Gray Ghost

Bill Dix Detective #1

by C.L. Swinney

While on a fly fishing vacation to Andros Island, Bahamas, narcotics detectives Bill Dix and Steve Petersen discover their fishing guides were killed as a sudden blast of gunfire fractures their speedboat, Gray Ghost. Local gossip has it she went to the ocean floor with a hundred million dollars worth of cocaine in the hull. Against their better judgement, they're drawn into helping their island friends and end up smack dead in the middle of a complex and dangerous investigation...in another country. Leads in Miami and the Bahamas help the detectives sniff out a diabolical plot of a man known only as 'The Caller'...he's always steps ahead of the struggling detectives and enjoying every minute of it.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks, Amazon, Crime

196 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

C. L. Swinney is the author of eleven international best-selling true crime books and a best-selling Crime Fiction series.

Chris consulted for a mini-series in Hollywood, has been interviewed several times for television and radio programs, and several of his books have been considered for television and film rights.

He donates proceeds from book sales to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Cancer research, PTSD/Military support groups, StopHungerNow.Org, and victims of violent crimes.


Find him at the following locations:

Email: theclswinney@yahoo.com
TWITTER: @clswinney
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/clswinney

Reviews

[Rebecca Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grey Ghost, C. L. Swinney's debut novel, is a crime thriller. It is a police procedural mystery and will attract lovers of crime from any sub-genre. While on a fly fishing vacation to Andros Island in the Bahamas, Miami Dade Police Department Narcotics detectives, Bill Dix and Steve Peterson, are thrust into a local mystery. Their guides, they discover, are suspected of being murdered while transporting a hundred million dollars worth of cocaine in a speed boat. They help local authorities, (some of whom are not good guys), apprehend the mastermind, known only as "The Caller." It looks like fishing will have to wait!

That is all of the description I will give. There are plenty of blurbs that you can read if you so desire, but I am not giving any spoilers! :) I'm just suspenseful that way..haha. You are just going to have to read the book. Ok, now for my opinion of Gray Ghost.

Description: I have never been out of the U.S. The Bahamas is painted like a portrait on a canvas! The area comes alive for me as a reader and I am plunged directly into the setting. It has been said that setting can be like a major character, and character is what makes the book, in my opinion. This is some of the best I've seen in a debut book.

Characterization: The main character, Bill Dix, I can see plainly. He is a "Dudley Do Right" and will not fail to lend a hand when injustice is afoot. He is a strong character and so is his sidekick, Steve Peterson. I would like to learn more about Steve. He is an enigma so far. The locals were very colorful and believable and enhanced the setting of Andros Island.

Pacing: The pacing was perfect for a thriller. It grips you from the first page to the last and it's hard to put down.

Grammar and Typos: This is usually the biggest problem for any debut novel, whether self published or traditionally published. I can be a stickler for grammar if it is apparent that it is more than a typo. A typo here and there is normal and doesn't distract me too much, but yes, sadly, I have been known to be a grammar Nazi. I am happy to report I noticed nothing. This was one of the most grammatically sound novels I have read in a long time-debut or not.

I don't expect perfection in a debut novel, I really don't. Like everything, there is a learning curve and we get better the more we write. A book has to really knock my socks off for me to give it a 5 star review. Well, Gray Ghost has gone and hit it out of the ballpark!!

I give Gray Ghost: *****

This review was originally posted on Becky's Book Notes: http://rebeccavance.com 10/07/13

[Rae, shutupandbookup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I am not used to the genre but I must say I really enjoyed reading this book. It keeps you on your toes and towards the end you are on the edge of your seat racing with the characters and wanting to scream, "NO, NO!" But I am not going to giveaway the reason why you would be doing so.

This book is about two detectives who "try" to go on vacation, but end up in the midst of a narcotics case. Their specialty. And it goes from there! Their vacation soon gets placed aside and their detective mindsets come into play.

