Islands

About the Book

“Welcome to Paradise,” archeologist Susan Dunne hears on arrival at the Caribbean island where she plans to research petroglyphs and unravel the mystery of her brother’s drowning there.  But this sunny tourist paradise conceals shadowy secrets – violent native unrest, a sunken treasure guarded by legendary Jumbies, and a bloodthirsty cult.  The most disturbing secrets Susan uncovers are the ones hidden in her own heart.

She’s suddenly Alice in Wonderland – a lush, gaudy island of sweltering heat, driving reggae rhythms, and vibrantly in-your-face natives.  Starting with a drink doctored with broken glass and chopped horse-tail, she receives repeated warnings to leave the island.  Even more troubling are her “waking dreams” of petroglyph figures summoned to life by pounding drums, and a shadow man who killed her brother John.

Susan literally dives into her investigation of the sunken treasure ship where John drowned, and its link to the photo of underwater petroglyphs he’d sent before his death.  To find the truth, she must work with her number one suspect – Vic Manden, the salvage expert who was working the site with John.  Resisting her horrified attraction to the impulsive and unpredictable Manden, Susan is soon in over her head in more ways than one.  The only way out of the murky depths of intrigue is to dive deeper into the clues in her disturbing visions.

Islands follows the publication of Sara Stamey’s earlier novels from Berkley/Putnam Publishing, which were praised by Publishers Weekly, Twilight Zone, Locus Magazine, and others.  Islands draws on her experiences living and teaching Scuba diving in the Virgin Islands.

Praise for ISLANDS: "A memorable heroine, a poignant quest, a vivid setting, an engaging story, a Sara Stamey novel. Of course." -- Laura Kalpakian, author of Graced Land and recipient of National Endowment for the Arts award. "A passionate writer, [Stamey] has concocted a mystery here that is a page turner from intriguing beginning to end." -- Ara Taylor, book reviewer for Bellingham Herald.

About the Author

Sara Stamey, professional novelist, freelance editor, and creative writing instructor at Western Washington University, has returned to her Pacific Northwest roots north of Seattle, after years of wanderlust. Her journeys have included teaching scuba-diving in the Caribbean and Honduran islands, trekking around Greece and South America, operating a nuclear reactor at Hanford, and owning a farm in southern Chile. She stays “grounded” with her native-plant restoration project in her sprawling Squalicum Creek backyard, shared with her husband and cats. Her previously-published novels with Berkley/Putnam Publishers received praise from reviewers. Publisher’s Weekly: “Stamey puts feeling into this story of the prodigal daughter.” Locus Magazine: Best New Novels of the Year listing. Twilight Zone: “Will I pick up and read Sara Stamey’s next novel? Better believe it!”