As this novel opens, Blackman and Robertson are working on a routine surveillance case for an insurance company. Has that UNC-Asheville professor really been disabled by a recent back surgery, or is she trying to pull a fast one? When Sam sees her heading for a hike up Glassy Mountain, he follows with his camera, hoping to get evidence that will sink her case. Instead, after Sam hears the woman yell “NO!” he rushes to her, only to find her barely clinging to life after a hard fall.
Janice Wainwright does not survive the fall. Feeling that Sam is under suspicion, Sam and Nakayla begin to investigate all aspects of the professor’s life. She is survived by a teenage daughter, a sister who was distant and disapproving, and a colleague with whom she shares a painful history. Teenage Wendy is distraught but reluctant to accept her aunt’s comfort. Instead, Wendy throws herself into the care of her pet goat, a goat that is related to the ones kept by the poet Carl Sandburg when he lived near Glassy Mountain. As in the previous Sam Blackman mysteries, this is a tale that weaves very contemporary interests with the history and literary culture of the Asheville area. Even when the outlines of the mystery becomes clear, this book still contains surprises that will delight Sandburg fans, history buffs, and those who enjoy a good mystery.
Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
Life in Duck, North Carolina, during the off season can be slow for the residents of this Outer Banks hamlet. Although the town is fairly small, its history, lore, and spirit more than make up for its size. The quiet of the off season suddenly changes when the Duck Historical Museum explodes. All of the relics–some centuries-old–are destroyed, but that is not the only loss to the community. The greatest tragedy in this strange event is the death of Max Caudle, museum curator and Duck expert, who perished in the blast. Dae O’Donnell, mayor of Duck and close friend of Max is heartbroken – and oddly affected. Dae, who had been helping Max with a program for school children just before the explosion, was very close to the building before it went up in flames. Now, in addition to her ability to help people find lost objects just by touching them, Dae can “see” the history of things.
Although Thayer Wentworth has lived most of her life in an affluent community outside of Atlanta, Georgia, the most pivotal events of her life occurred at Camp Sherwood Forest in the mountains of North Carolina. For the tomboy whose father was killed tragically in a car accident when she was just a girl and who shared a strained relationship with her mother, summer camp was a magical escape. Only as a counselor surrounded by happy children and fun co-counselors did Thayer feel as though she truly fit in with those around her. She even falls in love with a co-worker, Nick Abrams, who she believes to be the love of her life. The two commit to each other with promises to reunite once Nick returns from a summer visit to Europe.
