Palmetto, South Carolina

Palmetto, South Carolina is the main setting for “Breath of Scandal” by Sandra Brown. Palmetto is located on the coastal highway of South Carolina, not far from Charleston and Savannah, Georgia. The town is, for the most part, relatively rural with a small town feel. As with most small towns, everyone in Palmetto knows each other. Gossip abounds.

The main industry in Palmetto is the Patchett soybean plant. The company is operated by Ivan Patchett. Patchett’s grandfather had the foresight to see a change in the economy of the day and used his property to grow soybeans. The byproducts of the soybeans made the Patchett family strong, powerful and omnipresent. Nearly everyone in the town is employed by Ivan Patchett which makes him a formidable man in the community. No one dares to cross Patchett for fear of repercussions such as losing his...