Cape Refuge is the first book of four in Terri Blackstock’s Cape Refuge series. The story is set on the small, fictional island of Cape Refuge off the coast of Georgia, near Savannah. The plot revolves around a picturesque old building called Hanover House where a gentle, Christian couple, Wayne and Thelma Owens, have provided refuge for ex-cons and various strays for many years.
I absolutely love every book in this series, including this one. However, every time I listen to Cape Refuge (the last was my 3rd time to listen to it), it makes me furious. More about that in a moment…
When the story begins, Wayne and Thelma have just been murdered. Their bodies are found in the warehouse church where they had ministered to sailors, tourists, and locals. The murder weapon was a spearfishing gun, a Magnum Blue Water gun. Immediately, suspicion fastens on two groups: 1) spearfishermen and 2) the inhabitants of Hanover House who are typically outsiders with police records.
Morgan Cleary and Blair Owens are the daughters of Wayne and Thelma. Both are devastated by the loss of their parents. At the same time, the City Council of Cape Refuge is threatening to shut down Hanover House. Frightened by recent publicity about one of the residents, an ex-con with a violent record, some of the townsfolk are worried that the Hanover House tenants present a danger to the town. It is a nightmare season for Morgan and Blair.
Chief Suspect
And then, the police chief makes the nightmare worse. He arrests Morgan’s husband Jonathan, his own best friend. The evidence against Jonathan is that 1) he had a loud, public argument with his in-laws the morning of their murder and 2) his fishing speargun, located near the scene of the crime, is the murder weapon.
Now, if Chief Cade were an obnoxious, belligerent brute, his arresting an obviously innocent person would have been an old story, but I could have stomached it. However, Chief Cade is presented as sympathetic and caring. So, it really annoys me that he acts like a total idiot. And that’s the reason this part of the story always infuriates me.
Here are the reasons it is ridiculous for him to arrest Jonathan.
• Chief Cade and Jonathan are both Christians. Being born again, Chief Cade would know that a true Christian isn’t going to murder anyone, especially his wife’s beloved parents.
• Jonathan has a temper, but no police record.
• Jonathan isn’t stupid; he wouldn’t leave his speargun at the scene of crime figuratively screaming, “Arrest Jonathan.” (The speargun had been easily accessible to a number of people.)
• The action takes place on an island, and Jonathan has deep roots there – socially, emotionally, and financially. Morgan, a recent bride, needs Jonathan as she struggles to deal with the loss of her parents and the threat to her home. Jonathan isn’t going to run. It wouldn’t have hurt the police chief to suspect him, but let him be with his family.
Next Suspect
And then, to top it off, the chief arrests Gus Hampton. Gus resides at Hanover House and has a police record that includes car theft, dealing drugs, beating a girlfriend, and armed robbery. BUT, Gus has an iron-clad alibi for the time of the murders, which is the only reason he is not arrested on the day of the murder. In fact, he is only arrested a few days later when someone tries to break into Blair’s home and Gus’s cap is found outside, screaming, “Arrest Gus.”
So, with Gus in jail, Chief of Police Cade is now free to release his best friend. Right? Nope, not a chance. Now, two men are in jail, neither with a convincing motive.
My goodness, you’d think the police chief is working for the perpetrator unless he’s just an idiot. And he’s neither. That’s why this story makes me crazy.
Motive, Motive, Who Has the Motive?
Perhaps the oddest thing about this murder investigation is that nobody bothers looking for a motive. The denizens of Hanover House have a good reason for wanting Wayne and Thelma Owen alive – this loving Christian couple provides a home for them. And none of them, including the couple’s son-in-law, has a real motive for killing the the Owenses.
With Jonathan in jail, Morgan and Blair realize they better deal with their sorrow and solve the mystery themselves. Obviously, the police are on the wrong track. And yet, the sisters don’t look for a motive either. The author makes it clear from the very beginning of the story that a strong motive exists. And yet, it parks itself, elephant-like, in the middle of the action, and everyone scurries around in a fog as if there’s no such thing in the universe as a motive.
More Mysteries
In the course of the investigation, another resident of Hanover House comes under scrutiny – Rick Morrison. There’s something strange about Rick. He claims he came to Hanover House to recover from the deaths of his wife and daughter in a DUI accident. But when Morgan and Blair comb through their parents papers looking for a clue, they find a death certificate for Rick Morrison. How is that possible? Is Rick Morrison dead or alive? And does he have anything to do with the deaths of Thelma and Wayne?
