The new case for young widow and sometime private investigator Bay Tanner strikes too close to home when an unexpected call from her housekeeper's son threatens to endanger those she holds dear. Roberto Santiago hints that the victim of a recent hit-and-run may have been a local crusader for the rights of illegal immigrants--and that it wasn't an accident. Before Bay can launch an investigation, the young man disappears.

Meanwhile, Bay's brother-in-law and suitor, Sheriff's Sergeant Red Tanner, is up to his ears in a string of holdups terrorizing the Lowcountry. When Lavinia Smalls, longtime companion to Bay's crippled father, is caught up in one of the armed robberies, Bay finds herself enmeshed in yet another mystery. What does Lavinia know about the gang of thieves, and what clues does her friend, the ancient black man with the intricately carved walking stick, carry in his muddled memory?

When the threatening phone calls begin, Bay knows she's on the right track. Almost too late she discovers that tempers run hot and prejudices deep when it comes to the growing immigrant population of the sultry South Carolina Lowcountry.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, and Marcia Muller come to mind as the quintessential writers of the modern female private eye novel. Wall, in a quiet and unassuming way, has produced a body of work of equal quality. Highly recommended."
--Library Journal on The Mercy Oak