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Hard Aground
From highly acclaimed, bestselling author James Hall (Bones of Coral) comes a haunting new novel about murder, betrayal, love, family secrets, and sunken treasure in Miami. Rich with a sense of place, Hard Aground has the bite and originality, the lyrical writing and memorable characters of bestselling fiction.
392 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1992
65 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
James W. Hall
89 books488 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 23, 2011
I’m not sure how this one slipped past me. I’ve pretty much grabbed each of Hall’s books at the time of their release, but I had to jump back nearly 20 years to read Hard Aground. Time travel has never been so much fun.
I say that because there’s a saucy tone to this tale of a hapless water rat that suggests Carl Hiassen. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed out loud at dialogue, but I caught myself snickering over and over again, especially at a wonderfully drawn transgender thug who, as Martina, introduces her stumbling partner in crime to the joy of going slow and who, as Martin Phelps, is as cold-blooded and merciless as bad guys come.
If the dialogue and the situations remind me of Hiassen, the characters themselves would do Elmore Leonard proud. The only weak one in the bunch is the love interest’s mother, a U.S. senator who exists strictly as a foil and whose character never fully comes to life. But what a great plot Hall weaves around her.
Reading Hard Aground reminds me of why I once sought out each Hall novel as it was published. It’s jam-packed with wickedly funny dialogue, an unerring eye for the swampy funk on which the glitzy artifice of Miami was constructed, and enough history and social commentary to persuade you that a dynamite beach read can provide more than the average daily requirement of mental nutrients.
I say that because there’s a saucy tone to this tale of a hapless water rat that suggests Carl Hiassen. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed out loud at dialogue, but I caught myself snickering over and over again, especially at a wonderfully drawn transgender thug who, as Martina, introduces her stumbling partner in crime to the joy of going slow and who, as Martin Phelps, is as cold-blooded and merciless as bad guys come.
If the dialogue and the situations remind me of Hiassen, the characters themselves would do Elmore Leonard proud. The only weak one in the bunch is the love interest’s mother, a U.S. senator who exists strictly as a foil and whose character never fully comes to life. But what a great plot Hall weaves around her.
Reading Hard Aground reminds me of why I once sought out each Hall novel as it was published. It’s jam-packed with wickedly funny dialogue, an unerring eye for the swampy funk on which the glitzy artifice of Miami was constructed, and enough history and social commentary to persuade you that a dynamite beach read can provide more than the average daily requirement of mental nutrients.
March 9, 2025
I really can’t figure out where I stand on this. As a story, I think it’s good, but it’s not super well paced and doesn’t always make a lot of sense, but it’s entertaining and pretty well written in the grand scheme of things, so it sucks you in. A fairly major plot point of the story has to do with a main character being a trans woman, which is handled poorly and moreover leads to a guy doing the “ohhh i fucked a trans woman so I’m gay now” freak out, which sucks hard, but the narration itself is consistently sympathetic to her, which makes no sense at all. I don’t really understand what James W Hall was going for with that part, or with a lot of parts. As far as used paperbacks I got for cheap at random from the local cat bookstore, i guess it could have been worse? I would not recommend this overall its not worth the amount of reading you have to do for a few mildly interesting events
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2009
This was an OK book. The story was ok, but disappointing because I expected more and the characters were not drawn out well. Not one I would recommend.
Currently reading
June 8, 2009Good story but WAY too much cussing for me. I won't be keeping the book once I'm done with it.
July 14, 2012
2.5-Entertaining characters & situations, but the many aspects of the plot seemed comically outlandish to me. I also thought there were a couple of loose ends that were never addressed.
December 27, 2025
I’ll start by saying this was a weird read. I couldn’t put it down and I’d definitely recommend it, but a very weird read.
I felt like I was trapped in the heat of Florida with the characters the entire time, Hall did a wonderful job of sucking you in. Loved the setting, loved the depth of the description, 10/10 no notes there.
