Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Program/Concentration
Creative Writing
Committee Director
John McManus
Committee Member
Marianne Chan
Committee Member
Kent Wascom
Abstract
The Hour of the Pearl is a dual-perspective detective mystery novel. While it uses traditional mystery plot beats, it is character-driven and borrows from literary fiction as well as commercial fiction. After Detective Rita Shaw compromises an undercover sting, she must take a demotion and transfer to picturesque, coastal Virginia in order to escape the whispers of her misconduct. When a local hotel owner and his daughter vanish, finding them is the opportunity to redeem her career. And tourist Charlie Graham, reported three weeks prior for harassing the daughter, is the obvious suspect. But Rita’s investigation into the hotel complicates her easy solve as she discovers the family’s connection to a seven-year-old closed murder case. Charlie insists he is an old friend of the family, but when Rita uncovers evidence that he’s also connected to the closed murder case, the two outsiders must work together: Charlie to prove his innocence, and Rita to figure out what happened to the missing family.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25777/ar64-xh59
ISBN
9798197810250
Recommended Citation
Ebersole, Taylor P..
"Hour of the Pearl"
(2026). Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Thesis, , Old Dominion University, DOI: https://doi.org/10.25777/ar64-xh59
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds/514