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Southern Comfort
Atlanta homicide detective Patrick 'Tick' Kelly turned his back on the world the day his wife and children were murdered. Abandoning his city and his career, he holed up in a beach house on Mango Key, Florida, and drowned his grief in Jack Daniels. Now sober and a bestselling author, Tick would gladly stay a recluse forever if his brother Pete didn't keep trying to drag him back to the land of the living. After years of sacrificing her personal life in favour of her DEA job, special agent Kate Rush resigned and moved back to her native Miami. But the unofficial assignment that has just come her way is too intriguing to pass up. She and a fellow ex-agent are relocated to Mango Key to keep an eye on an imposing, mysterious fortress believed to be at the centre of a human trafficking ring. At first, the Kelly brothers are suspected of involvement, but Kate is sure Tick poses no danger - except for the slow-burning gaze that makes her breath catch and her heart race. Tick finds himself fascinated by Kate's investigation - and by her inviting mix of courage and kindness. Teaming up, they uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed. And as danger mounts, Tick realizes how far he'll go to protect the rare and surprising gift that's come his way: a second chance at a happy ending.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Fern Michaels
426 books6,525 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
January 3, 2022
Wow - not the right book to read after "The Spy who came in from the Cold". This book was as bad as "The Spy" was good!
Fern Michaels is a step below Mary Higgins Clark, if you can imagine that. The first 50 pages were incredibly painful, but then the writing improved enough that I could finish the novel. Fortunately it wasn't that long. Throughout the novel, the writing was laughable poor (both content & grammar) and nonsequetor at times. I found it unenjoyable - even as light summer reading.
The author is totally ignorant of law enforcement and criminal justice, despite the fact that this was suppose to be a crime drama. Frequent mistakes glared at me throughout the novel. The author's "self-empowered" women also made me cringe. Despite the subtle anti-male tones, the two lead characters appeared to be flighty morons, who were obsessed with men. During mission critical moments, the talk was about how cute they thought the men's butts were!
A plot was vaguely referenced, but never actualized. The author never bothers to develop her characters or actually tell her story. She just skims the surface with hints of action. At the end of the book, we are led to believe that the problems built up during the story will just magically work themselves out. There is no climax to the story.
I have to note that during the novel the main male character casually references a sex partner he uses for his "physical needs" - gross. And, SPOILER ALERT: The book ends, I kid you not, with a TRIPLE wedding on the beach where all the main characters marry each other. Mind you, the main male & female characters (who marry each other) didn't date or kiss or actually develop a relationship during the entire novel up to that point.
And why is the novel called Southern Comfort? The name and cover image evokes the deep South, but the story takes place in Florida and there is nothing traditionally southern about it.
Fern Michaels is a step below Mary Higgins Clark, if you can imagine that. The first 50 pages were incredibly painful, but then the writing improved enough that I could finish the novel. Fortunately it wasn't that long. Throughout the novel, the writing was laughable poor (both content & grammar) and nonsequetor at times. I found it unenjoyable - even as light summer reading.
The author is totally ignorant of law enforcement and criminal justice, despite the fact that this was suppose to be a crime drama. Frequent mistakes glared at me throughout the novel. The author's "self-empowered" women also made me cringe. Despite the subtle anti-male tones, the two lead characters appeared to be flighty morons, who were obsessed with men. During mission critical moments, the talk was about how cute they thought the men's butts were!
A plot was vaguely referenced, but never actualized. The author never bothers to develop her characters or actually tell her story. She just skims the surface with hints of action. At the end of the book, we are led to believe that the problems built up during the story will just magically work themselves out. There is no climax to the story.
I have to note that during the novel the main male character casually references a sex partner he uses for his "physical needs" - gross. And, SPOILER ALERT: The book ends, I kid you not, with a TRIPLE wedding on the beach where all the main characters marry each other. Mind you, the main male & female characters (who marry each other) didn't date or kiss or actually develop a relationship during the entire novel up to that point.
And why is the novel called Southern Comfort? The name and cover image evokes the deep South, but the story takes place in Florida and there is nothing traditionally southern about it.
May 29, 2011
This author couldn't write her way out of a wet paper bag.
