Killer Swell: A Noah Braddock Novel

Considering the surfer theme, I thought this was going to be somewhat of a take-off on Richard Barre's Wil Hardesty. Noah Braddock is nothing like Wil Hardesty and I still loved the book. Publisher's Weekly's review said that "the verbal banter seems a bit forced at times" and another review commented on the "tough guy posturing" which I admit gave me pause before buying the book. I wasn't rolling on the floor, but the dialogue between Noah and his six-foot-nine friend Carter and with other characters was hilarious. The story throughout flowed easily, even while going back into Noah's past; the characters were easy to keep straight and while I guessed the murderer towards the end, it certainly wasn't obvious. In short, Killer Swell provided what I most look for in a mystery -- pure entertainment with a backbone. I plan on buying Jeff Shelby's newly released book.

A thrilling debut mystery set in sun-drenched San Diego and featuring one of the most appealing characters to come along in mystery fiction. Noah Braddock isn't your typical angst-ridden, liquorswilling, grizzled PI. In fact, he's fairly young--just shy of thirty--and overall, baby, life is good. His job as a PI gives him plenty of time to surf and makes him enough money to keep his beachfront apartment and a six-pack of beer in the fridge. His life gets a lot more complicated however when Marilyn Crier, the mother of his high school girlfriend Kate, calls him out of the blue and tells him that Kate is missing--and she wants Noah to find her. Noah's more than a touch surprised that Marilyn wants to hire him--after all, when he was in high school, she'd made it clear that her daughter should be dating someone more suitable, not a surfer from the wrong side of the tracks. Althrough he's reluctant to get involved, he can't say no, not when Kate might be in danger. The more he investigates her disapperance, though, the more he realizes that Kate wasn't the person he remembered--abd that to learn the truth, he must first confront the dark corners of his own past. With Killer Swell, Jeff Shelby carves out a place for himself next to the likes of Randy Wayne White, T. Jefferson Parker, and Carl Hiaasen, Filled with crackling prose, rich atmosphere, and an amazing main character, Killer Swell is a truly stunning debut from an exceptional new author.

KILLER SWELL is an outstanding debut mystery by Jeff Shelby. In the novel he has developed the characters into "real" people who carry the story along at a fast pace. The author's quick wit is evident in the snappy dialogue which adds some smiles to the serious subject of murder. The background setting of Southern California's surfing scene gives the story an enjoyable twist and an added element of interest. I look forward to more of this series.

In Mission Beach, California while meeting wealthy Marilyn Crier, surfer private investigator Noah Braddock thinks back eleven years ago when he dated her daughter Kate, but the mother ended the relationship like an avenging angel. Now Marilyn wants to hire Noah to find her missing daughter who failed to meet her spouse Randall Tower at the San Francisco Airport as planned. Noah wants to say no even when Marilyn mentions a former patron recommended him and she knows he loathes her; he reluctantly agrees to find Kate in spite of Marilyn. Noah tries to remain detached as he questions Randall, staying in San Diego's La Valencia. After another confrontation this time with the spouse over Noah's motivation, he questions Randall about his relationship with Kate. He obtains typical marital woes not enough to make a wife run away, but Noah wonders why Randall seems calm with his spouse missing for two weeks. Noah visits the Marriott where Kate stays when she is in town. In the parking lot he notices an isolated poorly parked Mercedes in two spaces. Inside he finds Kate. His former lover, Detective Liz Santangelo heads the official homicide investigation by warning Noah to stay out of it, but he feels he owes Kate for what could have been. This is a fun beach noir that grips the audience from the personality-expressive opening line until the final reunion over the Pacific rocks. Noah is a likable slacker who works enough to surf without bills hanging over his board, but once on a case throws everything into the investigation. The murder mystery uses the San Diego area to enhance a solid sleuthing story. Harriet Klausner

I've been mourning the loss of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee, beach bum and knight errant, since MacDonald passed away. Finally, someone worthy enough came along to fill in that void. Shelby has written the perfect PI novel, and the best debut of the year. Noah Braddock has got style, wit, and guts to spare. If you love mysteries, you can't go wrong with this one. And if you love private eyes, you'll discover a new hero.