Homosassa Shadows

Brandy O'Bannon Mystery #3

by Ann Turner Cook

An eerie beauty settles over Tiger Tail Island, a wild refuge along Florida's Gulf Coast. But treachery and violence are woven throughout the island's history. The latest death is that of treasure hunter Timothy Hart, who discovered, and then took to his grave, Tiger Tail Island's most extraordinary secret. Newspaper reporter and crime buff Brandy O'Bannon has come to the quaint town of Homosassa to make a decision that will alter the course of her life. But she is soon drawn deeply into a web of intrigue as she seeks to unravel the mystery of Hart's murder. Brandy encounters a strange mix of characters more interested in Hart's discovery than in his death. Brandy's amateur sleuthing tries the patience of homicide detective Jeremiah Strong. But they join forces in a race against the clock to solve the crime. The intertwined fate of two Indian children, born centuries apart, rests on their success.

Genres: Mystery

234 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2005

About the author

Ann Turner Cook is an American mystery novelist, who was the model for the familiar Gerber Baby artwork seen on baby-food packages of the Gerber Products Company.
After retiring from teaching, Cook became a novelist. A member of the Mystery Writers of America, she is the author of the Brandy O'Bannon series of mystery novels set on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Reviews

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series and am so sorry it has come to an end - so many more fun Old Florida towns she could have written about - Weeki Wachee, Cassadaga, Crystal Springs, Tarpon Springs, The Tiki Garden at Indian Beach and the old Lido Casino in Sarasota. They all would be the perfect background for mystery and murder!!

This was a good mystery and I learned everything I ever wanted to know about the Seminole Indians in Florida. Ms Cook had a great knack for making history very interesting and so readable.

Brandy O’Bannon was a pretty likable character, I just wish she had been single, her husband John was kind of a drag. When she has a baby (at his insistence) her life will really change - too bad. That’s why Sue Grafton kept Kinsey Milhone single - gave her a lot more freedom.

Many thanks to my library for tracking this book down for me. Came all the way from Boynton Beach to Sarasota via our inter library system. Saved me buying it for $15.00👍

[Cheryl Licata · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting for this mystery novel is Tiger Tail Island, a wild refuge along Florida's Gulf Coast. The author's description of the area makes it easy to picture. One of the main characters was Fishhawk, a Seminole Indian medicine man. The author included information about Seminole culture, which I thought was more interesting than the crime solving abilities of the serial title character, Brandy O'Bannon.

[Nancy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read Florida mystery. I liked that it had local details.