The Goat Woman of Largo Bay: A Novel (A Shadrack Myers Mystery) by Gillian Royes

The Goat Woman of Largo Bay: A Novel (A Shadrack Myers Mystery) Reviews

• 
  Julie

  Well, that was different! I enjoyed the Caribbean setting and the quirky characters. I felt like I physically relaxed as I read.
  
  Favorite quote:
  
  "It was that silky time of day before sunset." I know exactly what the author means, however I have never heard it described that way. Lovely!
• 
  Kristen

  In Gillian Royes's the Goat Woman of Largo Bay, the first installment in the Shadrack Myers mystery series, this tale will welcome you to the island coastline of Jamaica. For Shad Myers, he's a bartender and problem solver for his boss Eric Keller, an American who owns the restaurant he works for. When Eric and Shad check out an islet off from the island, they thought they saw a goat in a former hotel that was wiped away from the hurricane. It was a woman named Simone who came there to hide from her past life in America. But when two cons approached her, it was up to Shad and Eric to protect her, while Eric became fascinated for her and had brought her supplies and food by a boat. When her brother Cameron paid them a visit, they learned about Simone's grief and her past as they protected her from outside evil. For Shad, he tried to put the pieces together and on how it was connected to his former life as an ex-con and dirty politics that's been going on in his own country.
• 
  Glenda Christianson

  The Goat Woman of Largo Bay wants to be the first book in a mystery series when it grows up. I'm not sure it's quite there yet. There really isn't a lot of mystery in this book. The mystery plot is quite predictable and was really not much of a mystery. Although the "goat woman" didn't turn out to be what I had initially envisioned when I read the title of this novel.
  
  That said, there is much to like about this novel. The setting of Jamaica is unusual in a main stream novel. It also happens to be one of my favorite places on earth! The author, Gillian Royes (who grew up in Jamaica) captures the unique flavor of the island perfectly. Shad, the bartender, has great potential as a character in future novels. Royes managed to avoid the stereotype of the island bartender as she developed the character of Shad. We learn about has past mistakes and meet his family. He embodies the beautiful spirit of the Jamaica people that I find almost more attractive than the scenery of the island. I'd like to see him play a big part in future novels.
  
  The other characters in this book did not captivate me as much as Shad. They seemed more one dimensional and I wasn't as invested in their stories. I did not understand the attraction between Eric, the expat and Simone, the goat woman. I think with more developed characters, it might work. I just didn't "know" either of them well enough to make it a plausible relationship.
  
  I would like to know more about the mysterious character of the Obeah man. He seemed to be a mix of holistic healer, village shaman and local witch doctor, complete with potions and spells. "Obeah" is an actual Jamaican practice of the occult arts, if I understand it correctly. He is another character I would love to read about in future books.
  
  This is also a story about grief and how one woman finds her own path through the process. This aspect of the book was well done. Royes managed to capture the despair of grief and the feelings of isolation that Simone encountered and her personal journey to let go and move on with her life.
  
  Even with it's flaws, I can recommend this novel. I look forward to seeing what the series grows up to be!
  
  Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review of this work.
• 
  Toby

  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It felt to me as though the author was trying to combine an artistic, philosophical book that included a little bit of sex (I can't even call it romance), with a cozy mystery, and the combination honestly didn't work well for me. I never felt like I got a good feel for the characters, either, and I'm still not 100% sure what the mystery was supposed to be. It felt like there were a lot of attempted mysteries and none of them actually panned out to be very enjoyable. There were no moments where I was even trying to figure out whodunit because I had no idea what I was supposed to be focusing on. The woman being crazy? The attempted rape and robbery? The concern about Dollar targeting Shad and his wife? The political corruption? The concerns about the lack of jobs and what the election could do? The things about the penitentiary and fears from the past?
  
