnings from the town's handsome police chief, Callie plunges back into detective work, pursuing a sinister stranger who may have ties to her past. He's turning a quiet paradise into a paranoid patch of sand where nobody's safe. She'll do whatever it takes to stop him.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2014
173 people are currently reading
1140 people want to read
About the author
C. Hope Clark
40 books658 followersC. Hope Clark was born and reared in the South, from Mississippi to South Carolina with a few stints in Alabama and Georgia. The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, Hope holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University and 25 years’ experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture to include awards for her management, all of which enable her to talk the talk of Carolina Slade, the protagonist in most of her novels. Her love of writing, however, carried her up the ranks to the ability to retire young, and she left USDA to pen her stories and freelance.
Lowcountry Bribe‘s won several awards to include finalist status of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The novel enjoyed semi-finalist status (top 100 out of 10,000) in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The book went on to win the Silver Falchion Award for Crime Fiction twice and the EPIC E-book Award for Best Mystery three times.
Her books cover three mystery series in the Carolina Slade Mysteries, the Edisto Island Mysteries, and the Craven County Mysteries.
Hope is married to a 30-year veteran of federal law enforcement, a Senior Special Agent, now a contract investigator. They met on a bribery investigation within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the basis for the opening scene to Lowcountry Bribe. Hope and her special agent live on the rural banks of Lake Murray outside of Chapin, South Carolina, forever spinning tales on their back porch, bourbon and coke in hand, when not tending a loveable flock of hens.
She also currently manages FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service she founded that reaches 28,000 writers to include university professors, professional journalists and published mystery authors. Writer’s Digest has recognized the site in its annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for two dozen years.
She’s published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and other trade and online publications. She speaks at writers’ conferences, book clubs, libraries and more, and has taught many webinars for the Writer's Digest University world. Hope is a member of Mystery Writers of America.
Lowcountry Bribe‘s won several awards to include finalist status of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The novel enjoyed semi-finalist status (top 100 out of 10,000) in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The book went on to win the Silver Falchion Award for Crime Fiction twice and the EPIC E-book Award for Best Mystery three times.
Her books cover three mystery series in the Carolina Slade Mysteries, the Edisto Island Mysteries, and the Craven County Mysteries.
Hope is married to a 30-year veteran of federal law enforcement, a Senior Special Agent, now a contract investigator. They met on a bribery investigation within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the basis for the opening scene to Lowcountry Bribe. Hope and her special agent live on the rural banks of Lake Murray outside of Chapin, South Carolina, forever spinning tales on their back porch, bourbon and coke in hand, when not tending a loveable flock of hens.
She also currently manages FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service she founded that reaches 28,000 writers to include university professors, professional journalists and published mystery authors. Writer’s Digest has recognized the site in its annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for two dozen years.
She’s published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and other trade and online publications. She speaks at writers’ conferences, book clubs, libraries and more, and has taught many webinars for the Writer's Digest University world. Hope is a member of Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
October 10, 2014
First of all, I'm a sucker for all books that take place in the South. Add to that an author that is new to me and I'm hooked!
I'm happy to say I've found a new author and a new series! Murder on Edisto combined all the things I love in a mystery - of course, the South, the beach, hunky men and a really great storyline. This book did not disappoint. The characters were easy to get to know, the plot kept me guessing and the dialogue was lively and fun.
I look forward to Ms. Clark's next book in the series and plan to go back and read the Carolina Slade series as well!
I'm happy to say I've found a new author and a new series! Murder on Edisto combined all the things I love in a mystery - of course, the South, the beach, hunky men and a really great storyline. This book did not disappoint. The characters were easy to get to know, the plot kept me guessing and the dialogue was lively and fun.
I look forward to Ms. Clark's next book in the series and plan to go back and read the Carolina Slade series as well!
September 28, 2014
Wow! Just Wow!
It's a rare occasion when a book literally keeps me up all night. This one did just that. Fast-paced, non-stop action and tight plotting combined with characters who pull the reader deep into the story makes this book Ms. Clark's finest yet.
It's a rare occasion when a book literally keeps me up all night. This one did just that. Fast-paced, non-stop action and tight plotting combined with characters who pull the reader deep into the story makes this book Ms. Clark's finest yet.
June 23, 2017
The book blurb and the high ratings given by so many other readers rather baited me into trying out this book. Unfortunately, this was a complete waste of my time. This story is filled with awful characters and the plot progressed at an excruciatingly slow pace. Not that I was unsympathetic to Callie’s situation, but honestly, I couldn’t warm up to her. Nor could I warm up to the community of Edisto beach; what a bunch of superficial nitwits and badly behaving people.
I’m sorry to say this series is not my cup of tea, and I doubt that I will ever read another book by this author.
I’m sorry to say this series is not my cup of tea, and I doubt that I will ever read another book by this author.
August 27, 2023
Second Reading Review (written 2023)
When I bought Murder on Edisto, I also bought the next two in the series. I think this first book was more of a letdown than I realized. The next two books in the series have sat on my shelf for more than six years awaiting my attention. I started to read the next one recently, but soon realized I remembered too little of its predecessor. So back I went for a reread. I still think this book has some flaws, so I can't increase the rating. But I liked it better this time around than on my first read.
The first thing to know is what this book is not. And that's a mystery. There is no mystery here. There is a very limited cast of characters, only two of which are possible suspects, and therefore it's no suprise who the perpetrator is when it's revealed. But the author, apparently a slave to mystery narrative structure, writes her story as if she expects it to be a surprise. A mystery can be like an Agatha Christie mystery, a Jessica Fletcher Murder She Wrote episode, where the object of the game is to guess whodunnit. It can even be a Columbo episode where we all know who did it from the get-go and wonder how the sleuth will figure it out.
In all of these cozy mysteries, the murderer usually gives it up and comes along peaceably enough at the end when exposed by the sleuth. What's the point of running or trying to harm the sleuth, after all? That's not what is going on in this book. Instead, here we have a thriller in which the antagonist is trying to do in the protagonist. It is not the cute, cozy, summer beach read it is advertised as by the Edisto bookstore or the cover blurbs. It is a violent, mentally abusive, rape attempting, brutal storyline. One of the things saving it is that it's so over the top and improbable that it's hard to take entirely seriously. There is enough family drama and character development going on beside the plot that it dilutes the seriousness of what would be an otherwise hard to take violent novel of attempted abuse.
The main reason this novel does not entirely work for me is that the antagonist could have and should have taken out the protagonist early on and easily. He's clearly much more competent and proficient at what he's about than this damaged relic of a once functional Boston PD police officer.
Another aspect of the story was that attempted love scene between Callie and her former Boston law enforcement boss. If ever there was a friendship and professional relationship that Callie should have known should never become a romance, this was the one. What incredibly poor judgement on Callie's part to try to force Stan out of the friend and colleague zone. Adults in their forties know better!
In point of fact, Callie fails to manage a single relationship at all well the entire book long. She's a consistently hot mess in every way and barely recovers to the limited extent she manages by the end of the book. There's little to admire here, making having sympathy for her problematic. She brings most of her troubles on herself, and completely mismanages the other ones.
Nevertheless, there is enough real drama here, enough going on with this character that I'd go on to read the next volume in the series soon, I think. I just hope maybe the next volume is a little more the mystery it calls itself and maybe a little less the truly dark noire story Clark actually wrote here.
First Reading Review (written 2017)
This first book in Hope Clark's new trilogy was a promising beginning. I love that I couldn't figure out much of what was going on despite the many clues until the answer was revealed. The new protagonist is very appealing if a bit boozy. I also like the setting and the characters. I think this trilogy is a little less firmly grounded in the reality of possibility than the first trilogy. It is hard for me to see the criminal getting away with so much before getting caught, for example. To give away other improbabilities would be to make spoilers. I will just say that my hope is that as the series continues it gets more firmly grounded in what is possible or likely.
When I bought Murder on Edisto, I also bought the next two in the series. I think this first book was more of a letdown than I realized. The next two books in the series have sat on my shelf for more than six years awaiting my attention. I started to read the next one recently, but soon realized I remembered too little of its predecessor. So back I went for a reread. I still think this book has some flaws, so I can't increase the rating. But I liked it better this time around than on my first read.
The first thing to know is what this book is not. And that's a mystery. There is no mystery here. There is a very limited cast of characters, only two of which are possible suspects, and therefore it's no suprise who the perpetrator is when it's revealed. But the author, apparently a slave to mystery narrative structure, writes her story as if she expects it to be a surprise. A mystery can be like an Agatha Christie mystery, a Jessica Fletcher Murder She Wrote episode, where the object of the game is to guess whodunnit. It can even be a Columbo episode where we all know who did it from the get-go and wonder how the sleuth will figure it out.
