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The Shellfish Grift: A Coastal Cowboys Novel
Matt Sheehan, former smooth-talking, calculated con man, traded his life of scams and hustles for legitimate public service. All that changes when a local oyster farmer is found floating face-down in the marshes off of Topsail Island. At the same time, new legislation puts millions of dollars at stake, and the impacts to the little island town could be devastating.
The more Matt digs, the trickier it gets. As Matt and his gang follow the money, they find two bungling idiots searching for pirate's treasure and just how deep the government corruption goes. Now it's time for them to run their own con and avoid ending up dead like the oyster farmer.
This rambunctious and lovable cast of characters find themselves in the middle of murder and governmental corruption in this beach thriller with a splash of romance.
The more Matt digs, the trickier it gets. As Matt and his gang follow the money, they find two bungling idiots searching for pirate's treasure and just how deep the government corruption goes. Now it's time for them to run their own con and avoid ending up dead like the oyster farmer.
This rambunctious and lovable cast of characters find themselves in the middle of murder and governmental corruption in this beach thriller with a splash of romance.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2024
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Mike Rose
1 book24 followersMike Rose spent his career in public service, first as a city planner and eventually as town manager. His last stint was as manager of Topsail Beach, North Carolina, which is home to some of the best people and magnificent sunsets! Mike lives with his wife in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 1, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are so well developed and relatable. I love the cultural references and the local history. The imagery was terrific; I really felt like I was at the beach. I can't wait for the next one!
November 6, 2024
I love novels with a strong sense of place, and apparently Mike Rose, author of “The Shellfish Grift,” feels the same way. The coast of North Carolina has not been graced with a Savannah or a Charleston, and I sense the residents there are perfectly fine with that. Leave the three-million-dollar condos and twelve-dollar lattes further south, and meanwhile enjoy the ocean breezes, the lunches out on the balcony of the local fish house, and the thriving fishing and oystering businesses. He paints a very seductive picture of life on the edge – on the edge of the state, that is, with the open Atlantic filling the frame to the east.
We meet Matt, his brother, his other brother, his ex-girlfriend, and the police chief, on the one hand, and a violent meth-head, a moron, another violent meth addict, and various sleazy local politicians, on the other. What the people in the second group don’t realize is that the people in the first group were actually, many years ago, a crack team of con-men and -women themselves. Stupidity, greed, and drug-fueled mania are no match for brains and planning.
The author was an elected official for thirty-five years and clearly knows his stuff. A lot of the plot revolves around arcane budgetary shenanigans Team Greedy is trying to push onto the little beach town where Matt, our main character, now finds himself. After giving up con life, Matt has settled down as the City Manager. There are a lot of details here that only an elected official would know, adding to the book’s verisimilitude. This is the wrong guy to cross – not only does he know budgets, procedures, and bylaws, but he has a nose for a con. And here’s a big fat one slapped down onto his desk, involving dredging rights, no-bid contracts, and, just possibly, buried treasure.
Time to get the band back together!
This is a lot of fun and gives us a sense of life in a laid-back beach town. It even manages to squeeze in a little fun at the expense of pickleball players. (An elderly lady who leads the church choir is upset that some people are not following the official rules of pickleball, “hitting the ball all willy-nilly with no respect for the sanctity of the sport.” The city manager reasonably points out that, as long as they aren’t being destructive or threatening, there’s not a lot the city can do. “You can use the police to arrest the little bastards,” she says, turning on her heel.)
Although the bad guys were drawn a little cartoonishly for my tastes, the combination of complex caper and salt-soaked atmosphere was tough to beat. The way the different generations in this story understood each other was most welcome. “The Shellfish Grift” is book one in Mike Rose’s Coastal Cowboys Series. I look forward to Rose’s next book and hope the adversaries are a little more worthy in that one.
We meet Matt, his brother, his other brother, his ex-girlfriend, and the police chief, on the one hand, and a violent meth-head, a moron, another violent meth addict, and various sleazy local politicians, on the other. What the people in the second group don’t realize is that the people in the first group were actually, many years ago, a crack team of con-men and -women themselves. Stupidity, greed, and drug-fueled mania are no match for brains and planning.
The author was an elected official for thirty-five years and clearly knows his stuff. A lot of the plot revolves around arcane budgetary shenanigans Team Greedy is trying to push onto the little beach town where Matt, our main character, now finds himself. After giving up con life, Matt has settled down as the City Manager. There are a lot of details here that only an elected official would know, adding to the book’s verisimilitude. This is the wrong guy to cross – not only does he know budgets, procedures, and bylaws, but he has a nose for a con. And here’s a big fat one slapped down onto his desk, involving dredging rights, no-bid contracts, and, just possibly, buried treasure.
Time to get the band back together!
This is a lot of fun and gives us a sense of life in a laid-back beach town. It even manages to squeeze in a little fun at the expense of pickleball players. (An elderly lady who leads the church choir is upset that some people are not following the official rules of pickleball, “hitting the ball all willy-nilly with no respect for the sanctity of the sport.” The city manager reasonably points out that, as long as they aren’t being destructive or threatening, there’s not a lot the city can do. “You can use the police to arrest the little bastards,” she says, turning on her heel.)
Although the bad guys were drawn a little cartoonishly for my tastes, the combination of complex caper and salt-soaked atmosphere was tough to beat. The way the different generations in this story understood each other was most welcome. “The Shellfish Grift” is book one in Mike Rose’s Coastal Cowboys Series. I look forward to Rose’s next book and hope the adversaries are a little more worthy in that one.
November 29, 2024
Intriguing
I was not able to put down the book long before I was picking it back up to find out what was going on to happen.
I was not able to put down the book long before I was picking it back up to find out what was going on to happen.
March 10, 2025
Love this one! Great story line and I really enjoyed the characters. Would love to see a sequel!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews