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Eyewitness Blues
Martin Aquino has been dealt a rotten hand in life—from the bottom of a stacked deck. In a flash of inspiration Martin decides the witness protection program is exactly what he needs if he’s ever going to have a quiet, normal life. Martin didn’t exactly witness the murder, but he knows who pulled the trigger – so reporting it to the law and using it as his ticket into the program isn’t wrong. Is it? Unfortunately, when mob boss Don Gammino learns that his right-hand man has been named as a murder suspect he decides to teach Martin a new tune. A chance for escape comes to him from an unexpected source, and he takes it—all the way to Flagler Beach, Florida where he gets his first taste in years of the life he’s been longing for. However, in keeping with is life in Rhode Island, his new life isn't without its complications. Now his only protection from Gammino and his goon squad is in the form of a wheelchair-bound bookie and an ex-Navy SEAL, named Ike, with a penchant for bending the rules. Martin’s in a tropical paradise surrounded by people but he still feels alone in the world. Life isn’t easy when you have the Eyewitness Blues.
- GenresCrime
267 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2014
8 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Tim Baker
13 books78 followersRhode Island native Tim Baker released his first novel, Living the Dream, in August, 2009 and has followed up with 5 others since then. Tim writes fast-paced, off-beat crime stories full of colorful characters and loaded with unexpected and often humorous twists and turns, set in Flagler Beach and St. Augustine, Florida. You can learn more about Tim’s work and how to contact him on his website at www.blindoggbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 14, 2015
Author Tim Baker has turned out another winner. In his latest crime thriller, he has introduced us to another of the lovable losers who seem to attract trouble wherever they turn. Martin Aquino borrowed money from a mob boss, and his life has become unbearable as a result. I doubt that there is a character in literature who makes more stupid mistakes and careless decisions than Martin does. In every chapter, I wanted to crawl into the book and smack Martin and tell him to straighten up. But, in the end, Martin is introduced to Tim Baker's signature character Ike who sees something salvageable in Martin and saves him from the life of running from trouble that Martin brought upon himself. Ike is a retired Navy Seal who is raw, edgy, and very sexy. He warms you up and cools you down like a shot of Jim Beam on the rocks. Ike is good to women, sweet with children, kind to animals, and he rides into town on his Harley the way Robin Hood rides in on his horse. Ike is a character in literature with staying power and Eyewitness Blues is an entertaining read.
August 24, 2014
I was honoured to be asked by Tim Baker to write the Foreword to his new novel, "Eyewitness Blues", so I am posting this here as my review of the book:
I first “met” Tim Baker online when he posted the cover art for his new novel "Unfinished Business." That caught my eye, because it involved a beach and palm trees denoting a tropical setting. My novel is set on a Caribbean island, so I felt an immediate affinity for this man and his writing. And thus began our friendship.
I quickly devoured all of Tim’s suspense/thriller novels set in Flagler Beach and enjoyed them so much that I have done everything I can to promote the author and his writing to my friends and readers in general. Baker was one of the first authors to be featured on my blog, Reading Recommendations (http://readingrecommendations.wordpre...). I consulted with him initially about the idea for promoting other authors and he has continued to be one of my most strident supporters. This association proves to be mutually beneficial, too, as we ardently promote each others’ work on social media. Tim is one of the very good guys – he gives back to the writing community, and then some!
Over this past year reading Tim Baker-novels I’m not embarrassed to say I have fallen in love with his recurring character, Ike! So I was thrilled when Tim asked me to beta-read this new novel, "Eyewitness Blues". Ike is back and still protecting Flagler Beach – Thank goodness for all of us! And I know you readers are in for a real treat, because I believe this is the best novel yet from Tim Baker!
So read and enjoy! And then do what I plan to do and go back to reread "Living the Dream", "Water Hazard", "No Good Deed", "Backseat to Justice", "Pump It Up" and "Unfinished Business" while we wait for Tim to write the next novel ... tap, tap, tap.
And, in the meantime, I have only one question to ask, Tim – When will this series be filmed? I can’t wait to see Ike on the big screen, in living colour ...
Susan M. Toy, author of "Island in the Clouds"
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
I first “met” Tim Baker online when he posted the cover art for his new novel "Unfinished Business." That caught my eye, because it involved a beach and palm trees denoting a tropical setting. My novel is set on a Caribbean island, so I felt an immediate affinity for this man and his writing. And thus began our friendship.
I quickly devoured all of Tim’s suspense/thriller novels set in Flagler Beach and enjoyed them so much that I have done everything I can to promote the author and his writing to my friends and readers in general. Baker was one of the first authors to be featured on my blog, Reading Recommendations (http://readingrecommendations.wordpre...). I consulted with him initially about the idea for promoting other authors and he has continued to be one of my most strident supporters. This association proves to be mutually beneficial, too, as we ardently promote each others’ work on social media. Tim is one of the very good guys – he gives back to the writing community, and then some!
