The Crooked Pearl

Atticus Fish #3

by Shaun Morey

The storied pearl beds of La Paz were long thought destroyed until a local fisherman discovers a handful of rare, red-tinged pearls and one extraordinary, enormous pear-shaped specimen. But when the pearls are swept away from the fisherman in a storm and stumbled upon by a vacationing American couple, it could mean big bucks―and even bigger trouble―for all involved. Enter dashing billionaire and beloved expatriate Atticus Fish. When he learns about the pearls, he knows he’d better intervene before all hell breaks loose. Fish has worked hard to protect his beloved Baja Coast and knows all too well the kind of trouble that a discovery like this could bring to La Paz. Sure enough, it’s not long before the pearls are swiped from Fish’s seaplane (thanks to the loose lips of his friend, the infamous mescal bootlegger Skegs) and his beloved Cantina del Cielo is burned to the ground. Fortunately all of Fish’s employees, including two drunken iguanas and a parrot named Chuy, are unharmed, but the message from the bad guys is loud and clear. Now Fish and Skegs are off to find the thief and deliver some payback before word gets out about the precious pearl beds. A raucous romp through beautiful, lawless Baja, California, this third installment of the Atticus Fish series will leave even the most seasoned adventurers breathless.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Humor, Fiction

238 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2013

Reviews

[lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read for entertainment (mostly) and this book was certainly entertaining. I love that area of the Baha Sur and the hilarious mismash of characters are very endearing.... if you like eccentric. I thought this was as fun a read as the first in the series, and a tad better than the second. I would read more of Atticus Fish and his merry band of misfits any time. Each one has been hard to put down.

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's very difficult for me to get into a book where all the characters are unlikeable. The villains are particularly vile with some of the most prolific use of profanity that I've ever had the displeasure of reading. The ending was also abrupt and unsatisactory. With so many better books out there to read, I would recommend that you pick one of those.

[Robert Sanderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Bad

Not a bad read, but certainly not as enjoyable as it's predecessors. The story lines and people just don't meet the previous novels - it was enjoyable, but felt more forced.

[Julie Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all 3 Atticus Fish novels!

This final novel had vivid detail and an intriguing story line. The only reason I did notice it 5 stars was that it was too short and wrapped up too quickly.

[Alfred Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the series is as good as the first two.

I really like the way Shaun moves the story along. These are all hard books to put down. I really like the interplay between the characters.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun installment in the Atticus Fish series.

[Carol El Hawary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another light and fun read, Atticus Fish is a lovely character. There are several threads running through the story, and all of them end in a very satisfactory manner.

[Alex K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this series.

Good just like the first two. This series is well worth the money. If you like comedy and action in your books then this is the series for you.

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several rare pearls, one huge and strangely shaped are found by an old fisherman who can’t believe his luck. He’s caught in a tsunami before he can get home and loses the pearls.

Cue the bad guys..three ‘fighters’ appear and cause trouble. Atticus subdues them with the help of a centuries old cactus they were trying to beat to a pulp. The second encounter sees them in a shark cage being dunked in the sea. They team up with an opportunistic thief and take drastic revenge on Atticus for their humiliation.

Meanwhile the pearls have been found by a couple on holiday who enlist Atticus’ help to have them appraised. Atticus remembers about the old oyster beds and the legend that surrounds them and determines to stop the pearls being harvested and protect the area.

So starts another madcap and thrilling adventure with everyone chasing each other and the pearls and when Skegs is taken hostage by a dive shop owner trying to get in on the action Toozie hotfoots it down to Baja.

Performance

Luke Daniels gives full rein to an impressive array of voices and brings the characters and story vividly to life. Amazing performance.

Thoughts

I enjoyed these engaging stories very much, the writing, the characters, the humour and the craziness. Also the beautifully vivid descriptions of the area and the wildlife. Very easy to be drawn in and invest in the characters and the place.

The books could be read/listened to as stand alones but it’s much more fun (for me anyway) to follow the story from the beginning.

There was talk at the beginning of the story about Atticus’ daughter but this snippet wasn’t developed and Atticus and Toozie still haven’t got it together so maybe…..another book? I hope so.

[Donna Hromada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atticus Fish has become one of my favorite fictional characters!

The only reason I gave 4 stars versus 5 stars is because the book wasn't long enough. The story line was incredibly imaginative and my adventurous side craves to take a trip down that Baja coast. After reading the first three books in this series, I have absolutely no interest in revisiting Cabo San Lucas, but the islands and coastline further down... well, they have certainly sparked an interest in me to visit, if only to taste some food from Mamacita and drink a few Modela Negro beers and enjoy the pristine waters before they are spoiled by the greed of developers and all that goes with that when a beautiful place is found.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Good Reads Giveaways and just finished it today. It's a fun book with great characters and it's an easy read. Atticus Fish, a billionaire bar owner in Baja California gets involved in saving the famous pearl beds of La Paz. Fish is a dedicated conservationist and wants to keep the area undeveloped so everyone can enjoy it's pristine beauty. Fish and his buddy Skegs run into some rough characters that have other ideas.

[Brian Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and enjoyable like the delay caused by bad weather in the Keys.

Our boat Captain said "don't fret it will change soon!" Just like the luck and the results for every character in Crooked Pearl. A brief and thoroughly enjoyable yarn that made me wish I had Fish's religious assault wealth. Just so that I could find my own crooked pearl. You will enjoy this story as much as the previous two.

[Tammy Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel full of twists and turns. Atticus Fish is a cantina owner in Baja, Mexico who gets involved with a great variety of colorful individuals in his endeavor to find the place where the crooked pearl of the title came from so he can protect the area from overharvesting.

[Paul McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished all three books in the Atticus Fish series by Shaun Morey, and they were the perfect blend of actin adventure and humor. Real inexpensive n Amazon in Kindle format and a whole lot of fun to read. Check them out. They all take place in Baja And will make you wish you were there sipping on an ice cold beer.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its my second book by Shaun Morey and they are both what I consider "fun" reads.
I enjoy his books because they take place in Baja California, Mag Bay, La Paz, and
area's I frequent. Baja host's its share of characters as does Shaun Morey in his
books. Fun reads. Easy reads.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting and well written. It was intriguing enough to keep me up most of the night to finish it. Not a book I would probably had chosen but I won it through Goodreads. I shall now read the other books written my this author.

[Paul Canady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a good tale of people whose paths would never have crossed otherwise and who help each other be heroes. A good mix of Indiana Jones and Jimmy Buffett!

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not a entertaining as the first 2 Atticus Fish books. Fifty-four pages in before the story began to make sense. step back, Shaun and don't try so hard to be Tim Dorsey.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sure hope Shaun continues to write about Atticus Fish and his merry band of misfits. He makes me want to go back to Mexico.

[Jnisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Atticus Fish!