Cambio Bay

by Kate Wilhelm

Cambio Bay, in the shadow of the Sierra Madre, is rich in mystic heritage and Indian legend. When a fierce mudslide washes out the California freeway, an odd assortment of travellers find haven in Cambio Bay, at the mysterious Miss Luisa's guest house.

While fleeing killers, Iris Latham and her daughter, Bonnie meet an odd assortment of travelers at Miss Luisa's Guest House in Cambio Bay and are drawn into the mysterious web of the house and into a mystery reaching back into American Indian legend

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

294 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 1991

About the author

Kate Wilhelm’s first short story, “The Pint-Sized Genie” was published in Fantastic Stories in 1956. Her first novel, MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, a mystery, was published in 1963. Over the span of her career, her writing has crossed over the genres of science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy and magical realism, psychological suspense, mimetic, comic, and family sagas, a multimedia stage production, and radio plays. She returned to writing mysteries in 1990 with the acclaimed Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl Mysteries and the Barbara Holloway series of legal thrillers.

Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit,  Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine,  Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.

Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.

Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction. 

Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.

Reviews

[Yvonne]

Kate Wilhelm is not only a mystery writer, but earlier in her career she wrote science fiction/fantasy.
Cambio Bay is an unusual little town with a mysterious inn where things are not always what they seem. During a horrible rainstorm 4 people are deposited at the inn and the story progresses from there. Rooms appear when you think of them and if the house doesn't want to find someone you will be directed away. Iris and Bonnie, who is six and mute, are running from a man who wants to kill them. Boise car has been buried in the mudslide and is rescued by Carolyn and they end up at the inn along with Harold who is researching ancient Indian myths. Luisa owns the home and is seen by some of the people as a woman of 40 and others see her in her 80's which is the real Luisa?

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

great sci-fi story, and it's a quick, easy read!