This was an unreasonably horny read and it was FREAKY at parts. Why are we having sex in a bathtub covered in tomato paste when we both smell like straight skunk, and it’s VIVIDLY described? I’ll leave it there but good lord chill out. It was also really weird that the main character immediately got with his dead brothers girlfriend as soon as he was murdered, and everyone just kinda acted like that was okay. Literally everyone was a freakazoid including the villains.
Speaking of villains, I didn’t like the way they handled or spoke about the transgender villain and while I recognize this was written in the 90’s, it was still kinda crazy.
A ton of action, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the majority of the time with how the story progressed and jumped at you. The book was very loud.. if that makes sense. Everything was very vivid, the setting, the characters, the story, the language used. It was an overload the entire time but in a good way.. definitely helped with the already hectic nature of the story itself.
SPOILER ALERT… Humongous ginormous gargantuan plot hole with Hap just NEVER going into his basement during his entire life. I essentially just facepalmed when the ending was just “oh hey the treasure is actually in the basement of your childhood home”.
Feel good happy ending and everything was neatly tied up regarding the actual characters, I finished the book feeling very content with the conclusion of everyone’s storylines. I saw this on a $1 bargain shelf in front of a bookstore and was going back and forth on grabbing it, ended up not getting it but went back later right before I had to catch a flight and slipped a dollar bill in the mail slot. Super glad I did that because this was one of my better reads of 2025.
I felt like I was trapped in the heat of Florida with the characters the entire time, Hall did a wonderful job of sucking you in. Loved the setting, loved the depth of the description, 10/10 no notes there.
This was an unreasonably horny read and it was FREAKY at parts. Why are we having sex in a bathtub covered in tomato paste when we both smell like straight skunk, and it’s VIVIDLY described? I’ll leave it there but good lord chill out. It was also really weird that the main character immediately got with his dead brothers girlfriend as soon as he was murdered, and everyone just kinda acted like that was okay. Literally everyone was a freakazoid including the villains.
Speaking of villains, I didn’t like the way they handled or spoke about the transgender villain and while I recognize this was written in the 90’s, it was still kinda crazy.
A ton of action, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the majority of the time with how the story progressed and jumped at you. The book was very loud.. if that makes sense. Everything was very vivid, the setting, the characters, the story, the language used. It was an overload the entire time but in a good way.. definitely helped with the already hectic nature of the story itself.
SPOILER ALERT… Humongous ginormous gargantuan plot hole with Hap just NEVER going into his basement during his entire life. I essentially just facepalmed when the ending was just “oh hey the treasure is actually in the basement of your childhood home”.
Feel good happy ending and everything was neatly tied up regarding the actual characters, I finished the book feeling very content with the conclusion of everyone’s storylines. I saw this on a $1 bargain shelf in front of a bookstore and was going back and forth on grabbing it, ended up not getting it but went back later right before I had to catch a flight and slipped a dollar bill in the mail slot. Super glad I did that because this was one of my better reads of 2025.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
Upon reading a mention by Jim Harrison in one of his books about Hall's "Bones of Coral," I decided to start reading all of Hall's work. So far, I'm impressed. To date, most books seem set in Southern Florida, particularly Key West or Key Largo. This book shifted more to the Miami area as a point of historical and developmental interest. A native-born son, a journalist, jaded cops, a transgender thief (1993!) crooked politicians, crooked grandfathers who have been rejected in love--the entire tangle of humanity trying to set their own codes to live by. And then there are the Mayans. I've been recommending Hall to friends who read, especially to those who spend part of their year in Key West. There's a hint of Elmore Leonard in his writing mixing with Jim Harrison and Robert Parker. He IS passionate about Florida and it's history.
December 21, 2019
Why is it that nearly every book about South Florida and its denizens reads as if all those people, and the authors, are crazy. Unpleasantly so.
Other than Edna Buchanan and Dave Barry, almost every South Florida author and book I've read left me feeling either cheated or disgusted, or at best puzzled.
In this book, there is something rather different for today's market, a very non-P.C. transgender character -- a villain!
However, almost every character in this book is a bad guy or at best rude and obnoxious.
