Genesis Beach

Logan Hunter Mystery #1

by Susan Whitfield

"I craned my head around the corner and pulled back again. There was someone there. I inhaled deeply and swung my body around into the room, coming face-to-face with my own image in the mirror. The hair on my body bristled . "

When the lifeless body of millionaire Rick Teater is discovered, no one suspects he was beaten to death with a sock, least of all inexperienced Logan Hunter, an intern for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. But the high-profile crime scene-and the need to prove herself-propel her to embark on a quest for justice. During the investigation, she befriends Pepper Ellis, the victim's chef, and the two form an emotional attachment, something Logan does not expect.

After several intense searches, complicated by a hurricane and a recurring nightmare, Logan finds the body of her prime suspect, Lincoln Tumu. Her investigation comes to a frustrating standstill. Trying to cope with demons of her own, Logan begins to unravel the tightly woven plan that implicated Tumu and discovers she pursued the wrong person from the beginning. Now she suspects the one she counted on for guidance has been deceiving her all along.

Visit the author's website at www.swhitfield.com

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Martha Cheves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genesis Beach - Review by Martha A. Cheves

The main character Logan Hunter is with the NC SBI serving her internship in her home town of Genesis Beach. In this small town crime usually consists of misdemeanors and a major crime is unheard of. So the murder of the wealthy Rick Teater shakes up the whole town. Logan's coworkers consist of the Sheriff and his deputy who have never handled a murder, so it's turned over to Logan to solve. Logan narrows it down to the caddy Lincoln Tumu and Pepper Ellis, Teater's chef. She follows the book to the letter for recovering evidence but when the weather changes and a hurricane hits Genesis Beach evidence as well as Logan's home are destroyed.

While reading Genesis Beach I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had a piece of evidence that would help me solve the mystery before Logan. I really thought I had pin-pointed the murderer. Boy was I in for a shock. The murderer and the reason were both something that I never figured into my theory. So if you like a book that holds your interest to the very end, Genesis Beach is the perfect book for you.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book opened up leaving me scratching my head a bit. We see Logan, an intern from the State Bureau of Investigation, interning with a small town police department. When they get called to the scene of a possible murder scene of a wealthy business man I found it strange that the chief of police would say since they are a small town and never dealt with a murder before they would be relying heavily on her. She’s just an intern so why would she have any more experience? He later contradicts himself by getting upset that she was trying to step into his jurisdiction when she asks to speak to a possible suspect. What happened to relying heavily on her? The other thing that was pretty unbelievable was the other police officer starting to pick up evidence on the crime scene without gloves. Even if you never dealt with a murder case shouldn’t that be second nature for a police officer even in non-murder cases? The book is relatively short and there were a few twists at the end. I’m afraid most of this was to unbelievable for me but for those who want a quick moving mystery book this might be one to check out.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a great deal to like about this new series. The protagonist is a young "csi" type assigned to her hometown to do an internship. She is beset by a murdered millionaire, a under-trained police force, a hurricane that totals her childhood home and nightmares that are keeping her sleepless. Through all of that she manages to solve the murder and make a couple of good friends. She did have some "tstl" moments that I hope don't continue to show up in future books but for now I'll keep reading this series.

[Lynette Hall Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the first book in the SIB series. Logan is a smart, well trained woman who takes no nonsense off anyone, be it co-worker or crook. Whitfield's description of the beach house and the people who populate this area is well thought out and her characters are well rounded and come across as real people. I highly recommend this book as the first to start you reading Whitfield's series. You'll certainly want to read the next and the next until you're hungry for the next one.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first mystery novel, set along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina