Will Crane Island ever reveal its secrets?On November 7, 1952, the only house on Crane Island in northeast Florida burned to the ground. The sole resident, Sarah Alice Broadbent, disappeared that same night, never to be seen again. No body was found in the ruins. What happened that night?
Based on this real-life event, author Suzanne Schiffman’s captivating third novel, Island of Shadows, creates an absorbing narrative that unravels the far-reaching ramifications of the incident. Set thirty years later in the 1980s, the story explores the consequences of the mystery’s effect on interconnected lives. Schiffman delves into a range of powerful themes, including the corrosive nature of guilt, the destructive force of lust and infidelity, the complexities of dysfunction, the brutal face of cruelty, and the depths of denial.
Amelia Patton and Jackie Gullion, neighbors on Choke Island, an isle a short distance from Crane, share a deep bond of friendship, seasoned with a hint of sexual tension. Their relationship falls into ruins as Jackie becomes increasingly consumed by a dark fascination with the three-decade-old puzzle. As her fixation intensifies, she points an accusatory finger at Amelia's family, leveling allegations of complicity and a web of deception to hide their involvement.
The novel opens with the revelation that Jackie herself has disappeared on Crane Island as she seeks the evidence she is certain is hidden there.
How is it possible that two women vanish without a trace from the same location thirty years apart?
Suzanne Schiffman is the author of three books of fiction: “One Fine Day” is a coming-of-age love story set in the turbulent year 1969 in both the U.S. and France. “Between a Rock and a Dark Place”, is a who-dun-it surrounding the death of a French entrepreneur in a rural American backwater. “Island of Shadows” is a murder mystery based on a real incident that occurred on an island in northeastern Florida in 1952.
She has degrees in journalism and French and has been writing most of her life, and lives with her husband on Amelia Island, Florida. When not writing, she’s walking, hiking, biking, reading or traveling.
https://suzanneschiffman.com/
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