Home Before Dark

Bleddyn sloshed the contents along the house wall at the back of the lean-to, coating the lower five feet of shakes so that the excess fluid pooled along the whole length of the concrete floor. Then he took out his cigarette lighter. Erik and his friends spend all their time on the water, exploring the shoreline and islands off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. While they all have experience with boats and the outdoors, the unpredictable weather and fickle seas often manage to test their courage and abilities. While exploring a burned-out homestead on a remote island, the teens find themselves involved in a decades-old crime and realize that danger still lurks in the coastal rain forest. After befriending Gary, a retired logger who lives alone, Erik and the others learn of the death of Gary's aunt and uncle in a suspicious fire years before. They are then shocked to find they have aroused the interest of a shadowy stranger who seems to have designs on Gary's home and boat, and perhaps, most terrifyingly, his life. Frantically trying to unravel the web of secrets, the teenagers are in a race to save Gary and ultimately themselves. This is Jo Hammond's first novel. A log salvor and longtime Sunshine Coast resident, Jo has found material for this exciting adventure story in her own experiences and those of her son.Hammond, Jo is the author of 'Home Before Dark', published 2005 under ISBN 9781551433400 and ISBN 1551433400.