The murder investigation provides the answer to another, unrelated mystery. When Blair was a very young child, the right side of her face was severely damaged in a fire. This disfigurement has tormented and puzzled Blair all her life. She’s certain her parents haven’t told her the whole story about that fire, but they always insisted they had. Now, poking around in Wayne and Thelma’s papers, Blair finds the answer she’s looking for. She also discovers shocking information about her parents!
Then there’s Sadie. Sadie is a teenager. She has an untreated broken arm and a black eye. She is running away from a scary man named Jack. She’s also worried about a child named Caleb. On the very evening that Wayne and Thelma are murdered, Sadie arrives at Hanover House, looking for a safe place to stay. It is for people like her that Hanover House exists. Morgan doesn’t know yet whether the City Council will shut down Hanover House or not. But when she finds Sadie, she welcomes the child, injuries and mysteries and all.
My Ultimate Question – Why Do I Like This Annoying Story So Much?
As frustrated as I always feel over the arrest of Jonathan, I love this book. The characters are an engaging, entertaining bunch. The good guys are endearing, and you just want to scratch out the eyes of the bad guys! The mystery is intriguing. And the setting will carry you away to a holiday island in the Atlantic Ocean off southern Georgia – perfectly charming!
But, perhaps the best thing about the story is the faith of the Christian characters. They don’t just wander into church when they have nothing better to do. They love the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t care who knows it. Their relationship with God doesn’t make all their problems vanish, but it does make all their problems bearable. In every way, their faith impacts their days and guides their lives. They are beacons and models – each one different from all the rest, just as every nonfictional Christian is unique. I love and admire every one of them!
Character List
This list carefully avoids spoilers. Names and descriptions below reflect the original information given about each character. Main characters are listed, along with some minor players, more or less in the order they appear in the story.
Joe and Miranda Hanover – pioneers in the town who ran a bed and breakfast, Hanover House
Wayne and Thelma Owens – victims of murder just before the the book begins – inherited Hanover House from Joe and Miranda and used it to rehabilitate ex-cons – Wayne was a preacher at a warehouse church at the docks – he also worked with inmates while they were still in prison on the mainland
Morgan Cleary – daughter of Wayne and Thelma – works with her parents at Hanover House – she and her husband also live there
Jonathan Cleary – Morgan’s husband, owns a fishing boat that he uses to take tourists out for saltwater fishing
Blair Owens – Morgan’s sister and the town librarian – half her face was damaged by fire when she was a child
Sarah Williford – newest member of the City Council – owns a sign shop
Fred Hutchins – mayor
Jason Manford – fixes the sound system for the City Council
Art Russell – opposed to keeping Hanover House open
Chess Springer – old fisherman and Jonathan’s mentor
Matthew Cade – Chief of Cape Refuge Police Dept. – nephew of the mayor
Gus Hampton – a Jamaican and ex-con staying at Hanover House
Melba Jefferson – closest friend of Morgan’s mother
Rick Morrison – resident of Hanover House whose wife and daughter died in a DUI traffic accident
The Colonel – owner of Cricket’s, a rundown restaurant on the docks
Billy Caldwell – a rookie cop
Joe McCormick – police detective
Owners of spearguns
Chief Cade
Jonathan
Sam Sullivan
Marty Roberts
Cliff Cash
Sadie Caruso – new arrival, homeless, running away from someone named Jack – has a broken arm and a black eye
Jack – the man Sadie is running away from
Caleb – a baby Sadie is worried about
Tammy – waitress in Savannah who befriends Sadie
Melinda Jane – stenographer for police
Randy Simmons – judge, 48 y.o. ex-hippie
Nancy Simmons – Randy’s wife – publisher of the island’s newspaper, the Cape Refuge Journal
Jimmy Simmons – son of Randy and Nancy
Frank Jordan – preacher in Savannah that Wayne had worked with
Southern Storm
The next book in the Cape Refuge series is Southern Storm. I’m happy to report that in Southern Storm, as well as the two books that follow, Chief Matthew Cade behaves like a perfectly normal hero. I have no complaints, at all, with the next three books in the series. And, as a matter of fact, Chief Cade suffers enough pain and sorrow in Southern Storm to more than pay for any faults he exhibited in Cape Refuge.
Cape Refuge Mystery Series
Southern Storm
River’s Edge
Breaker’s Reef
Here are links to my blog indexes, which will make it quick and easy for you to find another post to read.
Blog Index – Lists blogs 1-35
Blog Index 2 – Lists blogs 36 to the latest post
Here’s a downloadable character list in case it might be more convenient for you.