In Wall's poignant ninth Bay Tanner mystery (after 2008's The Mercy Oak
), the Hilton Head, S.C., PI faces two daunting challenges: finding a bone marrow donor for young leukemia patient Kimmie Eastman by locating the long-lost sisters of Kimmie's African-American mother, Joline Eastman, and tracking down Julia Simpson, a half-sister Bay first learns about from reading the will of her dying father, retired judge Talbot Simpson. What Bay doesn't expect is the lack of cooperation from Joline's relatives and old friends when confronted with Kimmie's plight—or the fierce resistance from Julia's guardian to Bay's request to meet her half-sister. As Bay copes with her father's imminent demise, she must also confront her fears about marrying her police sergeant fiancé, Red Tanner, her late husband's brother. While the pace can be slow at times, series fans are sure to cheer Bay's efforts to make peace with the past. (May)