  It was very scattered. Do not recommend, honestly; I will not be reading other books in this series.
• 
  Alexis Walker

  This was a great Caribbean book. It gives the reader a good sense of what modern life on Jamaica is like while enjoying an amateur detective in the character of native bartender, Shad. Added to that is the poignant emotional journey of Simone, long ago native changed by growing up in the states and by the tragedy that sends her back to Jamaica. An intriguing cast of characters fills out the village of Largo while various island values are explored from both the native and ex-patriot sides. The writing is filled with spot on patois dialect and wonderful metaphors that make the reader think "yes, that's it!" or "Wow, how unusual." This colorful story, much like its cover, attracts the reader's attention, generates nuances of meaning, invites investigation, and provides a satisfying completeness that connects it all together. I can't wait to read the next in the series, The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks. I highly recommend this author.
  
• 
  Vickie

  I was intrigued by the title and had to read this debut book.
  A little meandering and the mystery isn't about a murder like usual. This one is more along the lines of politics and missing people in a wee Jamaican town.
  I loved Shad, the bartender, who is the amateur sleuth and assistant to the bar owner, Eric. Eric is a bit forlorn as he lost his retirement plan island hotel to a storm. Then built his new bar almost directly across from it on the shore. He can gaze at the ruins and mourn his loss.
  Shad is on hand to keep Eric moving forward.
  So why is a goat on the island? Who is that woman who has moved into the ruins?
  Who are these people spreading rumors about the government?
  Shad is on the job....
  Loved this book and can only hope there will be more to either this series or from this author.
• 
  Rosey D

  This was an amazing book that left me with a deeper understanding of live, love and relationships. It was a page turner story of a woman who chosen to live alone on an island of Largo Bay. This book had a lot of twist, turns and enlightenment - something I appreciate while reading any novel. Pearl Cleage is one of my favorite authors and her protege' Gillian Royes is just as awesome. Must read!
• 
  Jenine

  3.75 this was a very nice visit to Jamaica with well drawn characters. It's also a well done no-crime mystery novel.
• 
  Shannon Teper

  I loved the characters in this book and also loved the Jamaican setting. I'm a mystery fan, and would have enjoyed this book more if it had a domestic mystery plot. The characters lend themselves well to that type of book. Sometimes I enjoyed the plot, until it morphed into another very different genre, then back again. I thought the lust/sex scenes were jarring and the goat woman's raw feelings were out of place in the rest of the book. I still enjoyed the visit to Jamaica, enjoyed meeting these highly-likable characters.
• 
  Roxanne Smith

  This book is supposed to be part of an investigative series, but failed to place enough emphasis on the investigative element. There were no real stakes, risks or danger. But more focus was placed on the every day lives of the characters.
  A sparsely fleshed out romance and attempt at self discovery and healing were also present.
  
  I wished the author had built a proper mystery and investigation because I kept waiting for something big to happen with real stakes and tension, but never did.
  
  
• 
  Rachel Sargeant

  It was the title that appealed to me. Unusual and interested. But, I Found the language in this book quite difficult to get to grips with. The sentence construction was difficult (not just in using native tongue) which took me a while to buy into the story. Although, once I was captivated I wanted to see it through to the end. Not so much of a MYSTERY in my opinion.
  However, I liked the setting and characters and I would like to see where they go to in future stories.
• 
  Andrea

  A fun mystery set in a small town in Jamaica. San, the bartender and his employer, Eric, are trying to keep their business afloat after Eric loses his resort hotel in a hurricane. Then, a mysterious woman appears on a small island. Simone is hiding in the deserted island in hopes of healing a personal trauma. But when local thugs and dirty politics target Simone and threaten to stir up Shad's past, the two men become amateur detectives.
• 
  Lisa Ramoutar

  After reading a handful of books in the category of Caribbean literature, I find Royes' The Goat Woman of Largo Bay to be an enjoyable and hearty read. She captures the reality of third world Caribbean and carries us on journeys of grief and love, hope and family.
• 
  Susan Morris

  3 1/2 stars. Not a bad book, and it gives an interesting glimpse into life in Jamaica. (Own)
• 
  Natalie Prince

  Awesome book, I thought it was such a compelling read and also captured the essence of life on the island. Great read!
• 
  David

  Somewhat interesting but not totally coherent.
• 
  Tony

  I picked this up partly because I'm always on the lookout for mysteries set in other cultures, but also because I just finished Ian Thomson's dense nonfiction book about Jamaica, The Dead Yard. It seems pretty clear that the author was heavily inspired by Alexander McCall Smith's gentle No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series in crafting this first of a projected 10-book series. Like McCall Smith's series, this debut features a developing world landscape quite alien to most potential readers, and a warm-hearted protagonist who's ashamed by aspects of their past.
  