In all of these cozy mysteries, the murderer usually gives it up and comes along peaceably enough at the end when exposed by the sleuth. What's the point of running or trying to harm the sleuth, after all? That's not what is going on in this book. Instead, here we have a thriller in which the antagonist is trying to do in the protagonist. It is not the cute, cozy, summer beach read it is advertised as by the Edisto bookstore or the cover blurbs. It is a violent, mentally abusive, rape attempting, brutal storyline. One of the things saving it is that it's so over the top and improbable that it's hard to take entirely seriously. There is enough family drama and character development going on beside the plot that it dilutes the seriousness of what would be an otherwise hard to take violent novel of attempted abuse.
The main reason this novel does not entirely work for me is that the antagonist could have and should have taken out the protagonist early on and easily. He's clearly much more competent and proficient at what he's about than this damaged relic of a once functional Boston PD police officer.
Another aspect of the story was that attempted love scene between Callie and her former Boston law enforcement boss. If ever there was a friendship and professional relationship that Callie should have known should never become a romance, this was the one. What incredibly poor judgement on Callie's part to try to force Stan out of the friend and colleague zone. Adults in their forties know better!
In point of fact, Callie fails to manage a single relationship at all well the entire book long. She's a consistently hot mess in every way and barely recovers to the limited extent she manages by the end of the book. There's little to admire here, making having sympathy for her problematic. She brings most of her troubles on herself, and completely mismanages the other ones.
Nevertheless, there is enough real drama here, enough going on with this character that I'd go on to read the next volume in the series soon, I think. I just hope maybe the next volume is a little more the mystery it calls itself and maybe a little less the truly dark noire story Clark actually wrote here.
First Reading Review (written 2017)
This first book in Hope Clark's new trilogy was a promising beginning. I love that I couldn't figure out much of what was going on despite the many clues until the answer was revealed. The new protagonist is very appealing if a bit boozy. I also like the setting and the characters. I think this trilogy is a little less firmly grounded in the reality of possibility than the first trilogy. It is hard for me to see the criminal getting away with so much before getting caught, for example. To give away other improbabilities would be to make spoilers. I will just say that my hope is that as the series continues it gets more firmly grounded in what is possible or likely.
July 22, 2017
Admittedly, I have only become interested in mysteries in the last few years, but I know a great book when I read one - and Hope Clark's Murder on Edisto is a great book.
I'm a loyal fan of Southern literature, so being set on an idyllic South Carolina lowland island immediately caught my attention. But it's Clark's deftly crafted characters, with their unique quirks and flaws, histories and haunts, kept me up late whispering to myself "Just one more chapter." Clark's main character, Callie Jean Morgan, is a Boston transplant who moves to her parents' beach house after tragedy strikes her family. Through loss after loss, Callie finds herself sinking deeper into her cups until she realizes - with the help of her son - she can't continue down this road, no matter how winding and difficult her life has become.
But most of all, I truly enjoyed Clark's writing style. I felt more like I was watching a best friend struggle through her issues than reading about them (talk about SHOW don't TELL!). Clark has a mastery of dialogue, a feat that takes true talent and hard work. Clark's ear for Southern banter and knowledge of local culture make this book as genuine as it is entertaining. I have the next three on my nightstand to read - and with the latest installment - Edisto Stranger - out now, I know I'll have that midnight oil burning for a while to catch up!
I'm a loyal fan of Southern literature, so being set on an idyllic South Carolina lowland island immediately caught my attention. But it's Clark's deftly crafted characters, with their unique quirks and flaws, histories and haunts, kept me up late whispering to myself "Just one more chapter." Clark's main character, Callie Jean Morgan, is a Boston transplant who moves to her parents' beach house after tragedy strikes her family. Through loss after loss, Callie finds herself sinking deeper into her cups until she realizes - with the help of her son - she can't continue down this road, no matter how winding and difficult her life has become.
But most of all, I truly enjoyed Clark's writing style. I felt more like I was watching a best friend struggle through her issues than reading about them (talk about SHOW don't TELL!). Clark has a mastery of dialogue, a feat that takes true talent and hard work. Clark's ear for Southern banter and knowledge of local culture make this book as genuine as it is entertaining. I have the next three on my nightstand to read - and with the latest installment - Edisto Stranger - out now, I know I'll have that midnight oil burning for a while to catch up!
January 1, 2021
I'm a South Carolina native and familiar with Edisto, so it was fun to read a mystery with a local setting. However, the story doesn't bring anything new or exciting. It's a standard mystery plot, predominately cliched. I knew within the 1st 20 pages who the killer was. I'm not saying it was obvious but it's not hard to figure out either. If you figure out the identity of the killer early on, the red herrings become dull and plot holes start to expose themselves.
