Before the Whalesong murders, I had thought life in the serene seclusion of a writers' colony would be ideal; a lovely island in the Strait, a comfortable cabin in the woods, nothing to do but spend the day working, dreaming, writing. I viewed it as my salvation. I planned to plunge into the case as though it were a healing pool and the work a powerful medicine. From the moment I stepped onto beautiful Klallum Island, though, and became a part of...