Where Is Joe Merchant

by Jimmy Buffett

Will Frank Bama ever be able to talk with a woman? Will Trevor Kane succeed in calming a deadly storm by taking off her clothes? Why did the Jet Ski Killer cross the road? Who is that weirdo with eyes tattooed on his eyelids so he can see while he sleeps? And where is rock star Joe Merchant? Find out in Buffett's modern-day pirate story.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Humor, Adventure, Thriller, Novels, Mystery Thriller

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

James William "Jimmy" Buffett (born December 25, 1946) was a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his "island escapism" lifestyle and music including hits such as "Margaritaville" (No. 234 on RIAA's list of "Songs of the Century"), and "Come Monday". He had a devoted base of fans known as "Parrotheads". His band was called the Coral Reefer Band.

Aside from his career in music, Buffett was also a best-selling writer and was involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best known songs, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Margaritaville". He owned the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant concept with OSI Restaurant Partners (parent of Outback Steakhouse), which operates the chain under a licensing agreement with Buffett.

Reviews

[Tom Burns · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was easily the worst damn book I ever read! I'm embarrassed to admit I even read it. My only consolation is that I was locked up in Cook County Jail and it was the only book floating around my deck that no one wanted to read. It was the only thing there freely offered that nothing was asked in return for.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can honestly say that this book appealed to both the avid reader AND the avid Parrothead in me! This was interesting and entertaining, with a typically Jimmy Buffett exotic setting and some fascinating and bizarre characters. Characters such as Frank Bama, Trevor Kane, Blanton Meyercord (my personal favorite!), Rudy Breno, Charlie Fabian, Colonel Cairo and of course the amazing Desdemona all made this a hard-to-put-down story.

A special note for Parrotheads: Although this is a book for anyone who likes reading bizarre love & adventure stories, Parrotheads will especially appreciate the subtle (and even not-so-subtle) references to your favorite Buffett songs. Pay special attention to the names of the chapters! :->

Anyone who has always wondered about Desdemona while listening to "Fruitcakes" and "Desdemona's Building a Rocket ship" should definitely read this book - all the answers are here!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess, I'm not usually one for fiction, but I have loved this book since I read the cover. I still can't place my finger on what I love so much about it, but I think it's just the general nature of the book. It just has character. It had a lot of character investment and a multiple layered plot - those two things together make any book enjoyable to me. I couldn't put it down, and I still can't when I read it, which is quite frequently. It is definitely a favorite.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not the best book I've read in a few years, but it was definitely one of the most fun books I've read in a long time.

It is difficult to talk about Frank Brillo and his cast of characters without giving something away. I won't even try, so I'll just say this:

You will smile and laugh as you read it. You will gasp at the danger and love the ending.

Read it!

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where is Joe Merchant? by Jimmy Buffett (Mariner Books 1992) (Fiction). Is there anything Jimmy Buffett doesn't do well? It's not enough that he's a fantastic singer/songwriter with a devoted ban of fun-loving followers (The Parrotheads), it turns out he's a fine fiction writer as well. In Where is Joe Merchant?, Buffett creates a rock and roll star who has disappeared into the Caribbean. There are sharks, rum drinks, and space aliens; hilarity ensues. Well done, Jimmy B! My rating: 7/10, finished 1997.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

In memory of Jimmy, I reread this adventure. Lots of hopping around the Caribbean in this fantasy/magical story that is filled with small details. A bit on the crazy side, but that was Jimmy. The fighting spirit of seaplane captain Frank Bama is fun to follow as he cheats death in trying to do the right things.

