Kendal was just an ordinary Jamaican village until Doc Bitteroot came into town. It was wartime and Nathan Berwick was the acknowledged leader of the community. But he couldn't stand Doc Bitteroot. He recognized him at once for the charlatan he was. By the author of "Baba and Mr Big".
Palmer's world-building is out of this world. The way he captures country life is simply WOW! His dialogues. He just knows how to put the country life there. If you know what I mean.