The Goat Woman of Largo Bay

2013 Longlist

The Goat Woman of Largo Bay begins the detective series featuring Shad, a bartender in a fishing village in Jamaica, who is the community problem solver and right hand of Eric, an American who owns the bar and a hotel left in ruins by a hurricane.

When Shad sees movement on the island offshore, he thinks it’s just a goat. But it turns out to be Simone, an American who has run away from her professional and personal life in the U.S., an intriguing woman who captures Eric’s heart. Always keeping his ear to the ground, Shad discovers that a gunshot heard near Simone’s place late one night isn’t exactly friendly fire, but tied to a plot to harm Simone and ultimately manipulate local elections. But why does someone want to harm Simone? And what does she have to do with the elections? Only Shad can find out.

An irresistible character is born in The Goat Woman of Largo Bay and Royes wonderfully blends suspense and the soul of the islands in this smart debut.

(From Publisher)

About the Author

Gillian Royes was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She attended Colorado College and later went on to the University of Wisconsin and Emory University, where she earned a doctorate in American Studies. Royes is the author of The Goat Woman of Largo Bay, Business Is Good, and Sexcess: The New Gender Rules at Work. She lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Librarian’s Comments

Told in literary sophistication yet uncomplicated and entertaining, Royes captures the nuances of Jamaican life through the experiences of a hard working bartender, his American boss, and a mystery goat woman.