The gang from the Gull Island Writers Retreat take on the case of a man who is currently doing time for the murder of a woman he swears he did not kill. After speaking to the man Alex determines that he is most likely telling the truth so he enlists the help of the gang to prove it. As they work together to sort fact from fiction, they realize there may be a lot more going on than they originally … originally thought.
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Even though murder is involved, and the failures of the justice system, this book reaches in and touches your tenderest emotions. A group of authors of various genres, and their friends from the island community, research historical events for a series of newspaper articles. An emotional plea from the sister of a wrongly convicted (or so she believes) man convinces the group to look into the murder of this man`s child`s mother. Along the way, they discover another case of justice moving quickly just to close a case without proper evidence.
This series very character driven but also makes you think. I enjoy unraveling the clues along with our sleuths. Kathi Daley keeps them clean and family friendly but throws in enough twists not to make even a short book too simple. After reading one of her mysteries I always wish I had a group to collaborate with and do research. Finding the truth proves satisfying.
I look forward to each installment to see what happens next.
Very good book!! I really like this series. Alex brings a case to the group of a man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter. The man, Ryan, maintains that he is innocent and Alex asks the group to help find the truth. Also, Jill and Jack are working on the first article from all of the information they found in the church basement. The man, Jeremiah Groverson, had helped rescue many people from a burning boat back in the 1950s. Jill later finds out that Jeremiah had been convicted shortly thereafter of murdering his boss’s wife and then died in prison less than a year later. An intriguing look into two men who both claimed innocence. I always enjoy seeing what cases the group is going to solve next and how well they seem to work together! Highly recommend reading this series!!
Eighth Witness is the eighth book in the Writers Retreat Mystery series. Every time I start reading one of this author’s books, I am sucked into the story very quickly. This one was no exception. The story kept me hooked throughout, and I highly recommend it.
“Eighth Witness” earns 5/5 Cold Case Conundrums…Clever X Two!
This is my favorite Kathi Daley series: clever plots, wonderful characters, intriguing solutions. And as a fan of “cold case” movies and television, Kathi’s book gives me a double dose. Two cases, decades apart, are eerily similar: murder, circumstantial evidence, conviction, innocence claims, a daughter left without a father. Ryan Spaulding, serving a life sentence for murder, consistently professed his innocence, but an apparent rush to judgement prosecution still precipitated an arrest and guilty verdict. The Mastermind Mystery group decides to find out more knowing whether guilty or innocence closure is needed. Another case is discovered, decades old, that also seems a guilty verdict may have been out of convenience not evidence. Kathi lays out the issues in both cases weaving in daily life of the characters. They revisit testimony, walk the dogs, ask questions, help with the island’s film festival, explore newspaper archives, manage the retreat, review church documents, and run the local newspaper. The characters are well-developed and act/react in a realistic fashion, and it is positive to present a more collaborative, not antagonistic, relationship with law enforcement. The only thing missing? George’s paella recipe!
In this next book of the series Alex asks the group to look into the murder of a young mother. The child’s father was convicted of the crime and Alex thinks the young man is innocent. The group is a bit unsure of guilt or innocence but are willing to look into the matter and help Alex find the truth. As they begin searching for answers new clues I to the woman’s death keep popping up. Will the group be able to turn the clues into a motive and a new suspect or will it all lead back to the man already convicted? Follow along and see where it all leads. This was a great read that I truly enjoyed, the author had another mystery happening in the background of the original mystery. It was fun to work both and try to figure out what happened with both. I look forward to the gangs next mystery.
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Eighth Witness is the eighth book in the A Writer’s Retreat Mystery cozy mystery series. This book is filled with the elements of a cozy mystery including suspense, romance, humor, love, friends and family, and a sense of community.
In this series, a group of writers of different genres live together in a writer’s retreat on Gull Island. On Monday nights, they get together for “Mystery Mastermind” night to discuss and investigate local old cases that may have gone cold or have some aspect to them which indicates maybe they were not solved correctly. In this story, the group discusses and investigates, along with the help of the local deputy sheriff, two different cases from different time periods each involving a father who is found guilty and imprisoned for murder who claims to be innocent.
Each series Ms. Daley writes portrays a setting and a set of relatable characters that I would love to visit/meet. Her writing flows smoothly, which makes for an extremely enjoyable and quick read.
Eighth Witness ( A Writers Retreat Mystery Book 8 )
By: Kathi Daley
Eighth Witness is book eight of eight in A Writers Retreat Mystery series. The author did a grate job of weaving together Eighth Witness. Love the story and the characters are realistic. I did not want to put it down, I was not disappointed. Gull Island Writers Retreat gang all come together to take on a case where a man was convicted of murder. He says he did not do it. Is he telling the truth? There is mystery and suspense in this story and the author keeps you guessing till the end. Did this man really commit murder or is he innocent ? Can they find anything to help him out?
New Case, Closed Case, and Cold Case Investigations
Eighth Witness is the eighth book in Kathi Daley’s awesome Writer’s Retreat Southern Mystery series. Ms. Daley’s writing style flows smoothly at a steady pace, the characters are well rounded and affable, and the mysteries are well plotted. This is a clean read, filled with caring and compassionate characters, intriguing and complex mysteries to solve, plus a touch of sweet romance. There are enough twists and red herrings to keep the reader engaged and guessing.
In this installment, Alex Cole, one of the residents at Gull Island Writer’s Retreat, asks the members the Mystery Mastermind Group to consider looking into a closed case. Ryan Spalding is serving a life sentence for the murder of Gina Portland who was his girlfriend and the mother of their young daughter, Hannah. Alex admits he isn’t convinced that Ryan is innocent, but feels it’s worth looking into and the others agree. As the group researches Ryan’s case and interview people, Malcolm Carlton is murdered in his home, and the group wonders if it could somehow be related to the murder of Gina Portland. Meanwhile, Jill Hanford and Jack Jones are working on a series of human interest articles for the weekly newspaper he owns based on historical information they discovered in the basement of Gull Island Community Church. They’ve agreed that Pastor Branderman can approve each article before publication to ensure nothing too controversial or scandalous is included. They have chosen Jeremiah Groverson to be featured in the first article because of his bravery in rescuing sixty or so men, women, and children from a burning vessel in the nineteen forties. Jack and Jill uncovered the fact that Jeremiah was sent to prison for the murder of his ex-employer’s wife and they are drawn into trying to prove his innocence.