April 8, 2021
This was so bad. So very bad. The writing is simply terrible. The characters are all unprofessional blockheads who beat people up and spend the whole book doing bizarre, random things. One guy withdraws money from three different ATMs over about an hour's time. Why? Who knows? He just keeps buying stuff and getting money out. Another character crawls underneath a car (a Mustang, so like, 6 inches of clearance) to try to get a look inside. No, I don't know, either. But! The excitement really ratchets up later on when a bomb explodes and flames leap ten feet in the air! TEN FEET! Could this be the smallest bomb in history? Possibly built by ants? Guys, I have so many questions. Mostly for myself, wondering why I read all the way to the end. I feel very strongly that a world in which this book exists is a world I don't want my children to inherit. Therefor, I will not be having children. Thank you.
January 7, 2021
Cheesy
Two female DEA agents are forced out of the business by a terrible superior. The remainder of their team try to bring them back on board thru an off the record undercover operation. Meanwhile an ex-cop is in just the right place at just the right time to help everyone clear up a 5 year investigation and, right, a romance or two.
The story kept me interested, however I felt there were plenty of plot holes and a disregard of any realistic portrayal of the law and law enforcement at every level. The author kept referring to these being top notch agents, but their ability to apply reason and logic to figure out a pretty obvious situation was lacking in a big way. The dialog was not natural and what was supposed to be banter just felt like bickering and got old quick. I was very disappointed all around, and the ending is just kind of tacked on.
Two female DEA agents are forced out of the business by a terrible superior. The remainder of their team try to bring them back on board thru an off the record undercover operation. Meanwhile an ex-cop is in just the right place at just the right time to help everyone clear up a 5 year investigation and, right, a romance or two.
The story kept me interested, however I felt there were plenty of plot holes and a disregard of any realistic portrayal of the law and law enforcement at every level. The author kept referring to these being top notch agents, but their ability to apply reason and logic to figure out a pretty obvious situation was lacking in a big way. The dialog was not natural and what was supposed to be banter just felt like bickering and got old quick. I was very disappointed all around, and the ending is just kind of tacked on.
August 1, 2011
I really should've checked the rating before impulsively downloading this onto my Nook.
_________
How I managed to continue reading past the line, "Sally Pritchard Kelly was the wind beneath his wings," I'll never know.
The characters were unoriginal and bland, the story uninventive and boring.
The writing improved only enough for me to manage finishing it.
I don't feel like wasting anymore time on this book and neither should you.
_________
How I managed to continue reading past the line, "Sally Pritchard Kelly was the wind beneath his wings," I'll never know.
The characters were unoriginal and bland, the story uninventive and boring.
The writing improved only enough for me to manage finishing it.
I don't feel like wasting anymore time on this book and neither should you.
June 7, 2011
I was looking forward to reading this book. The idea and plot sounded like fun. The book however really missed the mark. The story is choppy and disconnected. I barely made it to the end.
May 23, 2011
Southern Comfort is the latest by Fern Michaels. I have to admit that I was largely disappointed by this one.
What I didn't like: The plot. It never got off the ground for me. The book dealt more with Lawrence "Larry" Tyler and his problems than it did with Kate and Tick. I found Larry Tyler a very annoying character. I can't stand whiners and that is how he came across to me. I found myself rooting for Kate and Sandy when they were picking on him. The suspense part of the plot was never really there. I found myself not caring about who was blackmailing Larry. As for the group on the island, they were never in any real danger and there was one small action scene that didn't amount to much.
As for the romance, I was expecting so much more after reading the description. The HEA epilogue came out of nowhere. I'm not sure how they went from smoldering glances to getting married. It was just a bit too neat. The couples never even kissed or expressed any kind of like for each other. In fact, they are never alone together, except for a few hours on a stake-out.
What I liked: The Parrot. I think he was the best character out of the bunch. Very clever use of a bird as a main character.
I felt like this book had so much potential. If she had explored the relationships between the two couples more it would have rounded out the story better. I think fans will like it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
What I didn't like: The plot. It never got off the ground for me. The book dealt more with Lawrence "Larry" Tyler and his problems than it did with Kate and Tick. I found Larry Tyler a very annoying character. I can't stand whiners and that is how he came across to me. I found myself rooting for Kate and Sandy when they were picking on him. The suspense part of the plot was never really there. I found myself not caring about who was blackmailing Larry. As for the group on the island, they were never in any real danger and there was one small action scene that didn't amount to much.