  Here, the "detective" is Shad, a bartender for an small beachside establishment in the Jamaican backwater of Largo. He works for a middle-aged American expatriate named Eric, who moved down to the area and opened a hotel, only to lose it all to a hurricane. Now Eric gets by with his small bar, and looks out over the water to the island that his destroyed dream sits upon. One day, a mysterious woman shows up on that island, leading Eric and Shad to go investigate. She's an American with some ghosts of her own, looking for a place to be alone while she recovers from whatever befell her. Meanwhile, in a completely unrelated plotline, election season is coming up, and Shad is pressured by an old friend to do a little work on behalf of the ruling party to ensure electoral success.
  
  There are other bits and bobs to the story, such as the woman's brother coming down from New York to try and take her back to the U,S., and Shad's attempts to keep his youthful stint in jail secret. There's some local color, with the village obeah man becoming a part of the plot, and the political corruption of Jamaica finger-wagged at. It all comes together in a way that makes sense structurally, but the book also feels very unsure about what it's trying to do. The main storyline is about grief and letting go and features the woman, and there's a bit of a minor love story mixed in that features Eric, and yet Shad is presented as a person who "keeps the balance" of the village. There's a lack of focus that ends up diluting all the characters and plotlines.
  
  The book is marketed as the launching of an amateur detective series, and that's really not what it is. It may be that future installments in the series take on more of that aspect, but this first one never commits to the genre, which is fine, just something to be aware of. However, if you're looking for an easy read that gives you a very light taste of modern Jamaica, pick it up and give it twenty pages to grab you.
• 
  TC

  This, the author's first novel, introduces the reader to a new detective. Shad is a barman come amateur sleuth trying to keep his community safe. Set in Jamaica, Shad works for American bar owner Eric. The story begins when they spot something on an island owned by Eric. First mistaken for a goat they soon realise a woman has moved in. Simone is a woman looking for solitude after personal tragedy, but she gets in the way of a pair of bumbling gangster wannabes. This puts Shad on the trail of corruption and election rigging
  
  This novel introduces a lovely character in Shad. He's a reformed and born again handbag thief who having done time in the Pen, has made himself a good life with his partner Beth and their four kids. As soon as his attention is drawn to the shadowy goings on surrounding the upcoming elections he begins to ask questions, but momentum gathers when he talks to Simone's brother, who has flown in to try to rescue her and save her sanity. Shad wants the best for his family and community, is respectful of his elders and wants to put his past firmly behind him. There are a great range of characters that reflected the spectrum of people you tend to find in small locations where everyone often knows everyone else's business.
  
  I had been expecting the plot to focus firmly on Shad's investigation and uncovering of wrongdoing, when in fact a large part of the book relates Simone's time in Largo Bay and what has brought her there. There was also some wonderful material that made me want to visit Jamaica, with the beautiful imagery the author conjures, and some interesting parts about the role of the Obeah man in the community. I'd never heard of Obeah before, but understand it now as a form of magic or sorcery, with the Obeah man consulted as well as or instead of people like doctors.
  
  I haven't read a lot of cozy mysteries but to me this book has elements that would fit it into that category, with no graphic content (although a little sex and violence) , and a great community feel and setting. I really enjoyed this book, and I'd very happily read future installments in the series.
• 
  J Susanne

  Our book club chose to read this book out of sequence ... bumping the scheduled book!
  
  It happened because the author was coming to Chicago and we were able to invite her to our Brunch Book Club! She graciously accepted the invitation and we were so thrilled to enjoy her Jamaican lilt as we learned her journey to becoming a published author! Our small group had researched recipes and sources of authentic Jamaican foods with some additional,suggestions from Gillian, herself. It was a treasured day for our diverse group to spend time with an author, all to ourselves!
  