I'd still recommend this for any locals looking for a fine summer beach read. Cheers!
I'd still recommend this for any locals looking for a fine summer beach read. Cheers!
November 11, 2022
A parte il fatto che un paio di volte (e anche di più) avrei voluto dare uno scossone alla protagonista e che ho trovato subito viscida la persona poi risultata colpevole, alla fine la lettura è stata abbastanza piacevole. Ho già un paio degli altri libri di questa serie (le offerte sono il mio punto debole), quindi prima o poi li leggerò, sperando che la protagonista maturi un po' o, per meglio dire, riacquisti un po' di amor proprio, di cui ora proprio difetta.
October 18, 2019
This is a well written and fast paced Southern Mystery. It is easy to get to know the characters and identify with them like family members.
Chapter one jumps right into the action and it seldom slows down. C. Hope Clark makes you feel like you are right there on Edisto Island with Callie. There were no easy answers or obvious plot points. I was guessing and trying to piece together clues until the end.
I look forward to the rest of the series.
Chapter one jumps right into the action and it seldom slows down. C. Hope Clark makes you feel like you are right there on Edisto Island with Callie. There were no easy answers or obvious plot points. I was guessing and trying to piece together clues until the end.
I look forward to the rest of the series.
January 1, 2024
3.5 The first book in a series by an author I haven’t read before. I enjoyed the story, loved the setting and ready to read the next book. It took me quite a while to care for the main character Callie so hopefully she will be more “understood” in future books.
July 23, 2017
Great read, the characters are excellent, with their own demons like in real life. Plenty of twists and turns. Kept me up even though I need my sleep.
March 5, 2021
Entertaining and fast-paced read on Edisto Beach, which is a slow-moving town. Colorful characters and twisting plot fill out the mix.
November 3, 2022
This is my first from C Hope Clark but definitely will not be my last! Great characters and a fast paced page turner!
July 2, 2017
A well-written page-turning mystery that kept me guessing the whole way through. In addition, it's filled with a wide variety of well-developed characters -- another thing that keeps me reading a novel. And of course now I'm wondering what happens with the two main characters in the next book in the series :)
Note: This is a general market book so for those who prefer Christian fiction, just a heads-up that it contains some R-rated language and two or three sexual situations.
Note: This is a general market book so for those who prefer Christian fiction, just a heads-up that it contains some R-rated language and two or three sexual situations.
December 26, 2021
too many murders, didn't care about characters or their many dramas.
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August 9, 2017Blurb:
Murder on Edisto (MoE) by C. Hope Clark is the first book in the Edisto Island series and my first book by Ms. Clark.
After the violent death of her husband, John, Callie Morgan – a Boston PD detective –falls into a deep depression.
Callie suspects that she and her family were the targets of the Russian mafia. The year-long case she’d been working has now turned very personal. Riddled with grief and guilt Callie resigns from the police force. Soon thereafter Callie spirals out of control. She is drinking too much, not sleeping. Aware of her worsening condition her parents urge Callie to take time off and move to Edisto Island, S.C., with son Jeb for the summer.
*Review - possible spoilers*
The book’s blurb pulled me into the story line right away. MoE is centered in South Carolina and I’ve always been drawn to the Carolinas, they hold a nostalgic appeal for me.
MoE is a decent read. It has a dramatic hook from the first chapter when Callie’s husband dies in a devastating house fire. Although I liked the book, I was put off by the melodrama. Callie situation is understandable but some things were over the top. For example: following her father’s funeral Callie’s mother turns into an evil witch and asks her to leave the house. Callie drives back to Edisto and in a few short hours Stan her old boss shows up out of nowhere. Suddenly the two are kissing and fall into bed then just as they’re about to take their relationship to the next level, Stan’s estranged wife calls out of the blue and he leaves in a haste (?). This scene I didn't see coming and truth is it was weird, mainly because as the reader, thought Stan was a father figure to Callie.
The characters in this book are interesting but don’t always mesh. The main characters (Callie and Mike) are likable however. The story moves at a steady pace and the dialogue is engaging. I admire the author’s ability to maintain the tempo and to keep the reader turning pages; this is not an easy task.
Overall, I enjoyed reading MoE and would read another of Ms. Clark’s books. I give Murder on Edisto three stars.
Murder on Edisto (MoE) by C. Hope Clark is the first book in the Edisto Island series and my first book by Ms. Clark.
After the violent death of her husband, John, Callie Morgan – a Boston PD detective –falls into a deep depression.
Callie suspects that she and her family were the targets of the Russian mafia. The year-long case she’d been working has now turned very personal. Riddled with grief and guilt Callie resigns from the police force. Soon thereafter Callie spirals out of control. She is drinking too much, not sleeping. Aware of her worsening condition her parents urge Callie to take time off and move to Edisto Island, S.C., with son Jeb for the summer.
*Review - possible spoilers*
The book’s blurb pulled me into the story line right away. MoE is centered in South Carolina and I’ve always been drawn to the Carolinas, they hold a nostalgic appeal for me.
MoE is a decent read. It has a dramatic hook from the first chapter when Callie’s husband dies in a devastating house fire. Although I liked the book, I was put off by the melodrama. Callie situation is understandable but some things were over the top. For example: following her father’s funeral Callie’s mother turns into an evil witch and asks her to leave the house. Callie drives back to Edisto and in a few short hours Stan her old boss shows up out of nowhere. Suddenly the two are kissing and fall into bed then just as they’re about to take their relationship to the next level, Stan’s estranged wife calls out of the blue and he leaves in a haste (?). This scene I didn't see coming and truth is it was weird, mainly because as the reader, thought Stan was a father figure to Callie.
The characters in this book are interesting but don’t always mesh. The main characters (Callie and Mike) are likable however. The story moves at a steady pace and the dialogue is engaging. I admire the author’s ability to maintain the tempo and to keep the reader turning pages; this is not an easy task.
Overall, I enjoyed reading MoE and would read another of Ms. Clark’s books. I give Murder on Edisto three stars.
December 15, 2014
My Review Title as Listed on Amazon:
Explosive Thriller from Start to Finish! No Bookmark Needed!
I read at a snail’s pace. However, C. Hope Clark’s, Murder on Edisto is a page-turning thriller that hastens even the slowest reader through this labyrinth of murder and suspense so cleverly detailed with character dysfunction to keep the audience guessing.
With an explosive start, Clark hurls the reader on a roller-coaster ride of anxiety, tension, and drama. Still grieving the death of her baby daughter and the haunting murder of her husband, Boston Detective Callie Jean Cantrell reluctantly moves to the family beach home with her teenage son, Jeb. Callie quickly learns she cannot leave her past behind and confrontation may be her only resolve for a leisurely life on this unhurried beach. Instead, the murder of a beloved neighbor thrusts her into a hunt for a killer who finds pleasure in stalking her. Callie must deal with small town antics on her own terms, while grappling with her sanity that makes this protagonist seem every bit the antagonist to her quirky neighbors, each with their own laundry list of disorders that could qualify any one of them as the murderer. With the perpetrator a half step ahead of Callie, this book ends as explosively as it began.
I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense as well as the expertise of character and setting. The author captures the intricate details of each character, making them genuine as if the reader already knows them personally. Clark artistically intertwines their strengths and flaws allowing their entangled dysfunction to find closure and acceptance as the plot unfolds. She masterfully gives life to the island letting the reader enjoy the vibrant warmth and laid-back charm of Edisto. Excellent read!
Explosive Thriller from Start to Finish! No Bookmark Needed!
I read at a snail’s pace. However, C. Hope Clark’s, Murder on Edisto is a page-turning thriller that hastens even the slowest reader through this labyrinth of murder and suspense so cleverly detailed with character dysfunction to keep the audience guessing.
With an explosive start, Clark hurls the reader on a roller-coaster ride of anxiety, tension, and drama. Still grieving the death of her baby daughter and the haunting murder of her husband, Boston Detective Callie Jean Cantrell reluctantly moves to the family beach home with her teenage son, Jeb. Callie quickly learns she cannot leave her past behind and confrontation may be her only resolve for a leisurely life on this unhurried beach. Instead, the murder of a beloved neighbor thrusts her into a hunt for a killer who finds pleasure in stalking her. Callie must deal with small town antics on her own terms, while grappling with her sanity that makes this protagonist seem every bit the antagonist to her quirky neighbors, each with their own laundry list of disorders that could qualify any one of them as the murderer. With the perpetrator a half step ahead of Callie, this book ends as explosively as it began.
I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense as well as the expertise of character and setting. The author captures the intricate details of each character, making them genuine as if the reader already knows them personally. Clark artistically intertwines their strengths and flaws allowing their entangled dysfunction to find closure and acceptance as the plot unfolds. She masterfully gives life to the island letting the reader enjoy the vibrant warmth and laid-back charm of Edisto. Excellent read!
July 8, 2016
Hope Clark is one of my favorite writers. I love Southern writers, being one myself. Southerners have too often received short shrift in recent years, but there's great writing coming out of our region, and Clark's books embody some of the best contributions here.
Her first work of fiction, Lowcountry Bribe, captivated me and ensured I would read anything she writes, and Clark has not disappointed me with her later books. This new book, with Callie Morgan as a grieving widow determined to turn her back on detective work and protect her son, has the makings of a compelling series. Clark answered all the necessary questions by the end of the book, yet she left me with some unanswered questions, specifically about what Callie will be doing in the future. My bet is that she won't be able to steer clear of police work. It's in her blood.
Descriptions of Edisto Island life took me right there to South Carolina with the book's characters, and made me want to find a little beach cottage of my own -- albeit without all the murders and illegal doings. It's a great place to visit -- in the pages of a book.
I, too, read this book quickly and didn't really need a bookmark. But I had a great one, provided by the author when I ordered a signed copy directly from her. My copy arrived just days after I placed my order, so I have to commend Hope Clark not only on her writing but also on her marketing.
Her first work of fiction, Lowcountry Bribe, captivated me and ensured I would read anything she writes, and Clark has not disappointed me with her later books. This new book, with Callie Morgan as a grieving widow determined to turn her back on detective work and protect her son, has the makings of a compelling series. Clark answered all the necessary questions by the end of the book, yet she left me with some unanswered questions, specifically about what Callie will be doing in the future. My bet is that she won't be able to steer clear of police work. It's in her blood.
Descriptions of Edisto Island life took me right there to South Carolina with the book's characters, and made me want to find a little beach cottage of my own -- albeit without all the murders and illegal doings. It's a great place to visit -- in the pages of a book.
I, too, read this book quickly and didn't really need a bookmark. But I had a great one, provided by the author when I ordered a signed copy directly from her. My copy arrived just days after I placed my order, so I have to commend Hope Clark not only on her writing but also on her marketing.
September 30, 2014
C. Hope Clark is a new author to me and I am so happy that I discovered her! Murder on Edisto is a great book! It is well written and a flowing plot. I am a big fan of Edisto Island so the title is what initially attracted me.
Murder on Edisto comes complete with an interesting story line, believable characters and a beautiful setting. It is well written. I found that I had a hard time putting it down. The author, C. Hope Clark, kept me in suspense throughout most of the book. I suspected who the murderer was but she did have the murderer very cleverly disguised. I enjoyed the twists in the book.
Callie Morgan is a retired police detective who retired after her husband was murdered by Boston's Russian Mob. She had just lost an infant prior to his murder. It is amazing that she could function at all. When her Charleston area based parents gift her with the family's vacation home on Edisto Island, she and her adolescent son Jeb settle in. And then mysterious things start happening. And her dear friend is murdered. It is a constant flow of strange events that keep the reader spellbound.
Highly recommend this mystery. Always refreshing to find a new author that I like. Cannot wait for the next one in the series!
December 15, 2014
My father told me when I was young that I could travel anywhere and experience anything with a good book. C. Hope Clark’s new book Murder on Edisto embodied that assertion. I journeyed to South Carolina and it was a riveting adventure!
I met Callie and her son Jeb in Boston and instantly felt connected to them. When I opened the book, they were having one of those mother-son banters that seemed so familiar. But I swiftly realized how different their lives were from mine. An explosion and subsequent fire killed Callie’s husband / Jeb’s dad in the first pages and they were stumbling through grief and trying to put their lives back together as I read on. But the journey was far from over!
I had trouble leaving Callie each night; I just couldn’t bear to put the book down. She used her detective prowess and took me on a trek of murder, mystery, and intrigued. All too quickly I was turning the final page.
I dare not reveal too much because I want everyone to enjoy the trip Hope will take you on! Murder on Edisto is exciting, thrilling, and almost impossible to put down! I can’t wait to see where Callie takes me next!
I met Callie and her son Jeb in Boston and instantly felt connected to them. When I opened the book, they were having one of those mother-son banters that seemed so familiar. But I swiftly realized how different their lives were from mine. An explosion and subsequent fire killed Callie’s husband / Jeb’s dad in the first pages and they were stumbling through grief and trying to put their lives back together as I read on. But the journey was far from over!
I had trouble leaving Callie each night; I just couldn’t bear to put the book down. She used her detective prowess and took me on a trek of murder, mystery, and intrigued. All too quickly I was turning the final page.