As for the romance, I was expecting so much more after reading the description. The HEA epilogue came out of nowhere. I'm not sure how they went from smoldering glances to getting married. It was just a bit too neat. The couples never even kissed or expressed any kind of like for each other. In fact, they are never alone together, except for a few hours on a stake-out.
What I liked: The Parrot. I think he was the best character out of the bunch. Very clever use of a bird as a main character.
I felt like this book had so much potential. If she had explored the relationships between the two couples more it would have rounded out the story better. I think fans will like it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
February 20, 2012
I have no idea how this one ended up on my e-reader; I have no memory of putting it there or even why I would having never heard of the author. Intrigued by this random book I set out to read it - mistake!
The first few chapters implied this might be quite a interesting mystery novel. The character of Kate Rush initially showed promise and I was relishing the idea of there being a decent strong minded female in the book. Sadly neither of those panned out, there was much talk of how cute people looked and then it all became predictable. The book ended with a triple wedding, I actually felt rather nauseous after I finished due to said triple wedding and the fact that the book had so much potential. I could go into a long list of things that were poorly researched, bad writing etc but others have done that so I'll just say it was poor.
The best part was a talking bird who seemed to be rather deranged, perhaps he should have been the main character.
I am wondering if someone put this book on my e-reader as a cruel joke, not a author I will be reading again.
The first few chapters implied this might be quite a interesting mystery novel. The character of Kate Rush initially showed promise and I was relishing the idea of there being a decent strong minded female in the book. Sadly neither of those panned out, there was much talk of how cute people looked and then it all became predictable. The book ended with a triple wedding, I actually felt rather nauseous after I finished due to said triple wedding and the fact that the book had so much potential. I could go into a long list of things that were poorly researched, bad writing etc but others have done that so I'll just say it was poor.
The best part was a talking bird who seemed to be rather deranged, perhaps he should have been the main character.
I am wondering if someone put this book on my e-reader as a cruel joke, not a author I will be reading again.
February 27, 2015
I am not sure how I got through this book....but it will be a few hours of my life I will never get back and what a waste that is.
If Fern Michaels said something once she said it 3 times. There was NO plot, I kept waiting for something to happen and it just didn't. The characters were so predictable but the lack of any realism really does this book in. How does an ex-cop suddenly becomes a successful author? How in this day and age is it possible for two brothers to not see each other for over 8 years because one of them is out of the country? How were the girls were getting into the compound despite the Coast Guards regular patrols? Two DEA agents just walk into Cuba, find, arrest and bring back to the USA two Cuban criminals? In a matter of days?
Thank goodness it was a short book that is the bottom line.
The highlight of the book was the talking parrot and even that was questionable at best. I certainly have crossed Fern Michaels off my list of authors to read.
If Fern Michaels said something once she said it 3 times. There was NO plot, I kept waiting for something to happen and it just didn't. The characters were so predictable but the lack of any realism really does this book in. How does an ex-cop suddenly becomes a successful author? How in this day and age is it possible for two brothers to not see each other for over 8 years because one of them is out of the country? How were the girls were getting into the compound despite the Coast Guards regular patrols? Two DEA agents just walk into Cuba, find, arrest and bring back to the USA two Cuban criminals? In a matter of days?
Thank goodness it was a short book that is the bottom line.
The highlight of the book was the talking parrot and even that was questionable at best. I certainly have crossed Fern Michaels off my list of authors to read.
January 31, 2021
Unlike some others, I enjoyed this book, although at times it is quite confusing in areas, but I think Ms. Michaels did a credible job. Since my husband for most of his employment, it worked on projects and area that were classified and I did not know what he did, or where he was at times, until things became declassified over the years. Perhaps because I lived though this, I understood a little better what it was like to be assigned to do something that you could not share with anyone. Authors have some leeway in what they write about and I would think readers should be aware of this and not be so critical.
November 4, 2020
I found this to be a easy and interesting enough read. But I did know who was going to end up together. There was a twist with one of the characters at the end that I didn't anticipate.
I would put this on my list of want to read something not to heavy or hard list, for a rainy day to curl up with.
I would put this on my list of want to read something not to heavy or hard list, for a rainy day to curl up with.
April 11, 2022
What A Story!
