River’s Edge is Book 3 in the Cape Refuge series by Terri Blackstock. The setting is the fictitious island of Cape Refuge, which lies off the coast of southern Georgia, east of Savannah. The action takes place in late spring.
One of the central “characters” of the Cape Refuge series is the Hanover House ministry. Created by Joe and Miranda Hanover who willed it to Wayne and Thelma Owens, the ministry has now passed down to the Owens’ daughter and son-in-law, Morgan and Jonathan Clearly. Hanover House is a halfway house for “down-and-outs.” Many residents are former convicts who have made a commitment to Jesus Christ and are now eager to learn and live by Christian tenets.
As River’s Edge opens, the most exciting news on the island of Cape Refuge is the special election to choose a mayor. The island has been without a mayor for several months, but now three candidates are vying to fill the position:
1) Jonathan Cleary – fishing tour guide, pastor, and director of Hanover House
2) Ben Jackson – owner of a shrimping business
3) Sam Sullivan – a businessman – he “wrote the book on cut-throat campaigning”
Infertility Nightmare
Jonathan and Morgan Cleary are a loving Christian couple who live in and oversee Hanover House. They have been married a little more than a year and are eager to start their family, so they’re thrilled on the day they learn Morgan is pregnant. But joy turns to tears that night when she loses their longed-for child.
In her grief over her failed pregnancy, Morgan reaches out to Lisa Jackson. Lisa has been trying for 13 years to overcome infertility, and Morgan knows Lisa will be able to identify with her pain and help her work through it. But she is unable to reach Lisa.
In fact, everyone is unable to reach Lisa. Lisa has vanished. Because she had an ultrasound test scheduled for the very afternoon of her disappearance, her husband Ben Jackson is frantic with worry. He knows his wife would not miss the procedure, which would allow her doctor to proceed with in vitro fertilization if her body was ready. Her whole life revolves around her desire to get pregnant and carry the baby to term. Her absence from the doctor’s office can mean only one thing – something disastrous has kept her away.
It’s Always the Husband – Isn’t It?
Ben, the front-runner in the mayor’s race, is so agitated about his wife’s disappearance that he skips the scheduled debate the following afternoon. He is a wreck, doing everything in his power to locate his wife. Police Chief Matthew Cade, observing the bereft husband closely, believes his emotions are genuine. If not, the man deserves an Oscar.
Lisa’s business partner, on the other hand, is convinced Ben is putting on an act. Rani Nixon, Lisa’s partner in a real estate business, has no doubt that wherever Lisa is, Ben put her there. Or if she’s dead, then Ben murdered her. After all, Rani knows Ben’s motive, and she has the proof.
An Unlikely Source
On the island of Cape Refuge lives Carson Graham, a palm reader and self-proclaimed psychic. He believes he can help the police find Lisa Jackson. He already knows Chief Cade won’t give him the time of day, so he approaches Rani. After spending an hour with Lisa’s sweater, he tells Rani he’s had a vision – he saw Lisa’s car going into the Bull River half a mile east of the Bull Bridge.
It’s not easy, but Rani convinces Chief Cade to, at least, go the river, half a mile from the Bull Bridge, and see if there are any signs of a car entering the water there. When Chief Cade finds car tracks at the river’s edge, he calls for equipment and personnel to look for a car in the river. Soon, Lisa Jackson’s burgundy Lexus is being pulled out of the river. Lisa’s body is in the car.
Chief Cade, who is familiar with Carson Graham’s dicey track record, knows he may have another suspect. How did the so-called psychic know where to find the car? Clearly, the glory-seeking palm reader must know more than he’s telling.
Meanwhile
As the murder investigation continues, life goes on for Cape Refuge islanders:
• There’s a romance brewing at Hanover House.
• The mother of the Cleary’s precious foster children may be released from prison early and break Morgan’s fragile heart by taking Sadie and Caleb back to Atlanta.
• Ben Jackson withdraws from the mayoral campaign, leaving Jonathan Cleary and Sam Sullivan in a tight race.
• The romance between Chief Cade and Blair Owens may be picking up steam now that Blair is born again.
• The media are buzzing around the murder investigation, including a paparazzi-style reporter named Vince Barr whose sleazy methods contrast with Blair’s restrained coverage.
• Morgan and Jonathan have to decide how much they can afford to spend on fertility treatments.