3.75*

[Zak Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this objectively 5 stars? No

Was I going to give anything less to a Jimmy Buffett authored book about warlords, beach bars and flying seaplanes around the Caribbean? Also no

[Dave Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to be a Jimmy Buffett fan to enjoy this breezy tale of adventure set around the Caribbean, but it helps if you know his music catalog--why, I will explain in a minute. Part Joseph Conrad and part Gabriel Garcia Marquez with a bit of Indiana Jones thrown in, Buffett draws upon his various literary inspirations to craft this story of a down-on-his-luck seaplane pilot who, on his way to ditching his creditors by relocating to Alaska from Key West, gets tangled up in a mess involving a deposed dictator wanna-be and a long-thought-dead rock star--all to make amends with his former girlfriend, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship (but what protagonist hasn't had at least one of those?). Along the way, Frank Bama (yes, it's the same name of the pilot that Buffett occasionally portrays on the revamped Hawaii Five-O) runs into and afoul of a number of shady and shifty characters, a few of whom may have inhabited some of Buffett's songs. One interesting technique Buffett employs is an alternating point of view: when Bama is involved in the story, it is told in first person, but when he is not, it shifts to third person (I detect a Robert Louis Stevenson influence at work). A note of caution--don't take too long between sittings (it is a fast read), because Buffett introduces a number of characters in the story (although not quite Pynchon-esque), and it's easy to forget who is who and what they did. As for knowing Buffett's catalog, he liberally sprinkles song titles and lines from his songs (at least those he had produced prior to 1992) throughout the novel, and it's fun if you can pick up on those.

[Jamie Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first real novels I ever read. My dad was a big Jimmy buffet fan and he had read this book and I decided to be cool like dad and read it too. Didn't have much to compare it to back then but I remember loving it so I'll just give it 4 stars even though I can't remember what it was about. I do remember I know what a conch is because of this book. So if nothing else it gets 4 stars for it's educational value.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It had a lot of action!

The story follows Frank Bama, a former pilot-turned-seaplane operator in the Caribbean, who gets drawn into a wild adventure when his ex-girlfriend, Trevor Kane, a psychic, asks for his help in finding her missing brother—Joe Merchant, a rock star who vanished under mysterious circumstances.

[Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a Parrot Head friend who insisted I read this book. Said it was his summer time ritual :) I have to admit I was pretty surprised at how much I liked it. Perhaps the characters are a bit too kooky and over the top at times but hey its meant to be a fun read.

[Jim Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp involving pirates, mercenaries, flyboys, a talking dolphin, and prostitutes, all looking for a dead rock star who may or may not be really dead.

[Zach M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book I read. It was ok, I’d give it a 2.5

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this years ago...I suddenly remembered it after someone made a Jimmy Buffett reference. It was...strange. That's pretty much all I remember about it!

[R Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Start. Greatly enjoy this fun and crazy adventure!

[Madi Clelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK this book possibly … had too much plot ? But it was a hoot and all over the map

[John Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any sence of island adventure any where in you this story will take you into Jimmy's world and leave you wanting more. This is one story that should have never ended. I read this years ago and am still left wanting more. You don't have to be a dire hard parrot head to get taken into this magical world where pages come alive and take you beyond where you are into a far far better place. I still miss being there.

[Kristal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing beats island-hopping around the Caribbean, chasing after the love of your life while running from pirates and bounty hunters and jet ski killers. And a cosmic physic who talks to dolphins! What a fun ride! Definitely earns the tag 'beach read'.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy Buffett is a good story-teller. Count on beaches, adventure, friends ... a fun, easy read. Some of his ideas are out there, but hey -- why not? Tall tales are part of story telling.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason this book got published is because the author is Jimmy Buffet. Please stick to song writing and skip the novels!

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK - this book was just fun fun fun. I loved it. It's ridiculous and hilarious and I loved it. The. End.

[Jerry-Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13599398

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my favorite beach read. Whodunit sort of vibe in paradise.

[Rena N · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly not trying to be mean...Worst book I have ever read. But I applaud Mr. Buffett for making an effort and expanding his horizons. I love his music and Shrimp - two out of three aint bad :)

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read but it can be hard to follow all the characters. A mix of fantasy and adventure.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a fan. If you are a plane fanatic or a lover of the Caribbean you will probably like it more. Also it had a bit of magical fantasy to it that I suppose could appeal to people but it detracted more to me.

Frank Bama is basically what I assume Jimmy Buffett to be if he wasn’t a musician. He’s a seaplane pilot bouncing around the Caribbean. He is about to lose his seaplane to the bank and has a plan to escape to Alaska when all Hell breaks loose. His best friend, Blanton, blows up a jet ski commercial and injures the director so he becomes a fugitive known as the Jet Ski Killer. As well his ex girlfriend shows back up out of the blue asking Frank to take her to Boomtown to meet with a woman, Desdamona, who wrote her a letter saying she has information about her dead brother, Joe Merchant.

