Dying
on Edisto
The
Edisto Island Mysteries Book 5
by
C. Hope Clark
Genre:
Cozy Mystery
One
death. Two detectives. And unexpected backup.
A
Callie Morgan and Carolina Slade crossover! (A standalone mystery)
When a renowned—and
now dead—travel blogger washes ashore on the banks of Indigo
Plantation, Police Chief Callie Morgan of Edisto Beach agrees to head
the investigation as a favor to the county sheriff, whose reasons are
as questionable as the death itself.
When death turns to
murder and a watchdog from the county makes her investigation
difficult, Callie reluctantly turns to Carolina Slade and Wayne
Largo, vacationing agents with the Department of Agriculture. Because
poison is growing on this plantation, and someone knows how to use it
well.
"Page-turning...[and]
edge-of-your-seat action...crisp writing and compelling storytelling.
This is one you don't want to miss!" —Carolyn Haines, USA
Today bestselling author
"Her beloved
protagonist, Callie, continues to delight readers as a strong, savvy,
and a wee-bit-snarky police chief.”—Julie Cantrell, NY
Times and USA Today bestselling author
Explain the design of your covers.
Any series needs its own personality, and covers can be critical in the success of said series. Being a traditional author, my publisher has as much or more say in my covers than I do, but luckily the cooperative team asks for feedback, suggestions, even my consent as drafts take place.
The Edisto Island Mystery covers feature. . . surprise. . . some aspect of the island. We go for ominous but with one demanding color. Photography, not graphics, with creative license taken to inserting the flavor of suspense. As a former, and currently infrequent, freelancer, I own a quality camera, and while I doubt I could make a living being a photography, my eye is pretty darn decent. Both Echoes of Edisto and Dying on Edisto are my photo credits. The publisher has learned to ask for any Edisto pictures I may have from my frequent visits, and I’m eager to share.
The Carolina Slade Mystery covers capitalize on setting as well. Again, photography in lieu of graphics, but with a hint of artistic adjustment. Lowcountry Bribe features the field and a barn, key pieces of the story. Tidewater Murder takes us to the coast, and an historic lighthouse. Palmetto Poison was somewhat of a challenge, but colors gave it a remarkable, eye-catching visual. Newberry Sin. . . again, my photography.
Being destination mysteries, a nickname coined by my webmistress, setting is extremely important to me. In the creation of my covers, I made two strong requests outside of the setting theme. First, don’t make the cover look feminine, and, secondly, leave off people.
Giving the cover a feminine air tends to shift a mystery from the traditional to the cozy category. There’s too much realism in the stories to be deemed cozy.
And from my own experience, I want to interpret from reading a book how a character appears, not be told by the body on the cover. And from my viewpoint, putting a person on a mystery cover denies the reader the right to interpret what a character looks like. I’d much prefer the reader form a personal opinion as to how noble or normal the hero looks, or how nasty or handsome the villain.
But the ultimate designer for these covers is Debra Dixon, President and CEO of Belle and Bell Bridge Books.
C.
HOPE CLARK has a fascination with the mystery genre and is author of
the Carolina Slade Mystery Series as well as the Edisto Island
Mysteries, both set in her home state of South Carolina. In her
previous federal life, she performed administrative investigations
and married the agent she met on a bribery investigation. She enjoys
nothing more than editing her books on the back porch with him,
overlooking the lake, with bourbons in hand. She can be found either
on the banks of Lake Murray or Edisto Beach with one or two
dachshunds in her lap. Hope is also editor of the award-winning
FundsforWriters.com.
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