The Blood Island Brooch

Revenge and redemption come together in this murder mystery set in America's deep South. Jack Hennessey is a retired homicide detective who is wracked with guilt for failing his best friend who was arrested on murder charges six years ago. Jack proved the man's innocence by tracking down the real killer, who tragically turned out to be his friend's teenaged daughter. She went to prison. Hennessey descended into deep depression, devastated by what he had uncovered. 

The friend's adult son bitterly despises Jack for destroying his family. Nevertheless, he reluctantly asks Hennessey to investigate another murder involving a colleague because "my father still says you are the best detective he's ever seen." Jack sees it as a chance for redemption.

The victim was an African American woman whose body was found trapped in the rocks around Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. A large, red ruby necklace the woman aways wore was missing. It is a priceless piece of ancient jewelry handed down through generations since the 1600s. It had become a symbol of African American resilience and pride. Jack, at first, believes it is a natural motive for murder. 

But, he soon learns that much larger issues are at play—issues rooted in the South’s history of slavery and sustained by the racial bigotry and greed of the present. Haunted by his own demons, Jack discovers that new friendships conceal dangerous truths—and ancient secrets won’t stay buried. What begins as a rancorous relationship between Hennessey and African American activists becomes something more redemptive than solving a crime. The Blood Island Brooch brings old adversaries into unexpected alliances while forcing Jack to confront the past—and decide what he owes the living.