Over this past year reading Tim Baker-novels I’m not embarrassed to say I have fallen in love with his recurring character, Ike! So I was thrilled when Tim asked me to beta-read this new novel, "Eyewitness Blues". Ike is back and still protecting Flagler Beach – Thank goodness for all of us! And I know you readers are in for a real treat, because I believe this is the best novel yet from Tim Baker!
So read and enjoy! And then do what I plan to do and go back to reread "Living the Dream", "Water Hazard", "No Good Deed", "Backseat to Justice", "Pump It Up" and "Unfinished Business" while we wait for Tim to write the next novel ... tap, tap, tap.
And, in the meantime, I have only one question to ask, Tim – When will this series be filmed? I can’t wait to see Ike on the big screen, in living colour ...
Susan M. Toy, author of "Island in the Clouds"
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
June 29, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Having read No Good deed and Living the Dream, I was looking forward to reading this one. Tim Baker is a brilliant writer. His novels are always full of humour and plenty of twists and turns. "Eyewitness Blues" is another action-packed book that is entertaining and contains the inspired and thought-provoking prose that I have come to expect from this author.
We follow the hapless Martin Aquino in this crime-fuelled adventure. He travels to Flagler Beach in Florida, and there we meet some of the characters from Tim Baker's earlier novels, including Ike. Ike is a larger than life character who regularly appears in this author's books. There's a bonus short story at the end of the book, which is taken from a collection of short stories that feature Ike.
There are so many interesting and realistic characters in "Eyewitness Blues". It will have you on the edge of your seat.
Tim Baker's novels are always engrossing and compelling, and "Eyewitness Blues" is no exception. It's a fun read that also has a deeper meaning. It's always wonderful when you find a writer who knows how to weave compulsive and entertaining tales that also contain important observations about life and human nature.
We follow the hapless Martin Aquino in this crime-fuelled adventure. He travels to Flagler Beach in Florida, and there we meet some of the characters from Tim Baker's earlier novels, including Ike. Ike is a larger than life character who regularly appears in this author's books. There's a bonus short story at the end of the book, which is taken from a collection of short stories that feature Ike.
There are so many interesting and realistic characters in "Eyewitness Blues". It will have you on the edge of your seat.
Tim Baker's novels are always engrossing and compelling, and "Eyewitness Blues" is no exception. It's a fun read that also has a deeper meaning. It's always wonderful when you find a writer who knows how to weave compulsive and entertaining tales that also contain important observations about life and human nature.
April 25, 2015
I really enjoyed this read! I have to say I am glad I got my hands on it. Next I need to get my hands on pump it up! Great job Tim Baker!
December 11, 2014
I have had the pleasure of reading all seven of Tim Baker’s full-length novels and loved them all. Like all of them, this is a character-driven story. I do think Eyewitness Blues is one of the best. Like many, I have fallen in love with his iconic character. “Ike” is a Harley-riding, down-to-earth, charismatic, ex-Navy Seal who works for Ralph Donebedian. Quickly becoming my favorite anti-hero, Ike is compassionate and honorable, but is quite capable of eliminating threats any way that becomes necessary. Ike says it best, “I always remember my friends…but my enemies never forget me.” Ralph, a wheelchair-bound bookie, Ike, and their “associates” deliver their own brand of justice in the seaside village of Flagler Beach, Florida.
In this novel, a terribly depressed young man, Martin Aquino, has become entangled with a mob boss in Rhode Island. His life sucks and he is at his wit’s end when he decides to report witnessing a murder to get enrolled in the witness protection program. Baker draws his characters with a deft hand and we see early on why Martin has to make the choices he does. In an action-packed series of events, Martin ends up on Ike’s boat, The Knight’s Mare, in St. Augustine. Almost immediately, Martin senses his life has turned around for the best…but has it? There is so much more yet to come.
Martin’s not always so bright, but that’s okay, Ike has his back! There’s a whole other cast of colorful characters in Flagler Beach for the mob to deal with. If you are looking for a fun read that will keep you turning pages just to see what craziness is going to happen next, this book is a great choice. There is a rare hilarity to the antics of Ike and his “associates” that is certain to keep you entertained.
In this novel, a terribly depressed young man, Martin Aquino, has become entangled with a mob boss in Rhode Island. His life sucks and he is at his wit’s end when he decides to report witnessing a murder to get enrolled in the witness protection program. Baker draws his characters with a deft hand and we see early on why Martin has to make the choices he does. In an action-packed series of events, Martin ends up on Ike’s boat, The Knight’s Mare, in St. Augustine. Almost immediately, Martin senses his life has turned around for the best…but has it? There is so much more yet to come.