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 most minor players, more or less in the order they appear in the story.*
Residents of Hanover House• Morgan Cleary – owner, with husband, of Hanover House
• Jonathan Cleary – Morgan’s husband, fishing tour guide, pastor, co-owner of Hanover House – mayoral candidate
• Sadie Caruso – the Cleary’s foster daughter – 17 years old
• Caleb Caruso – Sadie’s half-brother – 18 months old
• Gus Hampton – a Jamaican and ex-con staying at Hanover House for over a year
• Felicia – another former convict who has been a resident for a few months
• Karen Miller – an ex-con who came to Hanover House when she was 9 months pregnant
• Emory Miller – Karen’s baby son – 7 weeks old
Blair Owens – Morgan’s sister – recently purchased the town newspaper – right side of her face was severely damaged by fire when she was very young
Mayor Candidates• Jonathan Cleary – see above
• Ben Jackson – owns a fleet of shrimp trawlers and a shrimping warehouse on the Savannah dock – believes Chief of Police Cade got his position through nepotism and wants to replace him
• Sam Sullivan – a businessman who’s determined to win the mayor race
Lisa Jackson – Ben’s wife, real estate agent – has been trying for 13 years to have a baby
Cape Refuge Police Department• Matthew Cade – police chief – Jonathan’s best friend – nephew of former mayor – using a cane after surgery to repair multiple fractures of his leg (see Southern Storm for that story)
• Joe McCormick – detective – 2nd in command
• Alex Johnson – uniformed officer
• Billy Caldwell – uniformed officer
• Sarah – dispatcher
• Ed – guarding a crime scene
• Bruce – newest member of the police force
The Colonel – owner of Cricket’s, a little hole-in-the-wall diner on the docks
Sheila Caruso – Sadie’s mother – in prison in Atlanta
Rani Nixon – Lisa’s business partner, formerly a model in New York, beautiful, African American – was Lisa’s roommate in college
Members of Cape Refuge City Council• Art Russell
• Sarah Williford – assigned to introduce mayor candidates at the public debate
• George O’Neal
• Harold Delaney
Crowd members at the aborted debate• Ronald Myers – asks a question
• Fran Lincoln – saw Lisa on Wednesday at the bank
• Bo Patterson – makes a snide remark
• Vince Barr – sleazy reporter from The Observer, a tabloid based in Savannah
J.B. Hutchins – operations manager for Ben Jackson’s shrimp business
Carson Graham – psychic, palm reader, etc. – owns a palm reader’s shop on Ocean Boulevard
Melanie and Andy Adams – live on the river near where the car went in
Alan Freeman – thinks Lisa went looking for Ben’s girlfriend
Sarah Grady – involved in the rumor that Ben has a girlfriend
Allen Sims – Lisa’s fertility doctor
Chief Baxter – former chief of police in Cape Refuge
Shepherd Smith – interviews Vince Barr on FOX News
Al and Marge Hinton – Lisa’s parents
Anthony Hammond – Sheila Caruso’s attorney
Amber Graham – Carson’s wife, a nurse at a Savannah hospital
Keith – medical examiner
Clara Montgomery – biggest gossip in town – owns an antique shop
Dr. Ralph Anderson – fertility specialist
Amy Matheson – provides Blair with info about everything her daughter Courtney does
Laura Gulley – a patient who saw Lisa at the fertility clinic the day she died
Riley Holmes – Chatham County’s newest D.A.
Matt – helps out at florist shop – friends with Sadie
Marlene – Sheila’s best friend – lives in Atlanta
Richard Mason – Sam Sullivan’s lawyer – from Savannah
Melba Jefferson – close friend of the Cleary’s and a member of their church – provides the food for Jonathan’s post-election party
Madelyn Short – plays piano for Jonathan’s post-election party
Kylie Hyatt – Dr. Allen Sims’ maid
Roy – Kylie’s brother
River’s Edge is a page-turner with suspects popping up in the most unexpected places. It is a fun, exciting story – if you haven’t read it yet, you’ve missed a magnificent book!
Here’s a link to Terri Blackstock’s River’s Edge.
Here are links to my blogs reviewing the first two books in the series, Cape Refuge and Southern Storm.
Footnote:
- Usually when characters are listed out of order of appearance (or first mention), it is because they are part of a group in which some appear later than others. Otherwise, I may have missed their first mention and accidentally placed them incorrectly.
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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 is a downloadable character list in case it might be more convenient for you.