Once things pulled together I was totally hooked. Adventure, chaos and laugh out loud moments made this book an awesome read. Looking forward to more stories by this author.
Once things pulled together I was totally hooked. Adventure, chaos and laugh out loud moments made this book an awesome read. Looking forward to more stories by this author.
May 18, 2011
Not what I thought it would be like. no suspense, you can guess what will happen next & it was very cheesy. definitely not my favorite, but not the worst either.
January 17, 2021
Disappointing
The plot had promise but failed to materialize. The characters were laughable. The ending improbable. Readable if all reality is suspended.
The plot had promise but failed to materialize. The characters were laughable. The ending improbable. Readable if all reality is suspended.
July 23, 2023
This book was a quick and easy read, but nothing that truly stands out to me. This is a book that my grandmother wrote “Excellent!” on the inside…
Overall I felt pretty ‘eh’ about it. The characters had some pretty cheesy quirks, and the plot was just lacking luster for me. The story finally felt like it took off with about 30 pages left, and the ending was a bit too cliché for me to truly resonate with the characters and their stories. To each their own, I suppose.
Overall I felt pretty ‘eh’ about it. The characters had some pretty cheesy quirks, and the plot was just lacking luster for me. The story finally felt like it took off with about 30 pages left, and the ending was a bit too cliché for me to truly resonate with the characters and their stories. To each their own, I suppose.
December 9, 2023
The story is set in the Florida Keys and features DEA agents, a former cop from Atlanta, his brother and a very talkative parrot. The book was an easy read with quirky characters.
Read
August 7, 2022Abridged audio version was too abridged.
August 3, 2022
Decent book. It took me a bit to get into it, but I did get interested after awhile. My favorite character was “Bird.” Lol.
The book has a very streamline feel – something that would appeal to a broad audience.
The book has a very streamline feel – something that would appeal to a broad audience.
July 27, 2022
Just a fun feel good book
August 21, 2022
Good easy read
August 16, 2022
This book is really bad but it’s mostly just boring, maybe it’s my own fault cuz it’s not my usual genre lol
July 13, 2022
”left too many questions unanswered and was a slow starter”; “book was so poorly written”; “why the characters were saying or responding to each other's dialogue they way they did”; “The parrot was a hoot!”; and “the only memorable character in the book was the hero's parrot!” All of these are excerpts from some of the reviews listed on Amazon for this story.
It’s been many years since I picked up a Fern Michael’s story. With Southern Comfort I’m reminded why that is so. Heroine Kate Rush, DEA agent, has burned many bridges behind her especially since she is at odds with her boss. After being set up by her boss to meet with an informant in Miami, she is left to fend for herself in the middle of a hurricane when the informant is a no-show. A fed up Kate quits her job but before she can officially be mustered out she needs to complete one last assignment. She and another ex-agent named Sandy are to pose as tourists camping out on the beach at Mango Key while they conduct surveillance of the mansion of a jailed drug lord. There has been suspicious activity and these two will be the eyes and ears of the agency.
Patrick Kelly, known by the moniker of Tick, has been living on Mango Key for some years after leaving the world behind when his family died in a tragic accident. He sought, and found, solace in alcohol which helped him survive the trauma. Once sober, he turned his knowledge into writing police thrillers and is a bestselling author. His cottage, which he has restored slowly, came with a delightful Spanish speaking parrot who, in this reader’s opinion, was the star of the book. When the two lady agents take up their spot on the beach in a run-down trailer, Tick becomes suspicious and his police training kicks in.
There is much more going on at the drug lord’s fortress and encampment than meets the eye. Tick and his brother, who has come for a visit, team up with Kate and Sandy to uncover the illegal operations being run beneath their noses. Together they “uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed”.
While the plot of the story is a good one, there is much left unexplored. The characters seem to go in circles like a Chinese Fire Drill. Lack of communication is key to the story and once that is resolved so is the story.
Southern Comfort is average, not quite dull yet not quite the thriller it could have been. There is a blossoming romance that blooms much too quickly and in this respect it fails as a romance.
Perfect book for the beach or a long airplane ride where you are captive and bored.
