Scorpion

by Mildred Davis

Amid the beauty, something evil stalks...Holly Eban had been warned by her dead mother never to come back to the islands. Heedlessly she returned for a reunion with her grandparents. Now strange intrusive sensations have overtaken her.Threats...unexplained accidents...vanishing homeowners...natives in ritualistic worship of witches cast ominous shadows over the defenseless island dwellers.Why is she so suddenly alone in the stillness of the island? Is death near--or will the human sacrificial rite to Beltane free her from the prescience that condemns the island of...SCORPION

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Mildred B. Davis, an american teacher, published her first novel, The Room Upstairs, in 1948. It was awarded an Edgar for best first novel of the year by the Mystery Writers of America. A rich novel with subtle strains of gothic horror and hard-boiled private eye, this book lifted her into the limelight as an author of promise.

Reviews

[Kathryn Flatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my Goodreads friends just liked my review of "Three Minutes to Midnight," and it triggered a memory of this other book by Mildred Davis.

This one takes the protagonist to a tropical island called Scorpion to reconnect with her grandparents who were estranged from her recently deceased mother. Her father went missing years ago. Because of the family history of discord, the reunion is rather tense, but it soon becomes apparent there is more going on, something dangerous and mysterious.

Ms. Davis again delivers a stunning climactic scene in which nothing is described in absolute detail, yet the shocking event is no less clear in the reader's mind. This is an author I greatly admire (does it show?) and her books are worth the search for fans of mystery/suspense.