Eye of the Sun — Jeanne Irelan

Amateur detective Judge Penelope Godbold, now retired from the bench, is hardly an American Miss Marple except for her ability to ferret out clues to the mysteries that seem to dog her. The judge, who goes by the unlikely nickname of “Baby,” is of Amazonian proportions and equally large intellect. Eye of the Sun concerns a lengthy visit the judge pays to her deceased husband's young relatives, Guy and Marnie Godbold. They recently moved to Barton, a small Tennessee restoration community in the foothills of the Smokies, established in the 1800's by younger sons of English peers. In setting up their Utopian community, they discovered the place was already inhabited by a mysterious people called Melungeons, whose descendants still live there.
The murder of a shy artist who haunted the woods, known as the “Walking Man” greets the judge soon after her arrival. This is followed by another murder of one of the remnants of the hill people. The fey Jincie Goin figures in the developing story, catalogued by another visitor to the Godbold household, writer Cleo Connery. A tale unfolds of a long-ago scandal, a property scam, and hidden relationships. This is a story of two distinct cultures living side by side, with murder as one result.