I dare not reveal too much because I want everyone to enjoy the trip Hope will take you on! Murder on Edisto is exciting, thrilling, and almost impossible to put down! I can’t wait to see where Callie takes me next!
July 26, 2015
Hope Clark's MURDER ON EDISTO is a page turner. The drama will keep you guessing until the end who the murderer is, and keep you rooting for Callie Jean Morgan, the protagonist. Callie, a former Boston Police detective, has come to the Low Country of South Carolina and settled in the bucolic island community of Edisto, hoping to right her life after a series of traumatic events in Massachusetts.
Things don't go smoothly, of course (or there's no story), and Callie quickly finds herself at the center of a murder, robberies, and assaults. Is the Russian mafia out for revenge after she helped break a big case in Boston? Or are the crimes the work of a local psychopath, maybe a cop or one of the many visitors who rent homes on the island for the summer? There are a multitude of options, and Clark handles them all with a deft author's hand.
The tale is complex enough to make a great story, but not so convoluted that you get lost. The novel, I might add, is as much about Callie and her personal demons as it is about solving the crimes. It gives the drama great depth.
Kudos to Hope Clark for an excellent book.
Things don't go smoothly, of course (or there's no story), and Callie quickly finds herself at the center of a murder, robberies, and assaults. Is the Russian mafia out for revenge after she helped break a big case in Boston? Or are the crimes the work of a local psychopath, maybe a cop or one of the many visitors who rent homes on the island for the summer? There are a multitude of options, and Clark handles them all with a deft author's hand.
The tale is complex enough to make a great story, but not so convoluted that you get lost. The novel, I might add, is as much about Callie and her personal demons as it is about solving the crimes. It gives the drama great depth.
Kudos to Hope Clark for an excellent book.
January 17, 2023
Like another reviewer, I am mystified by the number of 4 and 5 star reviews. But I would also be equally mystified by any 3 star ratings. This is not the worst book I have ever read. However, of the books that I have finished, it is in the top three in terms of bad books.
The story is very long, repetitive and soap operary. The story itself was extremely boring as it went meandering along. The protagonist was unlikeable, and her drama rang false. There also was nothing that gave any sense of what Edisto is like. This could have been any town USA with a couple of stereotypical “bubbas” thrown in.
This is definitely a book to avoid.
November 16, 2014
Wow. This story starts off explosively, calms down, and then keeps you on edge the rest of the way through. The story opens with Callie's husband being killed, their house exploded and burned to the ground. Fast forward two years, and she and her teenage son move to Edisto Island to start anew. The day she moves in her neighbor and life long friend is murdered. As an ex-detective from Boston, everybody is a suspect. Well written to make you feel what she feels, and suspect everybody. Read this edge of your seat mystery. You won't be disapointed.
January 27, 2017
I bought this at a local bookstore on Edisto Beach, wanting to support both the bookstore and a local author and not expecting a great deal from the book. The bonus was that it is actually quite a good old-fashioned whodunnit with plenty of characters and a liberal amount of red herrings dropped along the way. There were some loose ends left hanging and a few plot slip-ups, but nothing that some judicious editing couldn't clear up. I will read the rest of her series so I can vicariously enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Edisto until the next time I return.
August 20, 2015
We meet Boston detective Callie Morgan on the worse day of her life. When we meet her again two years later she's still swirling on the edge of losing what's left of her family and her sanity. It takes the help of her son, some new friends, and a puzzling crime spree to get her back into fighting form.
The sights and sounds of beach are very enticing for tourists and locals alike. The stage is set for an entertaining series.
The sights and sounds of beach are very enticing for tourists and locals alike. The stage is set for an entertaining series.
August 3, 2015
Well written mystery with a great setting, Edisto Beach, South Carolina. This book uses setting well including both physical landscape (beach house community) and local customs of behavior (residents with ancestral ties vs summer renters). Multiple suspects are well presented and played. Pacing was great. A good solid story for a weekend read.
September 21, 2015
Murderous
Although I enjoyed the story, I thought there were too many murders to appear believable. Loved characters and would recommend to all my mystery and beach loving friends.
Although I enjoyed the story, I thought there were too many murders to appear believable. Loved characters and would recommend to all my mystery and beach loving friends.
March 1, 2020
I don't usually read mysteries, but met this author at a conference and simply had to read it. I'm really glad I did. Not only was this a great story with characters I cared about, I've found a place I'd like to travel to. I'll be reading another in this series very soon.
