Blue Heron Marsh: A Webb Sawyer Mystery

by Stan Colson

Webb Sawyer has recently been released from a U. S. Army psychiatric hospital. Out of personal revenge, he'd killed a Serbian death squad leader. When Clara Zemeniewski is arrested for the murder by hanging of her father, Willard Haynes, her friend Amanda Eure tracks down Webb and provides evidence that may exonerate Clara. But Webb's old friend and prosecutor, Randy Fearing, isn't interested. He already has the killer. Webb and Amanda go on a search for more information to prove Clara is innocent. During their search Clara kills herself. The case appears to be over. Webb and Amanda have a falling out. However, Webb isn't satisfied and continues the investigation. His search leads him to four other victims who died in a similar manner. All had attended a private boys school. Webb discovers that forty years earlier there was a black man hanged to death by seven white boys, all from the school. The murder was covered up and the boys were never charged. The trail leads to the original victim's son. But all isn't as it appears. The concept of truth and justice is turned upside down. And when Webb does find out the truth, he is at a loss about what to do.

280 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2007

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Blue Heron Marsh” is a unique mystery told from the perspective of a loner Webb Sawyer, who must deal with his difficult past to bring him into today’s world in order to solve a series of murders.

We learn about quiet life and fishing though Webb’s life. He lives for fishing and shares this passion with all that touch his life throughout this novel. We also see a transformation in Webb Sawyer as he deals with the difficult situation presented to him while serving the US. His closest friend looses trust in Webb and he is forced to reconnect with an old friend Bly after making several bad decisions. Bly helps to ground Webb, bringing him into the technological age and finds him the perfect fishing and hanging out buddy that he desperately needs.

Begrudgingly, Webb assists a soon to be Private Investigator, Amanda, as she hunts down clues across the state of NC trying to free her friend Clara from jail and find the true murder of a well known business man. Alison believes that she has found convincing clues that prove her friend is innocent and seductively begs for Webb to help her and present her case to her former boss and an old friend of Webb, the prosecutor, Randy Fearing. After reviewing Amanda’s research and following her lead, Webb gives in and agrees that something is not right about this case.

After Amanda leaves the case, Webb continues to follow his gut feeling and seek additional information about other murders around the state that occurred in the same fashion. His research leads him to confront the killer and he finds that he is perplexed as to what to do once he knows the past and truth.

The twists and turns and unexpected events in this novel will continually make you second guess who is at fault and what should be done about the evidence that is uncovered.