The APPEARANCE OF TRUTH - Hardcover

Kyle Jenkins is a 35-year-old charter sailboat captain who has lived in Beaufort his entire life. He is frustrated by the town's claustrophobic atmosphere but lacks the ambition to follow in the wake of his more resourceful grandfather, a round-the-world sailor. Kyle's life seems renewed with his recent marriage to Cozie Gill and their moving into a cottage on banks of the Beaufort River.

Cozie and her sister, Molly, come from a once affluent family whose fortunes have long since fallen on hard times. Kyle and Cozie have a passionate and loving relationship, which is threatened when a hurricane ravages the coast.

A crisis ensues when Molly disappears. Molly's body is soon discovered in a ditch beside an abandoned farmhouse on Saint Helena Island, and Kyle is arrested. But when inconsistencies arise regarding Kyle's alibi and the questionable background of a marina assistant, Shep Watkins, are revealed, Kyle's guilt becomes less obvious. Kyle's defense lawyer, Eliza Pinckney, learns of certain darker aspects of Molly's private life that involve a Marine from the nearby Parris Island base, who may be involved.

Cozie's trust in her husband shattered, she retreats home to her mother. Torn between love for Kyle and her shock at his arrest, Cozie mourns the death of her sister, Molly. Languishing in prison, Kyle longs for Cozie's forgiveness as he prepares to be tried for Molly's murder.