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ssejig's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The book opens in the first person with Jake Longly, former professional baseball star, sitting outside a house doing surveillance. Too bad it's in front of his ex-wife's house and she's not really ecstatic to have him there. So she takes a golf club to his car. This is also how he meets Nicole, a screenwriter. She lets him follow her to her uncle's house so his vintage car won't be ruined in the oncoming storm. This kicks off a relationship that we see in the rest of the book as the two get sucked into the death of one of the people Jake was watching.
This was a fast ride but I did get thrown off between the third and first person views, even within a chapter sometimes.
This was a fast ride but I did get thrown off between the third and first person views, even within a chapter sometimes.
moyarb's review
2.0
I genuinely don't understand how this has so many good reviews. This was a chore to read, I almost DNF'd two chapters in. The female characters are objectified (including a 17-year-old) and the main character was boring and gross. The mystery was the saving grace.
bookanonjeff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Hot Chicks. Cool Gulf Breeze. Fast Cars. Compelling Mystery. What's Not To Like? Another reviewer 2*'d this book citing the line herein about men never progressing beyond the maturity of a 14yo - and noting that the book was entirely written for said 14yo and that this was a *bad* thing.
Um, no. This book is written for *adults*, with quite a bit of four letter words (and not "four" or "word") and sex... well, anywhere Jake and Nicole can find a few minutes alone. Even on a stakeout. There is also a decently high body count, including a few particularly grisly murders and at least a tease of a rape threat (that, to be clear, never *really* develops - a bit of a spoiler, perhaps, but a needed one, for some).
So this is written for adults, but adults who enjoy a more laid back approach. Not every mystery tale has to be Big City Something or some frenetic John Wick / Jeremy Robinson / Matthew Reilly balls to the wall action with guns blazing and other weapons flying all over the place all the time.
This tale is written for those who enjoy the more laid back vibes of the Gulf shores of the US or the general Caribbean region, who want their murders with their margaritas as they sit by the pool on a cruise ship (exactly what I was doing while reading part of this book, fwiw). And as the first book in what I now know to be a decently long running series (I've now worked books 5 and 6 - or is it 4 and 5? - as Advance Reader Copies over the last couple of years before now coming back to the books I missed), this one sets up everything I already knew I loved from the series. Indeed, Jake and Nicole's meeting is both abrupt and quite hilarious, and I love how both prove themselves capable in their own ways in this very first outing.
Truly a great, fun, relaxed book perfect for those pool side drinking days - or any other place you may find yourself reading it. Very much recommended.
Um, no. This book is written for *adults*, with quite a bit of four letter words (and not "four" or "word") and sex... well, anywhere Jake and Nicole can find a few minutes alone. Even on a stakeout. There is also a decently high body count, including a few particularly grisly murders and at least a tease of a rape threat (that, to be clear, never *really* develops - a bit of a spoiler, perhaps, but a needed one, for some).
So this is written for adults, but adults who enjoy a more laid back approach. Not every mystery tale has to be Big City Something or some frenetic John Wick / Jeremy Robinson / Matthew Reilly balls to the wall action with guns blazing and other weapons flying all over the place all the time.
This tale is written for those who enjoy the more laid back vibes of the Gulf shores of the US or the general Caribbean region, who want their murders with their margaritas as they sit by the pool on a cruise ship (exactly what I was doing while reading part of this book, fwiw). And as the first book in what I now know to be a decently long running series (I've now worked books 5 and 6 - or is it 4 and 5? - as Advance Reader Copies over the last couple of years before now coming back to the books I missed), this one sets up everything I already knew I loved from the series. Indeed, Jake and Nicole's meeting is both abrupt and quite hilarious, and I love how both prove themselves capable in their own ways in this very first outing.
Truly a great, fun, relaxed book perfect for those pool side drinking days - or any other place you may find yourself reading it. Very much recommended.
shoshanaf's review
2.0
I found the female characters to be very one-Dimensional and extremely stereotypical. Overall the mystery itself was also weak, if it wasn’t such a fast paced story it would have been DNF.
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