SYNOPSIS:
In present-day northern California, Jack McBride, a reformed alcoholic ex-deputy sheriff, and his teenaged son Troy are thrown into the investigation of a triple homicide on a houseboat. The victims are a Hollywood movie stunt coordinator and two women. The McBrides unwittingly become the hunted as well as the hunters because the killer had taken a briefcase full of drug money from the houseboat.
Ruthless drug dealers including a crooked cop want the money. Sheriff’s Department investigators want the murderer. They are looking for an unknown man. But the killer hides out by masquerading as a high school student in an upscale suburban school not far from where the murders took place. Troy McBride attends that same school. Troy’s ambition is to become an investigative journalist and, in need of a story for the school paper, he becomes interested in this new student.
Three more murders take place as the story follows the simultaneous investigations by the cops, the drug dealers, Jack McBride, and his son Troy. Law enforcement and drug dealers are hopelessly misdirected, but the teen’s investigative reporter work turns up the key needed to solve what might have been a perfect crime.
REVIEWS:
A Well-written Mystery with All the Bells and Whistles - Denise Cassino, Long Story Short
The Houseboat Murders is a mystery that takes us into the lives of Jack McBride and his son, Troy, who are still struggling to settle into a life after the death of their wife and mother. Jack takes life one day at a time, ignoring the nagging thoughts of alcohol while Troy cringes with the introduction of yet another bimbo into his father's life. When Jack receives a call from the Sheriff's office where he once worked, he takes his son along to check out a murder. Horrifyingly, they discover three blood spattered victims dead in a houseboat. Jack completes his assignment, but doesn't plan to continue his involvement in the investigation, but is drawn further in as the story unfolds.
Troy, a typical teenage boy, discovers that one of the victims was a schoolmate, which preys upon his mind. While drug dealers and corrupt law enforcement complicate the plot, Troy focuses on befriending a "new girl" at school. When mysterious circumstances point in her direction, the plot thickens.
This story is a well-written mystery with all of the necessary bells and whistles to keep the reader coming back for more. The characters are compelling and the California setting completes the picture while the intricate plot unravels. As with all good mysteries, I was fooled right up until the end. At 130 pages, I only wish the book had been longer. Good job, Paul!
FROM AMAZON.COM:
“Not your garden-variety detective story.”—Clark Kent, Daily Planet
“An unpredictable, compelling read for mystery fans. The inclusion of an upscale high school and its denizens provides a fresh and welcome change from the ghettos and drug dens we’ve come to expect.”—Hazings Review
“Gripping…plausible…skillfully structured…eminently satisfying.”—Tinseltown Times
“Take a deceptive killer with a flawless plan, add one guilt-ridden has-been detective, a ruthless drug lord, a cop on the take, and some self-absorbed teenagers. You get a thoroughly entertaining, suspenseful yarn that sucks you in like a shop vac’.”—Stephanie Plump, Criminologist
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Product Details
· Paperback: 130 pages
· Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (January 23, 2006)
· Language: English
· ISBN: 0595383408
· Product Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.0 x 0.3 inches
