With heart-stopping thrills, a Walter White-esque villain, and a fascinating
hero, Alex Gilly's Devil's Harbor is a thriller unlike any you have read
before...
Nick Finn and his partner and brother-in-law, Diego Jimenez, are used to rough water. As Marine Interdiction Agents for Customs and Border Protection, the two hunt drug smugglers, human traffickers, and other criminals who hide in the vastness of the waters surrounding southern California.
One night, Finn and Diego track a phantom boat off the Los Angeles coast, but it disappears before they can intercept it. They find a dead body in its wake, ravaged by sharks. Their investigation into the floater stalls when Finn is accused of using excessive force following the death of a suspected drug smuggler.
Then Diego is murdered--and Finn is the number-one suspect. As he races to find the real killer and save his marriage, Finn is forced to partner with Linda Blake, the desperate captain of the Pacific Belle and mother of Lucy, a very sick little girl, to attempt the one thing he has devoted his life to stopping.
In order to clear his name and save a child's life, Finn must smuggle narcotics by sea into the United States…and avoid the net that his CBP colleagues have cast for him.
Nick Finn and his partner and brother-in-law, Diego Jimenez, are used to rough water. As Marine Interdiction Agents for Customs and Border Protection, the two hunt drug smugglers, human traffickers, and other criminals who hide in the vastness of the waters surrounding southern California.
One night, Finn and Diego track a phantom boat off the Los Angeles coast, but it disappears before they can intercept it. They find a dead body in its wake, ravaged by sharks. Their investigation into the floater stalls when Finn is accused of using excessive force following the death of a suspected drug smuggler.
Then Diego is murdered--and Finn is the number-one suspect. As he races to find the real killer and save his marriage, Finn is forced to partner with Linda Blake, the desperate captain of the Pacific Belle and mother of Lucy, a very sick little girl, to attempt the one thing he has devoted his life to stopping.
In order to clear his name and save a child's life, Finn must smuggle narcotics by sea into the United States…and avoid the net that his CBP colleagues have cast for him.
MY REVIEW: Author Alex Gilly's debut fiction work,
"Devil's Harbor", is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you turning the pages
until you read it all the way through. Once you start reading, you'll be hooked
by the perfectly imperfect protagonist and the compelling storyline. As a Marine
Interdiction Agent for Customs and Border Protection, Nick Finn patrols the
ocean waters off Southern California, hunting the human predators who prey upon
the weaknesses and addictions of their fellow man. His partner is Diego Jimenez,
the younger brother of Finn's wife, Mona. A violent encounter with a phantom
boat, skulking through the night waters with its lights out, will forever change
the lives of Finn and those around him. When Finn is investigated for using
excessive force, Mona, a lawyer, acts for his defense. Then the unthinkable
happens--Diego is murdered, and Finn becomes the prime suspect. As his troubles
intensify, his recurring struggle with alcohol resurfaces--a lingering
inheritance from an alcoholic father. Desperate to clear his name, save his
marriage, and hold onto his life and sanity, Finn becomes involved with
dangerously warped schemers who have a twisted, evil agenda all their own. Finn
has served his country both in wartime and stateside. He is a good man who has
made some bad choices. Is it too late to save himself, or can he pull off one
more mission--the mission of a lifetime? Author Alex Gilly is also a translator,
and I will say this as a reader and a film fan: "Devil's Harbor" will translate
into a terrific action-adventure film with a lead character whose flaws are
outshone by his inherent heroism.
Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
“Buy it! Recommend it! Push it on anyone who loves suspense and action served with hard-boiled style! The writing is exuberant yet controlled, the plot is twisty and devious yet easily tracked, the characters are freshly imagined...The boat chases are the best since the early Bond novels, the revelations are startling, and the bourbon scenes make you thirsty.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Devil's Harbor is a fast-paced, sophisticated thriller, filled with twists, turns and compelling characters that will stay with the reader long after they've read the exciting final pages. Alex Gilly is a writer to be reckoned with - one that knows his territory, whether it is a speedboat trapped in an offshore gale or how to aim a rifle from a pitching deck. This is a book that operates deliciously in the shadows beneath the dark Pacific waters surface and in the darker places in men's hearts. A fine debut that will keep readers up late at night.” ―John Katzenbach, internationally bestselling author
“[A] thrill-a-moment first novel...The ending is an unexpected nail-bitter that crackles with tension.” ―Publishers Weekl
Reviews
“Gilly's debut is a real page-turner filled with thrills, chills, and unexpected surprises.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Buy it! Recommend it! Push it on anyone who loves suspense and action served with hard-boiled style! The writing is exuberant yet controlled, the plot is twisty and devious yet easily tracked, the characters are freshly imagined...The boat chases are the best since the early Bond novels, the revelations are startling, and the bourbon scenes make you thirsty.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Devil's Harbor is a fast-paced, sophisticated thriller, filled with twists, turns and compelling characters that will stay with the reader long after they've read the exciting final pages. Alex Gilly is a writer to be reckoned with - one that knows his territory, whether it is a speedboat trapped in an offshore gale or how to aim a rifle from a pitching deck. This is a book that operates deliciously in the shadows beneath the dark Pacific waters surface and in the darker places in men's hearts. A fine debut that will keep readers up late at night.” ―John Katzenbach, internationally bestselling author
“[A] thrill-a-moment first novel...The ending is an unexpected nail-bitter that crackles with tension.” ―Publishers Weekl
ALEX GILLY is a writer and translator who was born in New York City and has lived in Australia, Canada, France, California, and the UK. One of his translations, Thierry Cruvellier's THE MASTER OF CONFESSIONS, was longlisted for the 2015 PEN Translation Prize. Alex holds an MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies and a BA in Linguistics and Spanish and Latin American Studies, both from the University of New South Wales. In addition to his work as a translator, Alex has worked as a boating-magazine writer, editor, and copy editor. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and son. DEVIL'S HARBOR is his first novel.
http://www.alexgilly.com/
Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much--come back soon!
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