The Devil's Gate

by Kim McLew

A seaside Southern city centuries old, a variety of unusual supporting characters, an unsolved murder, an investigation that reveals an old crime and family skeletons, a setting dripping with Gothic ambiance, an old white society that hasn't quite left the 19th century behind, "The Devil's Gate" is a Gothic thriller set in Charleston, SC, a city with a long history filled with mystery. A quick and intoxicating read, where the city and its surroundings are in so many ways the main character due to its unique features created by white English and Frenchmen and their slaves centuries ago. The main character is Elizabeth Cooper, a white homicide detective, who is assisted with her black partner, Martin Middleton, to investigate the murders of several black children. At Elizabeth's insistence, the investigation reveals that the deaths are related and suddenly, Charleston has a serial killer on its hands. In the midst of the investigation, Cooper finds herself infatuated by a handsome and somewhat mysterious man, Robert Coles, the descendant of a very old Charleston family who has just returned to the area. The Devil's Gate includes mysticism, backwoods folk tales, sinister and poignant characters, Gothic settings and atmosphere, as well as a startling resolution to the murder mystery.

188 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1999