I see most other readers who have offered an opinion like it.
Some people prefer chocolate, some vanilla, and some lime sherbet.
I recommend borrowing this book rather than buying it.
Other than Edna Buchanan and Dave Barry, almost every South Florida author and book I've read left me feeling either cheated or disgusted, or at best puzzled.
In this book, there is something rather different for today's market, a very non-P.C. transgender character -- a villain!
However, almost every character in this book is a bad guy or at best rude and obnoxious.
I see most other readers who have offered an opinion like it.
Some people prefer chocolate, some vanilla, and some lime sherbet.
I recommend borrowing this book rather than buying it.
November 22, 2020
Mmeeeehhh. DNF at about 65%.
Too much about real estate. Too many extraneous details. Too slow-moving by the middle of the book, and I also found myself not invested at all in the characters (either positively or negatively).
I am willing to admit that I am a large part of the problem thar I had with this book, as when I read it (the parts I actually read, that is), I’d had a lot of migraines and also high anxiety due to pandemic life & other life stressors. So it’s possible my dislike is also because I could not remain focused.
But still. No thanks.
Too much about real estate. Too many extraneous details. Too slow-moving by the middle of the book, and I also found myself not invested at all in the characters (either positively or negatively).
I am willing to admit that I am a large part of the problem thar I had with this book, as when I read it (the parts I actually read, that is), I’d had a lot of migraines and also high anxiety due to pandemic life & other life stressors. So it’s possible my dislike is also because I could not remain focused.
But still. No thanks.
March 10, 2020
Pretty good but dragged on a bit, especially the ending which became unbelievable. I had problems with the logic of characters getting together who were so widely different in personality. Found it difficult to believe main character lived his entire life in a house without learning what was in the basement.
September 7, 2021
Hard Aground
I used to read James Hall years ago but then moved on to new authors. Sorry about the gap. He can still write a good story. The story in the background was completely believable. I liked the main characters and how they grew and developed over the course of the book. And the bad guys were truly nasty. Good suspense and action. Recommended.
I used to read James Hall years ago but then moved on to new authors. Sorry about the gap. He can still write a good story. The story in the background was completely believable. I liked the main characters and how they grew and developed over the course of the book. And the bad guys were truly nasty. Good suspense and action. Recommended.
September 24, 2018
Well written
Thoroughly enjoyed
Lots of time spent in characters thoughts. I enjoy understanding why people are doing what th hey are and what sometimes scattered thoughts go through all our heads
Thoroughly enjoyed
Lots of time spent in characters thoughts. I enjoy understanding why people are doing what th hey are and what sometimes scattered thoughts go through all our heads
May 4, 2019
Good thriller set in Miami and it’s not about drug dealers! Yay!
My only complaint about this book is the love story in the middle of it - no spoilers here but I felt it was forced and unnecessary.
My only complaint about this book is the love story in the middle of it - no spoilers here but I felt it was forced and unnecessary.
July 27, 2019
Enjoyable read - not riveting, but certainly entertaining. Enjoyed the eccentricities and humorous dialogue and thoughts of the characters.
January 19, 2023
Not his best. But still, OK.
January 13, 2019
Hall is a criminally ignored writer of the highest order, and although Hall has done better this is still a superior thriller. Like James Lee Burke, Hall is a wonderful, and at time poetically evocative writer that takes you to Florida, ( the home to most of his books I’ve read) and completely immerses you in it’s history, it’s characters, and indeed it’s politically charged idiosyncrasies that invariably populate Hall’s books.
Like Carl Hiassen of the modern era Hall evokes Florida, and you want to go there, but with some trepidation. Suffice to say, it’s wonderful stuff. Give James Hall a go, if you can find his books, he’s special.
Like Carl Hiassen of the modern era Hall evokes Florida, and you want to go there, but with some trepidation. Suffice to say, it’s wonderful stuff. Give James Hall a go, if you can find his books, he’s special.
June 19, 2012
Hap Tyler hears a voice in his head. Once it saved his life. Other times it got him in so much trouble it was either a mental facility or prison.
