Benni knows nothing about this man or why he would leave his possessions to her, but she soon learns that Jacob Chandler knew a great deal about her. His house is full of references to her, and it makes her more than a bit uneasy to think of a stranger watching her, following her life, without her knowledge. Benni's husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, is worried about her safety and wants her to forget about the inheritance; they can do without it as far as he is concerned.

Benni's refusal to give up on the inheritance, and the mystery, causes some tensions, but she moves into the house and soon finds the first of a series of clues that will take her on a scavenger hunt to find this stranger's identity. Each clue leads her to another, and to people who tell her a little more about the man. Jacob Chandler was not who he seemed to be, and as Benni finds connections to her own family she begins to wonder what painful truths she may be about to uncover.

Mariner's Compass is quietly enjoyable. There is not a great deal of suspense, at least the physical, pulse-pounding sort, but the characters are real and warm, and the situation intriguing. Benni's quest is a personal one, and this gives it an emotional intensity that makes for suspense of a different sort. I wouldn't call this a great mystery, but it is a very good read. Earlene Fowler has a way of making her characters come alive, and I enjoy spending time with them.

--Jeri Wright