Blackwater Sound

I know I've enjoyed a book when I go online to discover which other books the author has written. As soon as I finished 'Blackwater Sound' I found myself searching for the next book by James W. Hall that I would read. Hall's charachters are vividly drawn and though flawed, very likeable. I was happy to discover that Hall's newest novel revisits Thorn, Alexandra, Lawton and Sugarman as I've grown to love them.In 'Blackwater Sound' Thorn is accidentally visited by an injured old man, Lawton Collins, who is suffering from not only a knife wound but the early stages of Alzheimer's. He likes Lawton and tries to help him by giving him a place to stay and some rudimentary first aid. Lawton wanders off and his daughter, Alexandra, in an effort to find her father encounters Thorn. She is understandably upset with Thorn's irresponsible care of her dad and each goes off separately to search for Lawton and to investigate his connection to the murder of a shady friend, a missing electronic device and a recent airplane crash. Inevitably they find they must work together to solve this intriguing mystery.The plot is original, the writing crisp and the charachters are unforgettable. You'll really enjoy this one!

I am subject to a strange form of psychopathic dysfunction which compels me to read the last book in a series before going back and reading any of its predecessors. Or it feels that way, anyway. Usually the reason is that everyone is raving about a book and I am too impatient to read 10 books just so I can read the latest and bestest. Generally this theory works out; I like the latest book and go back and read all the rest of the series with the serene knowledge that, even if the author trips up a bit, it will work out in the end. James W. Hall is such a case in point.The story opens on a Braswell family fishing expedition, where the oldest son is pulled overboard and drowned in the process of tagging a giant marlin. After that short prequel, the scene shifts forward to the Florida Keys ten years later where Thorn, the hero of these mystery/adventure tales is boating with his (soon to be ex-) girlfriend. Technically, I believe she breaks up with him for being too interesting. In any case, this piece of business done, a commercial jet crashes right in front of him. Thorn goes to the rescue, and notices that another boat, which he later tracks to the Braswells, is not helping at all. This is the first tightening of a web that draws Thorn into direct conflict with the wealthy and powerful Braswells, their compulsions, and a weapon that can destroy electronic systems.The Braswells are the ultimate dysfunctional family. The are headed by A.J., who lives only to find Big Mother, the fish that killed his son Andy. Johnny, the youngest, is a bit of a psychotic space cadet who loves knives and gangster movies. Cleaning up after everyone else is Morgan, who runs the family company, keeps Johnny from becoming a serial killer, and has some very weird problems of her own. It is Morgan who has cooked up a scheme, using some of Andy's formula's and plans, to create a world class weapon of destruction. The Braswells have only one reaction to people who get in their way, and Thorn naturally moves to the top of the list.On Thorn's side are Alexandra Rafferty, a police photographer, and her father, the mostly wacky but sometimes wise Lawton Collins. His good friend Sugarman also plays a vital roll. The bill is filled out with countless other characters, some witty, some grim, and all well painted. While 'Blackwater Sound' is mostly action, Hall's ability to build character is outstanding, and has to be a large part of the reason that readers keep coming back. I am tempted to compare these stories to those of the dean of Florida mystery writers, John MacDonald, who is a long time favorite of mine. But the truth is that both of these writers are masters in their own right. Certainly, if you like one, you will no doubt like the other. By all means, read this novel. As I've indicated, there is no problem with starting at with this volume, or any other.

Blackwater Sound brings together Thorn and Sugarman with police photographer Alex and her father from Body Language. As usual, Hall delivers an excellent thriller with superb pacing, interesting characters and a few explosions here and there. We hate the people that Thorn hates, but still feel the ambivalence for hating someone who deserves it.I was glad to see some more of Sugarman in this book, as he's a chracter who's intrigued me in other books. Bringing in Alex from his other series doesn't feel gimmicky at all -- it's a very natural weaving of two sets of characters that I already knew from having read all of the other Hall books.Starting with Blackwater Sound would deprive a reader of some fuller character understanding from the other books -- but would certainly motivate someone to go back and read all of the other books to learn more about them. Just a good, solid, enjoyable book.

I've read a few of Hall's books, actually all of them. When I finished Black Water Sound I debated with myself for a while and decided it was better than Undercover of Daylight and Bones of Coral, my two previous favorites. It may be that I am fifteen years older than I was when I first started reading Mr. Hall or maybe because Mr. Hall is older, wiser, has refined his craft, uses more sophisticated language, has dialed in so deeply to the unique world that is the Florida Keys, is able to describe the dynamics of relationships better than he ever did, or maybe he's just doing what he's always done, write a damed good book. In any event, James Hall has come up with a great story that brings together his bread-and-butter character, Thorn, with a captavating female character from a previous book to turn this action/adventure/thriller/mystery into a literary page-turner. Only James Hall could write a story mixing high-tech terrorism and Marlin fishing. Good and evil, old and new, love and hate described by a master of description. The chapters fly along so fast, I actually tried to slow it down.Anyway, I think I'll have to give this one a bunch of stars.

Thorne is back, which means we all have good reason to rejoice. As much as I loved Hall's previous two books -- "Body Language" and "Rough Draft" -- I was ready to hang with my old buddy Thorne again.Hall is the best of the Florida writers -- in fact, he may just be the best living suspense novelist. And, the great news is that "Blackwater Sound" as as good as anything he's ever written. There plot is both elegant and subtle -- no super-villians or schtick. It's smart stuff all the way through. Enormously entertaining crime fiction that's also fine literature. I'm ready for his next one.