Subscribe to our newsletter. Rita, the murdered woman, had some very bad habits drinking far too much, using drugs, jumping ship, keeping a diary. It s the last that puts Sally in danger when it s given to her by one of the harbor regulars.
Someone thinks it holds dangerous information and is determined to retrieve it any cost.
Holland, who lives in Florida and spends a lot of time house-boating on rivers, captures the salty flavor of a strange little community of migratory and largely aimless boat people with their tangled and troubled relationships. They re a needy and rather pitiful collection, especially the dollies. That entr e to the confidences of the dollies helps her sort out her own family conflicts and confusion. There s a lot of accurate detail here about boats, harbors and hurricanes, but having lived near a mangrove swamp I d love to know what mosquito repellent these people have that lets them spend time outdoors at night, even sleep on deck, without being eaten alive. Holland received the Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society for a story in Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine , which is the parent company of this quite new publishing house.