Without a Grave

July 15, 2009
A scrappy granny survives cancer, too many Bahama Mamas, a wildfire, a hurricane and even getting shot at.

Hannah Ives and her husband are enjoying his six-month sabbatical from teaching math by lolling about on Bonefish Cay. But their days of fun in the sun end when Hannah becomes embroiled in the locals' protest against El Mirador Land Corporation, whose plan to develop a posh island resort will endanger the coral reef, the water supply, the native economy and, of course, the spectacular views. Still, developer Rudolph Mueller is a charmer, and his daughter Gabriele is a fashion plate. It's his son Jaime, an unscrupulous wife-beater, who's the real problem. Is he behind the disappearance of a missing oceanography expert and his wife just before an impact statement in which the expert planned to side with the locals? Hannah and her nearest neighbor, septuagenarian Molly, have their snooping interrupted by wildfires and a hurricane, and private security guards take potshots at them. But they manage to withstand all pressures—even finding a few dead bodies—and return the Cay to its blissful toast-in-the-sun existence.

Hannah (Dead Man Dancing, 2008, etc.) is likable but not very memorable. The plot is merely an excuse for extolling a Caribbean retirement whose virtues seem pretty clear already.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2009
Hannah Ives and her husband, Paul, are enjoying a holiday in the Bahamas while Paul takes a sabbatical from his position as professor of mathematics at the Naval Academy and concentrates on writing a textbook on geometry. This gives Hannah the perfect excuse to kick back and enjoy the Bahamian paradise until she discovers that the development of a new luxury resort, the Tamarind Tree, will destroy the coral reef just off the island. A series of mysterious and deadly events, including minor acts of vandalism, a dangerous wildfire, and a missing scientist, all seem to lead back to the Tamarind Tree developer, Rudolph Mueller. Never one to sit back when theres a problem to be solved, Hannah soon finds herself involved in supporting the locals in their fight to block the resorts plan. Capturing the allure of a tropical paradise but adding a cautionary note about the ecological implications of the exploitation of the land, Talley serves up a fine and suspenseful mystery featuring a feisty and likable heroine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)