April 27, 2020
This is quite a mystery. There's the muckity-mucks, the regular folks, the permanent residents, the vacationers. C. Hope Clark does a great job portraying a long list of complex characters easily recognizable by the reader in this can't-put-it-down mystery.
July 29, 2022
Sorry but not for me. I just didn’t like any of the characters and so impossible to care. Pity really as loved the setting.
October 22, 2018
In Murder on Edisto, C. Hope Clark introduces her lead character brilliantly by giving the reader all the baggage that comes along with detective Callie Morgan in the first chapter. We then dive right into Callie’s life nearly three years later and it is apparent she does not have it together yet. Callie struggles with the death of her husband; complicated by being a result of her job. She is tormented by the unresolved relationship she and her husband ended with; never having dealt with the death of their baby girl. Callie struggles with every relationship she has, including her son Jeb who will be going off to college after the summer if she has her way. Her mother and her are so much alike they are always at each others throats, though Callie doesn’t recognize the mirror’s reflection and thinks all the negativity is because of only her mother. Her father seems to be the only person we see her have a healthy relationship with and he has to endure a lot to keep his wife and daughter happy.
Not too far into Murder on Edisto we learn of another relationship Callie had that meant a lot to her. Papa Beach is the neighbor and mentor from her childhood beach house on Edisto Beach in South Carolina. She finds that he has been murdered on her first day moving into the beach home her parents have just given her so she and Jeb can have a place to call home again and try to normalize their family. Soon Callie is caught up in the murder of her dear friend and other crimes happening to the neighbors that live on her street. She struggles with being a civilian and the urge to be a detective again, but at the same time has not healed from what being a detective did to her family.
We begin to know Callie very well and can almost picture sitting in her kitchen having a drink with her listening to her spill all the drama that cuts into her life. Clark does a great job of poking Callie’s drinking problem in just enough that the reader is aware of it and each added stress makes you root for her to control it while there is a soft sympathy for Callie as well.
As she makes new relationships with mostly men she begins to have an inner conflict on wether she is ready to have a new relationship. She volunteers to help with the crime spree going on and we soon see a complicated relationship begin with officer Mike Seabrook, she also begins to flirt with a fellow jogger Mason Howard, and may be letting herself be too vulnerable to her new surroundings and the people in them. With all of her new happenings and her old baggage Callie finds herself overwhelmed, “Thank heaven there wasn’t more than twenty-four hours in a day.” (p. 192)
The author best describes Callie on page 197, “Her life with all its craziness, inserted onto Edisto Beach, had culminated into a perfect storm of drama, crime, and death.” It is this perfect storm that keeps the reader on their toes and wanting to keep turning the pages. Clark does a great job of giving you just enough to keep you guessing and making you want to get to the answers. She also develops her characters so well that you can’t wait to see them again real soon.
Not too far into Murder on Edisto we learn of another relationship Callie had that meant a lot to her. Papa Beach is the neighbor and mentor from her childhood beach house on Edisto Beach in South Carolina. She finds that he has been murdered on her first day moving into the beach home her parents have just given her so she and Jeb can have a place to call home again and try to normalize their family. Soon Callie is caught up in the murder of her dear friend and other crimes happening to the neighbors that live on her street. She struggles with being a civilian and the urge to be a detective again, but at the same time has not healed from what being a detective did to her family.
We begin to know Callie very well and can almost picture sitting in her kitchen having a drink with her listening to her spill all the drama that cuts into her life. Clark does a great job of poking Callie’s drinking problem in just enough that the reader is aware of it and each added stress makes you root for her to control it while there is a soft sympathy for Callie as well.
As she makes new relationships with mostly men she begins to have an inner conflict on wether she is ready to have a new relationship. She volunteers to help with the crime spree going on and we soon see a complicated relationship begin with officer Mike Seabrook, she also begins to flirt with a fellow jogger Mason Howard, and may be letting herself be too vulnerable to her new surroundings and the people in them. With all of her new happenings and her old baggage Callie finds herself overwhelmed, “Thank heaven there wasn’t more than twenty-four hours in a day.” (p. 192)
The author best describes Callie on page 197, “Her life with all its craziness, inserted onto Edisto Beach, had culminated into a perfect storm of drama, crime, and death.” It is this perfect storm that keeps the reader on their toes and wanting to keep turning the pages. Clark does a great job of giving you just enough to keep you guessing and making you want to get to the answers. She also develops her characters so well that you can’t wait to see them again real soon.
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