But when his older brother, Daniel, a respected archaeologist, is murdered Hap finds himself the target of worse monsters who are willing to maim and kill for answers he doesn’t have. The sociopaths range from a U.S. senator and an ex-cop to a streetwise thug and a war hero/loser, all of them intent under finding a Spanish ship that sunk 450-years earlier with a treasure estimated at $400 million.
Hap’s only allies are Marguerite, Daniel’s girlfriend, who formerly treated him like a leper; a homicide cop with a decidedly laid-back manner and, maybe, the voice.
If you’re looking for a beach read that will definitely keep you awake, this is a good choice. An intriguing plot, a good cast of characters, some laughs and plenty of twists. I’m currently re-reading some of Hall’s earlier works. Many favor his Thorn series, but the man has written some good standalones, too.
But when his older brother, Daniel, a respected archaeologist, is murdered Hap finds himself the target of worse monsters who are willing to maim and kill for answers he doesn’t have. The sociopaths range from a U.S. senator and an ex-cop to a streetwise thug and a war hero/loser, all of them intent under finding a Spanish ship that sunk 450-years earlier with a treasure estimated at $400 million.
Hap’s only allies are Marguerite, Daniel’s girlfriend, who formerly treated him like a leper; a homicide cop with a decidedly laid-back manner and, maybe, the voice.
If you’re looking for a beach read that will definitely keep you awake, this is a good choice. An intriguing plot, a good cast of characters, some laughs and plenty of twists. I’m currently re-reading some of Hall’s earlier works. Many favor his Thorn series, but the man has written some good standalones, too.
July 15, 2012
My favorite part of this book was when Alvarez, the guy who uses only one gun because he is a pro with that one gun, picks up his "...Franchi SPAS 12-guage dual action with the two and three-quarter inch chamber..." (p. 267) and then "...four boxes of three-inch steel Magnum shells..." (p. 268) and then, wouldn't you know it, somehow gets it to reliably fire and cycle, fire and cycle. Man, that guy is a pro with that one gun.
July 21, 2013
I read my first James W. Hall book (Breakwater Sound) last week and liked it extremely well - actually rated it a 5-star. This one is not nearly as interesting. Hard Aground is a stand-alone book; perhaps the others in the Thorn series will be better. I hope so, since I've already purchased downloads of three more of them.
February 4, 2014
Got inspired from the Literary Seminar. This was my favorite of all James W. Halls books from the 1980's. I just wanted to re-read it and see what I thought. I enjoyed it, but now my tastes in books have graduated a bit!
January 15, 2015
Good read
rating based on a book that was hard to put down.easy reading, great subject matter keeps you on the edge.first time reading this author,and it won't be the last enjoy! RW
rating based on a book that was hard to put down.easy reading, great subject matter keeps you on the edge.first time reading this author,and it won't be the last enjoy! RW
February 24, 2016
Freespirit Hap Tyler has a responsible archeologist brother, Daniel, who gets murdered. Hap and his brother's lover join forces to solve Daniel's murder, which is linked to a sunken Spanish treasure ship and the murder of a young woman in 1898.
November 18, 2016
James W. Hall is a favorite author. I read this in 2001, and really don't remember much of the story now. At the time, I just noted that it was "a good mystery set in Florida, with Hap Tyler as the main character. Not in a series, I believe." (I really enjoy the Thorn series.)
June 11, 2007
(First Edition)
July 5, 2011
Read this while on vacation in Florida...how appropriate! Would love to read more by this author.
October 10, 2019
More a modern ritual of violence and death!
September 5, 2012
I'll really reading the Kindle edition, Goodreads just doesn't have it listed.
I quit reading this. Just too boring.
I quit reading this. Just too boring.
March 3, 2013
Standard fare for the genre.Nothing special.
June 8, 2013
What a delight to discover an unread book by one of my favorite authors. Darkly funny and the south Florida setting is brilliantly captured.
January 27, 2014
Very entertaining. Not a great literary work but good characters and the action moved along well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews