Tanner considers his help in the matter completed until Danny Rae returns some days later with Joree Causey, the mother of the victim. From the information the police have been able to find, it seems that Tonya Causey jumped from the Talmadge Bridge in downtown Savannah. Mrs. Causey is convinced that her daughter was incapable of such an act and wants Tanner to find the person who killed her. Despite his reluctance to get involved in such an emotionally charged situation, Tanner’s heart goes out to this distressed parent and he agrees to look into the matter.

After making some preliminary inquiries, Tanner decides to visit Joree at her home in the wilds of the Georgia swamp. At this meeting Joree, accompanied by her son, Junior, indicates to Tanner that she no longer wants him to investigate her daughter’s death. Danny Rae has told Tanner some of the history of this clan and none of it supports any legitimate business practices. According to Danny Rae, these are evil people and only bad things can happen by disturbing their lives. He warns Tanner off but, of course, by now Tanner is determined to see the situation to its conclusion. Aided by Danny Rae and his good friend Parker Wells, Tanner probes his stick into the nest of hornets that is Junior Causey and his good buddies. He may have just poked the wrong spot that will cause him serious injury.

While the plot is predictable and the lines between good and evil are clearly drawn, Low Country does have some bright spots to offer the mystery reader. Eric Haney is obviously a skilled boatman and gives his readers an insider’s look into boat maintenance and navigation. He also draws a vivid picture of the area around Savannah both by land and water. The characters who people his story give the flavor of those folks who have lived in the area following time honored occupations, and staying close to nature.

I was particularly struck by Danny Rae, a young man with little formal education or self esteem. His speech is imperfect, often causing him to stutter, but he is a true master of his environment. He reads the water the way many people read a book, and he never misreads his information. He also proves to be a invaluable assistant to Parker Wells who, as a byproduct of his career, is an excellent mechanic, electrician, and general handyman.

The story has its romantic interludes in Tanner’s love interest a female detective named Patricia Latham. However the author has avoided overly descriptive sex scenes, letting readers fill in their own blanks. He does wax a little over poetic in trying to evoke a mood of unease after dark, setting the scene for confrontation between good and evil, but in general, his descriptive passages are quite good.

While probably not destined to win a top tier mystery award, Low Country gives a competent description of the geography and topography of an area of Georgia with which many people may not be familiar. The added bonus of a tutorial on boat maintenance and navigation add to the attraction of this novel. The characters are either good or bad, but it is easy to identify with the good guys. In a perfect world the sort of things the bad guys are promoting will hopefully be eliminated.

--Andy Plonka