There is some language in the book and some implications of sex, but there are NO sex scenes or any romance in the novel. So guys, it is safe to read this book. It is adventurous, several mysteries, detectives, danger, explosions, and gunfire. It is not so fast paced that you can't catch your breath until the end but it is fast paced enough to keep you wanting to read more.

As I said there is some language in it. I loved reading about Wilfred and Bubba. The book is set in the Bahamians for the two detectives are trying to be on vacation. But detectives and vacation times? Never works out. I must admit that after reading the first chapter I thought, "He just summed it up here, so what's left to read?" But from chapter one on, you are hooked and your nose is stuck in the book. Enjoy the read everyone!

[Danielle Guzman 5amzn Aivitu · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is really awesome

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thriller! This is one very active, very connected book!
Reviewed from Kindle

What a thriller! What a way to take a vacation! This is one very active, very connected book. I knew I'd heard the words "Gray Ghost" through the years but had no idea until now how important those words were. I just looked at a list of books with that name included and it is a long list. I believe it has also been used as names for operations and various transport mobility during wars. Just picture planes, ships, submarines slipping out of side like a gray ghost in a fog. Just as easily a motorboat of any type could slip away in the usual fog of night with illegal cargo as silently as a ghost when needed. That aside, this was a fascinating book, beginning with murder and the sinking of a speedboat loaded with one hundred million dollars' worth of cocaine in the hull, and two dead bodies on deck. Wouldn't you think a nice fishing trip in the Bahamas would be restful for two vacationing narcotics detectives? But no, first their fishing guides were killed, the boat sunk, all before they even got started. What can you do when you do not have jurisdiction to assist in such a case that could cost your career if you interfere? But Bill and his partner will take the chance. This was a great fast action read, lots to think about, some very fast thinking but the mastermind is so diabolical, how will they ever catch him? Lucky for the readers, this is Book 1 in a series so there is more to come. I was totally whisked away by author C.L. Swinney as I followed their efforts, very exciting.

[Katherine McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced read that left me breathless! A well-written thriller involving two police detectives who stumble upon a drug heist & murder while on vacation and are inevitably dragged into helping solve the case. The background and violence described in this book seems to be very realistic. The characters are well developed so that you will fall in love with Dix and his partner Peterson and their relentless desire to help as only policemen can. The story overall is compelling, kept me at the edge of my seat, and I couldn't wait to pick up the second in the series. Highly recommend it!

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray Ghost is the best police fiction I have read to date. The personable characters and catchy story line made me interested right away and the ending wrapped up all the excitement well. I can see this being the beginning to a series. And... maybe a TV series. Is that too much to ask for? :)
Thanks, Swinney!

[Katyhicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down! The author C.L. Swinney did an amazing job at pulling you into the story! The characters are awesome and I can't wait to read #2!!! My trip to the Bahama's is now at the top of my list! Great Book

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

very good interesting read! two cops on vacation and come across sunk in boat and drugs and someone trying to kill them.

[Ann]

Always enjoy a mystery. This one was pretty good. One in a series and might look into reading the next one.

[Wendy Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the plots with this series, but need more attention to character building. Need more attachment to the characters.

[Terry Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.L. Swinney is an active narcotics officer whose first mystery, titled “Gray Ghost,” is about cocaine being smuggled from the Bahamas to Miami. “Gray Ghost” follows two Miami Dade Police Department Narcotics detectives, Bill Dix and Steve Petersen, on a fly fishing vacation to Andros Island in the Bahamas. When the detectives learn that their fishing guides might have been drug smugglers who were killed for their $100 million cocaine load, they decide to help local officials bring in the man behind the killings.
Dix and Petersen are drawn into helping their island friends, and chase down leads in Miami as well as the Bahamas until they identify the diabolical plot of the man known only as “The Caller.” The detectives set an elaborate trap to snare The Caller. What they don’t know is that The Caller already knows about the trap. With the help of the locals, the detectives are led back to Miami, where they capture another dealer, who says he can lead them to The Caller. But, is The Caller one step ahead again?
Some readers might find the plot a bit slow at first, but there is a good build up of tension and action toward the end. While this book has a great storyline about cocaine smuggling and the characters are well developed, the dialogue is very clean for law enforcement. This is the first book in the “Bill Dix” series; it will be interesting to see how Swinney develops his characters in subsequent installments.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was a little slow, then I decided it was just me! This morning at 3:30 when I finally finished "Gray Ghost", Detectives' Dix and Petersen were still on the job and I couldn't sleep! I was still cheering for the good guys!

