Water Hazard

Huck Doyle is an attorney who does not practice law nor make much income as a PGA pro. Instead he earns money as a private investigator based in Los Angeles. As a favor to his son Rick who went to law school with Huck, wealthy banker Sing Ten Wong obtains a slot in the Sony Open in Hawaii. During the practice round at prestigious Waialae Country Club, an assailant shoots Sing Ten in the back, murdering Huck's affluent patron. The shot seemed to come from out of the ocean. Rick asks Huck to investigate as he believes professionals were hired to murder his father due to a bank merger deal. Huck makes inquires that lead to someone telling him to drop his investigation before he is buried in a sand trap. The latest Doyle golf investigation (see A Tight Lie) is an entertaining but thin sports mystery that focuses much more on the game than the murder and its financial motive. Huck is a fascinating character struggling to get back on the tour, but realizing he better not give up his day job. Although the denouement feels like a bogie, golf fans will enjoy Water Hazard as the protagonist will need to putt his way to the greens as his foes use irons to prevent his solving the case. Harriet Klausner