It’s been many years since I picked up a Fern Michael’s story. With Southern Comfort I’m reminded why that is so. Heroine Kate Rush, DEA agent, has burned many bridges behind her especially since she is at odds with her boss. After being set up by her boss to meet with an informant in Miami, she is left to fend for herself in the middle of a hurricane when the informant is a no-show. A fed up Kate quits her job but before she can officially be mustered out she needs to complete one last assignment. She and another ex-agent named Sandy are to pose as tourists camping out on the beach at Mango Key while they conduct surveillance of the mansion of a jailed drug lord. There has been suspicious activity and these two will be the eyes and ears of the agency.
Patrick Kelly, known by the moniker of Tick, has been living on Mango Key for some years after leaving the world behind when his family died in a tragic accident. He sought, and found, solace in alcohol which helped him survive the trauma. Once sober, he turned his knowledge into writing police thrillers and is a bestselling author. His cottage, which he has restored slowly, came with a delightful Spanish speaking parrot who, in this reader’s opinion, was the star of the book. When the two lady agents take up their spot on the beach in a run-down trailer, Tick becomes suspicious and his police training kicks in.
There is much more going on at the drug lord’s fortress and encampment than meets the eye. Tick and his brother, who has come for a visit, team up with Kate and Sandy to uncover the illegal operations being run beneath their noses. Together they “uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed”.
While the plot of the story is a good one, there is much left unexplored. The characters seem to go in circles like a Chinese Fire Drill. Lack of communication is key to the story and once that is resolved so is the story.
Southern Comfort is average, not quite dull yet not quite the thriller it could have been. There is a blossoming romance that blooms much too quickly and in this respect it fails as a romance.
Perfect book for the beach or a long airplane ride where you are captive and bored.
July 16, 2022
The booked moved slowly and I felt the ending was a bit lack luster. It was an “ok” book.
January 7, 2022
Former Atlanta homicide detective Patrick "Tick" Kelly moved to remote Mango Key after his beloved wife and children were killed in a home invasion by a drugged-out person. He spent the first couple of years in a drunken haze but, now eight years later, he has turned his life around and become a best-selling author. He's still a recluse and prefers to ignore anything that happens in the semi-abandoned mansion at one end of the key.
Special Agent Kate Rush has resigned her job with the DEA after one final encounter with her supervisor Special Agent Lawrence Tyler, an incompetent agent always propped up by his father who is the Governor of Florida. She has gotten her Ph.D. and planned to write a cookbook featuring her grandmother's recipes. One problem: she doesn't know how to cook. When she is approached to do some off-the-books work for the DEA surveilling that same mysterious mansion, boredom makes her say yes.
There she meets Tick and uncovers lots more than she had imagined when they rescue a young girl who is being trafficked. Meanwhile, someone is attempting to blackmail Lawrence Tyler who wants one last big score before he is fired from the DEA and hopes discovering what is going on at Mango Key and the mansion will be it.
This story is told from Tick, Kate and Tyler's points-of-view. I had some problems with the book and the narration. First of all, the narrator wasn't very good at the female voices. But the big problem had to do with the text. Things that I think were meant to be humorous banter and teasing between Tick and his brother Pete and Kate and her best friend Sandy came off sounding mean and abrasive.
I also found the plot of the book a little disjointed. I'm not sure what the key mystery was supposed to be. If it was Tyler's being blackmailed, why was so much time spent on Kate and Tick? If it was supposed to be about the mystery of the goings-on at the compound on Mango Key, that plot thread just seemed to fizzle out with little resolution.
I can't really recommend this one. I'm glad that both the Kindle and audiobook were purchased for very little money.
Special Agent Kate Rush has resigned her job with the DEA after one final encounter with her supervisor Special Agent Lawrence Tyler, an incompetent agent always propped up by his father who is the Governor of Florida. She has gotten her Ph.D. and planned to write a cookbook featuring her grandmother's recipes. One problem: she doesn't know how to cook. When she is approached to do some off-the-books work for the DEA surveilling that same mysterious mansion, boredom makes her say yes.
There she meets Tick and uncovers lots more than she had imagined when they rescue a young girl who is being trafficked. Meanwhile, someone is attempting to blackmail Lawrence Tyler who wants one last big score before he is fired from the DEA and hopes discovering what is going on at Mango Key and the mansion will be it.
This story is told from Tick, Kate and Tyler's points-of-view. I had some problems with the book and the narration. First of all, the narrator wasn't very good at the female voices. But the big problem had to do with the text. Things that I think were meant to be humorous banter and teasing between Tick and his brother Pete and Kate and her best friend Sandy came off sounding mean and abrasive.