Joe Merchant is like Elvis. He died after falling or jumping off a boat though his body was never found. There are sightings of him all over the world. Joe was a big time rock and roll singer turned missionary or mercenary in Africa, known to have hung out with Colonel Cairo who is a mercenary posing as a missionary.

Frank agrees to take Trevor to Boomtown to meet Desdamona and even more Hell breaks loose. Colonel Cairo is also there to retrieve a sunken treasure. His ex right hand man Monty Potter now runs a small Carribbean island and also wants the treasure. It will be a battle to the end and of course Frank and Trevor and Blanton get caught up in it.

Plus what seems like the least important side story is where is Joe Merchant?

Editing this after reading a few other reviews. While I am a Jimmy Buffett fan I would not call myself a Parrothead and I definitely don’t know the lyrics to all of his songs. I did pick up on some of his song title and lyrics sprinkled throughout, apparently there are a lot more than what I knew, including a bunch about Desdamona, so I suppose if I knew that I may have rated this at least slightly higher.

[John Babb · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of you who are of the Parrot-Head inclination ... Buffett is definitely a man of many talents. Songwriter, musician, movie-maker, entrepreneur, the author of 4 or 5 books, and still performing at the age of 75. In this story, Buffett combines some of the most unbelievable characters you might imagine, at least four kinds of hallucenogens, an entire cast of murderers and cutthroats who have all sorts of imaginative ways to take care of problems, multiple plots, twenty characters who move in and out of the story for you to try and keep up with, and some of the raunchiest language I've ever read. For an idea of what I'm talking about, think in terms of a woman who is building a rocket ship to be powered by crystals, a man with eyeballs tattooed on the outside of his eyelids so he can watch you while he's napping, a beautiful hemorrhoid ointment heiress, a jet ski murderer, a former rock star who is the brother of the heiress and is "missing", and a hero who flies a boat. Now you're beginning to get the picture. On the plus side, the text describes some of the most hair-raising flying episodes I've ever read, and Buffett definitely has a unique knack for turning a phrase. If you read this story, prepare to be unprepared.

[Denise Schlachtaub · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing to mention is that the editor of this particular printing needs another job. I've read literally thousands of books, and I've never come across one with so many typos (at least 6, before I stopped counting). I found it annoying, since there's really no good excuse for that.
On to the story itself...The parts related to planes and flying were interesting and very well written. The romance was nicely woven into the larger picture of adventure in the islands. Most of the characters were well developed, and the setting was described in detail, so that I got the feel of the landscape. The story was entertaining, with a lot of humor mixed in, even though parts of the "adventure" were completely unbelievable. Overall, it was an enoyable, relaxing read, just don't take it too seriously.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Buffett wrote a novel? That's definitely the first thing that goes through your mind as you pick this one up, but pretty quickly you forget that the author is really a major music star and not a novelist. The story takes place mostly in the area of Miami down through all parts of the Caribbean, with some minor side tales from Africa and Alaska, and primarily consists of all the parties involved circling each other via boat and planes till it all comes crashing together. It's a bit of a mess, and the multiple mystical and alien UFO elements make it sometimes a bit too fantastical, but it's definitely fun to read. The various islands hideouts and the whole "pirate" lifestyle that Buffett covers is what makes the story interesting as this sort of whiplash of activity wouldn't work in the midwest.

A good summer read as you sit on a beach.

[Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars.

This was not the best book I've ever read, but I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long time. The story centers around random sightings and possible herrings about the idea that rock star Joe Merchant may still be alive, but it's the characters in this story that bring this book to life.

Frank Bama, Travis Kane, and Desdemona are just some of the fun and odd characters we meet along the way, but this is just a fun beach or summer book to read if you like fun action, escapes, and some mentions of alien life along the way. I will say I felt like this book could have been a little shorter than what is was, but overall, if you love Jimmy Buffet and plenty of references to his many songs, I would highly recommend picking up this book and giving it a try.

And plus, who wouldn't love a book with talking dolphins in it?