  We learned of writer critique groups, the pathway to being read by an editor, the admonition to take your written piece back to your writing desk and remove adverbs, and the determination required to become a published author.
  
  All of us admired the author's intent to explore the third world problems evident in the microcosm of the tiny Caribbean nation which is her native island, exploring one specific problem in depth within the fictional story with recurring main characters. I have since read the next book, focussing on the vicious attitudes of Jamaican society toward homosexuality. A book worth reading, and more interesting because one already knows the main characters and their development continues in "The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks."
  
  I have pre-ordered the third, with a title using my own favorite plant, "The Sea Grape Tree."
  
  At the close of our time together, Gillian graciously pronounced the spread of food to be as tasty as any served in a Kingston home!
  
  Thank you,again, Gillian Royes, for your time and patience!
  
  
• 
  Betsy

  I really wish I could mark this as 2 1/2 stars as it was better than a 2. It was a fun read but not a great read.
  I'm not sure why this is called a mystery. While I really liked the character Shad, I really did not see his role as that of detective. He is definitely a problem solver, and the go to man in his community. He is a loyal friend, employee and a loving husband and father. However, I'm still trying to figure out what the big mystery was. The mystery may have been what it was about Simone that Eric found so fascinating. The relationship between the two was never fully developed so I never really understood why she hopped into bed with him. (I found the sex scene gratuitous.)
  I liked the scenes with the witch doctor, and really liked the attitudes of all the characters toward him. It was very plausible.
  I found it borderline comical that because Obama became POTUS (actually referred to in the book,) the nefarious U.S. businessman comes to the island paradise, and hooks up with the island's corrupt government officials and drug lords. This, of course, is because the climate at home is no longer hospitable for this kind of activity. This premise was much too cliche for my taste.
  I would read another book about Shad and his adventures if it becomes available. I think Ms. Royes has a good thing in the works.
• 
  Michael

  Eric is the owner of a bar and hotel in Key Largo Bay, in Jamaica. His hotel was damaged in a hurricane and is now separated from the mainland by water.
  
  Shad is Eric's bartender and right-hand-man. He sees what he thinks is a goat on Eric's island. Eric rows out and sees that it is a woman, Simone, who needs peach and quiet. She offers to pay Eric if she can stay there and if he'll arrange for groceries to be delivered.
  
  Shad is the person that people confide in. The people in the village make Simone a topic of discussion and two men come to the island with evil purposes but are scared away when Simone shoots at them.
  
  With little changing in their lives, Eric becomes fascinated with Simone. As the story progresses, we learn why she came to the island. Her brother arrives and tries to talk her into coming back to America but she needs more time.
  
  The setting is well described but not much really happens. There is talk of politics and the up-coming election but not much mystery.
  
  The author has a nice way with dialogue and overall, this was an entertaining novel.
• 
  JoJo

  
  
  This was a refreshing book. I think it has however suffered from misleading advertisement. It has been described as the first in a detective series, and though there is certainly a bit of mystery in it, it does not follow the age old standard for detective fiction, and may come as a let down for readers expecting such. It does however have its merits as a new voice. I would suggest you go into this book not expecting the traditional detective genre, and rather take it for what it is, an insightful look into contemporary Jamaican life, including the dynamics of expatriates and class, with a mixture of small town politics and a little mystery.
• 
  Deon

  Shad is the fix it man of his little community on Largo Bay. Shad works as a bartender in Eric’s bar, but he keeps close watch on the happenings around him. Eric, an American, left the bitter cold of winters in the north for the warm breezes and deep blue waters of Jamaica, living out his dream in the sunshine. Or at least until a Hurricane flattens his hotel and turns his peninsula into an island. The arrival of a strange woman on Eric’s now uninhabited island turns everything upside down. Shad and Eric are likeable characters and will hopefully have a long run as sleuths, a welcome new entry to the mystery genre.