The author, for his first novel did a fantastic job! Twists and turns on every page and never slowed down! Unlike television where everything goes perfectly, the bad guy here almost got away with everything! I threw down my Kindle and laughed when it was over! My Uncle drove a Peterbilt truck and he would have been proud! Additionally, the unlikely sidekicks of Wilfred, Bubba and Roger added even more to an already great story being natives of the Bahamas; what colorful characters! Everyone's personalities were so well defined I knew exactly who was talking and had no trouble seeing them in my mind's eye!

In other crime novels, there is always a love interest to fill in the blanks; this book had no blanks and no love interest! This was especially refreshing!

I truly enjoy a great detective story and this was definitly at the top! Can't wait to read more about Dix and Petersen's cases!

[Nicko · Rating 2 out of 5]

What on earth?!? This book reads as a first attempt to authoring. I enjoyed the ideas behind the story but that's about it.

The book I read was full of plot holes to drive an armored Denali through, had more grammatical errors than what an average editor would allow and could be caught through a review, and appeared to me to be authored by someone who's only exposure to military/LE was through films (I was seriously about to come here and rip the author a new one about the merits of researching the subject matter).

Let me assure you my jaw hit the floor when I read the author's bio and learned he's an LE dude.

So... I am at a loss. Did I perhaps get some weird first draft of the book? And reading all the positive reviews this book received, I am starting to think I'm being punked here.

Seriously disappointed.

I have edited this review to remove some mean comments from my side. The author appears to be a cool, stand up guy doing some solid work for the community and I really cannot be hurtful to a brother at arms. I am sorry this book just didn't sit well with me but I fully support the author at pursuing his passion.

[Deborah Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Action and Plot Twists

It seems everyone gets involved in this whirlwind action take-down. Two U.S. cops, Dix and Petersen, just want a Bahamas vacation to do some fly fishing. They sure get much more than they bargained for! The Bahamian Police, a couple of fishing guides, the U.S. Police, DEA, and every other government official agency is looking for "The Caller". He's a legend in his chosen field, and for the longest time no one suspects him. Twists and turns, tunnels and double vehicles (including identical stolen jets), and agencies working together still can't catch The Caller, until things start adding up, but almost too late. Gunfire and TNT blasts, vehicles crashing, you name it--all is covered in Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney. A little humor thrown in the chaos. You won't be able to put it down!

[Marja McGraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray Ghost by C.L. Swinney kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what would happen next.

When detectives Dix and Peterson take a vacation to the Bahamas, it turns out to be anything but a vacation. The Gray Ghost is a speedboat rumored to have carried a fortune in drugs. Their fishing guides are killed when the boat is shot and sunk.

Through no fault of their own the detectives are drawn into an investigation involving the drugs, the dead guides and The Caller, someone who calls the shots and creates havoc. With help from some islanders, Dix and Peterson turn their fishing trip into a working vacation.

Like I said, Swinney kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what would happen next. I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author.

[J.L. Greger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray Ghost is the action packed story of a fishing vacation run amok. Bill Dix and Steve Petersen, two narcotic cops, stumble onto over a hundred million dollars of cocaine in a sunken speedboat called the Gray Ghost while they’re bone fishing in the Bahamas. By the way, Bahamians sometimes call bonefish – gray ghosts.

Gray Ghost begins with a bang and continues at a fast pace - rather like a Bruce Willis action movie. The dialogue and action seem real, probably because a narcotic investigator wrote them. I wish women characters, like Suzi Hamilton, had a bigger role in this novel, but perhaps that isn’t consistent with the genre.