I also found the plot of the book a little disjointed. I'm not sure what the key mystery was supposed to be. If it was Tyler's being blackmailed, why was so much time spent on Kate and Tick? If it was supposed to be about the mystery of the goings-on at the compound on Mango Key, that plot thread just seemed to fizzle out with little resolution.
I can't really recommend this one. I'm glad that both the Kindle and audiobook were purchased for very little money.
July 12, 2022
It was ok. I did like the spunk of the main characters but the plot was fairly predictable.
July 7, 2022
Southern Comfort
This another good book by Fern. I enjoy her style of writing. The characters were interesting and engaging. I absolutely loved Bird and his banter.
This another good book by Fern. I enjoy her style of writing. The characters were interesting and engaging. I absolutely loved Bird and his banter.
May 2, 2022
After reading the reviews I wasn’t excited about reading this book (why dose Goodreads have reviews from 10 yrs ago as the first ones you see?)
As I began the book I was pleasantly surprised. It’s more of a suspense, I don’t like mystery/suspense books they keep me up at night, can’t stop thinking. But this was an easy read. Not on the edge of my seat, but kept me interested.
Tick an ex cop, who’s family was murdered. Goes to Mango Keys is in the bottle for yrs. Then pulls himself out and becomes a writer. Kate after being frustrated at her job at DEA she resigns. Moves to her GMAs house in Miami on the beach. Being board, when her old co-worker come for visit and ask her and Sandy to help on an investigation they jump at it. They are now on the same beach as Tick and his brother. They are watching this compound of a house. As it unfolds it’s a sex trafficking place, they find a child there. They work together to help her and end up adopting her.
As I began the book I was pleasantly surprised. It’s more of a suspense, I don’t like mystery/suspense books they keep me up at night, can’t stop thinking. But this was an easy read. Not on the edge of my seat, but kept me interested.
Tick an ex cop, who’s family was murdered. Goes to Mango Keys is in the bottle for yrs. Then pulls himself out and becomes a writer. Kate after being frustrated at her job at DEA she resigns. Moves to her GMAs house in Miami on the beach. Being board, when her old co-worker come for visit and ask her and Sandy to help on an investigation they jump at it. They are now on the same beach as Tick and his brother. They are watching this compound of a house. As it unfolds it’s a sex trafficking place, they find a child there. They work together to help her and end up adopting her.
January 3, 2022
4 stars for plot and potential. Minus 2 stars for poor dialog, nonsensical dialog and unrealistic dialog. It’s not written in a way that people would talk in real life. There are so many parts that any person with common sense would deem as unrealistic (as one example, a DEA agent who is “deep” undercover but hands out business cards saying he’s a DEA agent and tells people point blank he’s a DEA agent? I don’t think the author had read the definition of undercover). There was also some storyline that didn’t reach conclusion as there was an American that met up to take possession of the girls being sold (human trafficking), but we never learn who that is - that’s a huge hole that could have been tied into the story to further enhance it. So, in conclusion, I felt this story had a lot of potential, but it left me very disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2022
Ex Atlanta Detective Patrick "Tick" Kelly left when his family was killed. He started drinking and woke up on an island inhabited by a tribe of Indians. They allowed him to stay and took care of him till one day he decided to sober up. Strange things happened at night at the end of the island. When his twin brother shows up, they decide to investigate along with two ex DEA agents. Kate and Sandra investigated with the help of their ex boss and broke up a human trafficking ring. Loved the happy ending. I won this book and couldn't put it down.
August 27, 2013
I don't even know which shelf to put this on because it tried and failed to be so many different things.
I've read Michaels before and never remember any of her books being this bad. The plot - and I use that word lightly - was hard to follow and unbelievable, the characters were unremarkable, the dialog was stilted and banal.
After chapter 12 I skimmed until the last 2 chapters and the epilogue, which was completely far fetched. Blech.
I've read Michaels before and never remember any of her books being this bad. The plot - and I use that word lightly - was hard to follow and unbelievable, the characters were unremarkable, the dialog was stilted and banal.
After chapter 12 I skimmed until the last 2 chapters and the epilogue, which was completely far fetched. Blech.
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