Chip Bell

I was so pleasantly suprised by how much I actually liked this book that I had to really sit back and think a while before writing this review. Jake Sullivan used to be a lawyer until his whole world came tumbling down on him.

Reasons why I should have hated this book:

I constantly complain about character development but in this book there was very little. (This didn’t bother me at all)

This story was very quick paced with little to no time to breath. (I actually liked that about the story most)

It was a political/thriller/wierd type of book that normally does not meet my genre list.

BUT

Not one of these factors bothered me and I actually found myself wanting more of Jake Sullivan and this author Very Very Impressed with this Freebie.… (más)

One Particular Harbor by Chip bell is a murder mystery that takes place on an exotic tropical island. Trouble seems to be Jake Sullivan’s middle name and it will find him, even on a working vacation. I look forward to island hopping on another Jake Sullivan adventure.

I have seen the sunset on the cover, I have swam in the salty blue water and sat under a tropical palm tree on a beautiful beach in the Virgin Islands. I have even had a cocktail at Pussers Landing in Tortola, so the location lends an aura of familiarity to me as I read along.

Jake is a Chief Federal Prosecutor of the Miami Office of the Justice Department. Even the President of the United States calls on him to solve some of the most difficult cases. It is not surprising that he has made some enemies and that they will occasionally rise up and bite him in the ass.

It begins the first night he is there. He is being set up, framed, for the murder of a prominent businessman. He trusts his secretary, Eva, and best friend, Mike, and will need them to help him keep from being convicted of a murder he did not commit.

Is it personal? Is it political? Is it payback?

I knew what would happen from the beginning, but not how. It didn’t matter to me. I love mysteries and Chip Bell’s writing kept the story flowing at a steady clip, every once in a while making me want to shout out to Jake…take Mike, don’t go there…

I love the closeness and camaraderie between Jake, Eva and Mike, also some of the peripheral characters. It is nice to have friends that will go the distance and Mike goes above and beyond the bonds of friendship.

One Particular Harbor by Chip Bell is a perfect summer read, whether you are at the beach or hanging around the patio. It is a quick and easy read that will keep you entertained and wondering what Jake Sullivan’s next tropical adventure will be and where will occur. I’ll be there, will you?.

I received One Particular Harbor in return for an honest review.… (más)

The publisher offered me an opportunity to read and review this awesome looking novel and there is no way I would turn down that offer. Between the title, the cover and Chip Beck's love of Jimmy Buffet, I knew I had met a kindred soul (as I rub my hands together in eager anticipation of reading the book).

A beautiful sunset, a ship, a relic, a prophecy....

We start out with Abraham Abulafia and his need to recover the relic in 1260 A D. The Rabbi strives to protect it during the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492 A D. In 1702 A D, 13 year old Louis Estabar found the hiding place where the Rabbi had secreted it and vowed to keep it forever.

In 1715 A D, Estebar is now a Captain and sets sail from Havana, heading toward the Florida Straits, which at this time belongs to Spain. A monster storm and rogue wave would end their trip home. The Spanish, pirates and looters salvaged much of the treasure and the wreck was abandoned. Until...

U S Senator Daniel Simmons had read about the loss of the Spanish fleet, so when he retired, he bought a yacht, the Treasure Trove, and went hunting. He listed his findings online and asked for help in identifying a relic of a boy with a pretty stone on a leather thong. He did not anticipate what is to come.

Treasure, pirates, storms, sinkings, Florida...what more can I say for the dreamer? An adventure the likes of Indiana Jones, only underwater and off the Florida coast.

Jake Sullivan is the Chief Prosecuting Attorney in the Justice Department Miami Office. When the Senator and his wife are murdered, he's called in to solve the crime. Told this would be a slam dunk, he knew it would be anything but an easy mystery to solve.

The repercussions if the relic falls into the wrong hands, could bring on WWIII.

Is it possible for a small group to rule the world? I believe in conspiracies and it would not surprise me at all if there was.

Worldwide economic collapse. International intrigue, political conspiracies.

Perfect for the upcoming beach reading season.

Some characters are good, some bad, with death on both sides. Even when things are obvious, it is that special investigator that has a gut feeling, or is it intuition, that there is more than meets the eye.

I'm wondering, does Lev, a Special Agent with Mossad, suspect, like I do, who the traitor is? Is it a setup? At first I am disappointed he doesn't suspect who I feel is the culprit. But...WAIT...As I read along, I believe I was very wrong about the spy. The way the story was written, Chip fooled me. I was part right and part wrong. Way to go Chip. I love it. Not only did I not figure it out, I figured it out wrong. LOL

Parts of the novel read like current events. I do believe it is in their best interests for Israel, Palestine and all the rest of the countries in that neck of the woods to figure out a way to get along. Will it ever happen?

Chip Bell's ability to blend the past and the present, treasure hunting, murder and political intrigue, myths and legends, kept me reading from cover to cover. He presented me with so many obstacles to overcome in my search for the answers that I could not quit reading.

I will eagerly be on another adventure with Jake Sullivan in One Particular Harbor.… (más)