[Chris Birdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two narcotics detectives are on a fly fishing vacation in the Bahamas when their fishing guides are killed and their speed boat ends up in the bottom of the ocean. The locals convince the detectives that there's a hundred million dollars in cocaine aboard the sunken boat. An action packed, fast-paced story follows and doesn't stop for a minute. One thing apparent throughout the story is that the author knows his stuff. He's talked the talk and walked the walk. No amount of imagination can beat experience, and it's obvious he has plenty. I just finished the book and already loaned to a good friend with my highest recommendation.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your average detective story

Meet Bill Dix, Miami narcotics detective. He and his partner, Steve Peterson, are taking their first vacation in six years, at a fishing lodge in the Bahamas.

The two detectives become involved in the murder of two brothers who were killed during the hijacking of a $100 million drug shipment. The action is tense and fast-paced.

In the beginning, the characters of Dix and Peterson are rather two-dimensional, but they fill out as the story progresses. I deducted a star for the numerous errors, mostly punctuation, that tend to slow the reading pace.

I can recommend this clean action adventure story without hesitation.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads Firstreads and I really enjoyed it.

The story follows two narcotics detectives (Dix and Pietersen)on a fishing holiday in the Bahamas that end up getting involved in a big drugs case. The plot is very good and Dix and Pietersen are great characters.

The author is himself an narcotics detective and is an expert in this field. This is clearly evident throughout the story and makes it all the more credible and believable.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gray Ghost" by C.L. Swinney is a fast-paced mystery/adventure that will keep you turning the pages!
When Dix and Peterson, two narcotics detectives from Miami, vacation on Andros Island in the Bahamas, what promised to be a relaxing fishing trip turns into anything but. Almost immediately, they discover the "Gray Ghost," a sunken ship loaded with cocaine, and they find themselves in the midst of an investigation, determined to discover the identity of the notorious smuggler nicknamed "The Caller."

[Vicky Carruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray Ghost

I am getting more comfortable stepping out of my usual genre of True Crime and am actually enjoying books that I wouldn't have dreamed of trying before! A big part of this is because of authors like CL Swinney that not only write True Crime, but also books like this! Gray Ghost is one in a series of 3 involving (fictional) narcotics Detective Bill Dix. There was action, adventure and some mystery in this book! I'm going to be starting book 2 in the series, The Cartel Enforcers soon!!

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the First Reads program. Right from the first few pages I was gripped. Having been to Miami last month and I'm hoping to be in the Bahamas later in the year, the destinations featured in this book felt all the more real.

I honestly thought I was there and part of the narcotics squad, and seeing the story from multiple viewpoints made it all the more gripping.

A fantastic debut book from a talented author.

[C. Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book seems to be wildly popular, but I found it somewhat boring. All the notable characters and the plot are revealed right up front so there was no real surprise in it. It was so predictable. Even the action wasn't that great, more tell than show. I didn't get that involved in that. It's an easy read, but I wouldn't be buying more of the series.

[Carrie Kilgore · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s credentials persuade me to think he knows what he’s talking about in a general sense, and the story has some interesting points. However, the writing could do with a boost. Conversation often seems forced and far too much telling rather than showing.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book,lots of twists and turns, brings to mind the possibility of just how much corruption we probably do have in any given government position. It seems that it is easier to turn a blind eye to what is really happening with our government than to figure out a way to fix it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, it kept me interested to the very end! The author was very knowledgeable on the subject matter. I am looking forward to reading more books by this promising new author!

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Average, average, average. Not sure how this got so many stars. bit of a waste of my reading time. I may or may not finish. I need 4 plus starts to be exceptional reads.

[Daniel Ace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid well-written story that introduces Miami police officers Dix & Petersen. Enjoyed this first story in the series very much.

[Patricia Mccammon]

Adventure in the Bahamas

When two detectives go bonefishing, they don't expect to get involved in drug smuggling. Who is the mastermind? How are they going to find out?

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Can't wait for the 2nd . Good read. Not dirty. Not sexy. Just a good short story. You will enjoy!