October 1, 2014
The real-life, unsolved murder of real-estate developer Sir Harry Oakes plays a part in this tale set in the Bahamas during WWII. The story centers on two women, Dodie Wyatt, a waitress, and Ella Sanford, the bored wife of a diplomat who is the right-hand man to the colony's governor, the Duke of Windsor. One night, Dodie responds to a cry for help from a badly wounded stranger who later dies in her shack. She determines to find out who killed Johnny Morrell and why. The deeper she delves into the mystery, the more layers she finds, including the fact that Ella is unwittingly involved. Danger comes to Dodie from various elements who fear exposure, and love comes in the form of Flynn Hudson, an associate of Morrell's. Ella, meanwhile, has a torrid affair with a local cop. Shady doings involving the Mafia and a box of gold coins come to a head when Oakes is killed, and Hudson is framed for his murder. Furnivall (Shadows of the Nile, 2013) once again delivers an agreeable mixture of history, intrigue, and romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)