9 Days: A Jamaican country mystery

On the afternoon of August 17, 1951, as Hurricane Charlie approached the island of Jamaica, folks in the tiny village of Waiting – anxious for news, gathered in the solitary churchyard. All eyes were on Postman as he arrived waving the telegram containing the official government warning of impending disaster. Sitting atop his lean grey mule church Elder Paul read the telegram in a strong, clear voice. Then eager hands yanked the rope to send the warning echoing in long peels from the church belfry across the gathering stillness of the hills. In the end Waiting suffers no major hurricane damage, perhaps because it is nestled amidst the protecting foothills of upper Clarendon. But when morning reveals the body of a young woman floating in the huge community tank, it is soon clear that unlike those 200 deaths across the island, Charlie is not responsible for this one. A murderer is loose in this close-knit community, and the job of finding the culprit falls to a hastily appointed District Constable – a local man with no experience or training. What happens next is told by Bighead - the young narrator, who manages to keep track of the mystery as it unravels and as he tries to find his place in a family and community grappling with change.