The Island Off Stony Point

Regis Schilken
Bridgeway Books
ISBN 1933538139 
Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (6/06) 

St. Luke's Monastery has become the scene of a crime. Three monks and a tabernacle have been kidnapped. One monk was wounded and two other monks along with one of the thieves were killed. The first officer in the area was Jessica Harding and as she tried to stop the van and the pick-up, however, they raced away from the monastery. For her effort one of the tires was shot out on her car and another shot hit the gas tank. With help from a monk, she escaped without injury. Since the crime involved kidnapping the FBI sent agent Rob Dexter to work with Jessica. At first Rob acted arrogant and Jessica did not care for him. Eventually they came to an understanding and could work well together.

The original plan for the kidnappers was to take only the monks. Malena, the brains of the outfit, had a call from her sister Cynthia. She had run her company into bankruptcy and needed $35 million. Cynthia suggested to Malena that the church would pay big money for the return of the monks. Malena, her husband Sinteris, and Bartolo, were much greedier than that. They thought if the church would pay big for the monks, certainly they would pay bigger for the tabernacle. While they planned and carried out the ransom details, the last kidnapper, Stony, watched over the hostages. Stony was not a bad sort, he just fell in with the wrong kind of people. He became close to all the hostages but especially to Father Martin. After the first two monks were released it just left Stony and Father Martin. They talked about everything under the sun. Then a huge storm came and the cave where they were secluded started to erode. Stony was trapped, but Father Martin
got him out and saved his life. Then he tells Stony that he is not going to wait anymore to be rescued, he is going to get out on his own. Father Martin gets in the seaplane and says that he is going to fly out of there. Stony decides to go along with him.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Rob have figured out that Stony was part of the location where the monks were held. They take a trip and find out all about Stony the kidnapper. They also learn about the island and decide to rent a boat and check it out. They arrive after
Father Martin and Stony have taken off and just before Malena and Sinteris arrive. Because the cave is so eroded, when Malena and Sinteris start firing on Jessica and Rob more of the ceiling falls and kills the two kidnappers.

There is much more to the story than this and it is worth reading the book to find out everything that happens. I did not want to put it down once I started reading it, just had to find out what was going to happen to all involved.

Mr. Schilken's mystery is entertaining and captures your interest from the very first.  Anyone who loves a good mystery will like this book.

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