Martin’s not always so bright, but that’s okay, Ike has his back! There’s a whole other cast of colorful characters in Flagler Beach for the mob to deal with. If you are looking for a fun read that will keep you turning pages just to see what craziness is going to happen next, this book is a great choice. There is a rare hilarity to the antics of Ike and his “associates” that is certain to keep you entertained.
April 16, 2015
Tim Baker’s ‘Eyewitness Blues’ is above all a fun read. It’s a complex character-driven tale that takes the reader from Rhode Island to sunnier Flagler Beach in Florida as protagonist Martin Aquino tries to turn his life around. We meet Martin hanging upside-down from the roof of a building as ‘ape’ Lorenzo, the local gang boss’ hitman, delivers more misery into Aquino’s already loser existence, a life full of bad decisions and worse mistakes. But Aquino, the underdog you’ll find yourself cheering for, has one more trick up his sleeve. He decides to game the system; the Witness Protection system. But, being Martin, things never go as planned.
The author takes us on a fast-paced romp as Martin receives help from an unexpected source and finds himself running from his old gang boss straight into a situation where more mayhem and violence await.
I mentioned the character-driven nature of the novel and this is by far one of its strongest points. Baker delivers perfect visual images of his protagonists and antagonists through their actions with masterful brevity. All of the characters are credible; from the aforementioned loser, through the friends who directly or indirectly help him, to the collection of criminal elements that pop up in the tale as it races to its explosive conclusion. Even the characters Baker has previously created in his particular universe of Flagler Beach, and unknown to this reader beforehand, have a solidness to them that makes their actions believable without needing long backstories to justify who they are or why they do what they do. And, to keep things even more interesting, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader on their toes throughout.
A really enjoyable read for lovers of crime thrillers.
The author takes us on a fast-paced romp as Martin receives help from an unexpected source and finds himself running from his old gang boss straight into a situation where more mayhem and violence await.
I mentioned the character-driven nature of the novel and this is by far one of its strongest points. Baker delivers perfect visual images of his protagonists and antagonists through their actions with masterful brevity. All of the characters are credible; from the aforementioned loser, through the friends who directly or indirectly help him, to the collection of criminal elements that pop up in the tale as it races to its explosive conclusion. Even the characters Baker has previously created in his particular universe of Flagler Beach, and unknown to this reader beforehand, have a solidness to them that makes their actions believable without needing long backstories to justify who they are or why they do what they do. And, to keep things even more interesting, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader on their toes throughout.
A really enjoyable read for lovers of crime thrillers.
February 9, 2021
This is a rapid pace thriller that was literally hard to put down. The main character is Martin and his life is in disarray. He is down on his luck, he's in with the wrong people and his future, if there is one, looks bleak. He shows a degree of naivete but he means well so we like the person and feel for his predicament.
Author, Tim Baker, tells a good story and has done his research well into the criminal elements. He introduces an interesting cast of characters and one is never sure how the story will unfold. There's the mafia boss and there's the henchman and we sense the power of these people so it's not going to be an easy journey for Martin. There's also an interesting cast of other characters that he has woven well into the story. We are taken from Rhode Island to Flagler Beach in Florida.
I loved the story and the way it unfolds although the pace with which it develops at the end is a little too fast for my liking. I would have liked to see a different ending for one of the subvillans. There's not enough comeuppance for my liking. The main character, Martin, in the final chapter shows a large degree of philosophic wisdom that seems out of place for someone so downtrodden by the circumstances of life. Where did this come from? However, these are small points for a highly enjoyable thriller. I am now encouraged to read more of the works from this author.
Author, Tim Baker, tells a good story and has done his research well into the criminal elements. He introduces an interesting cast of characters and one is never sure how the story will unfold. There's the mafia boss and there's the henchman and we sense the power of these people so it's not going to be an easy journey for Martin. There's also an interesting cast of other characters that he has woven well into the story. We are taken from Rhode Island to Flagler Beach in Florida.
I loved the story and the way it unfolds although the pace with which it develops at the end is a little too fast for my liking. I would have liked to see a different ending for one of the subvillans. There's not enough comeuppance for my liking. The main character, Martin, in the final chapter shows a large degree of philosophic wisdom that seems out of place for someone so downtrodden by the circumstances of life. Where did this come from? However, these are small points for a highly enjoyable thriller. I am now encouraged to read more of the works from this author.
February 5, 2017
I fell into this story and became lost in another world. I read it on recommendation and was not sorry that I took the leap. I chose this book of Tim Bakers because of the cover and title. I enjoy thrillers and mysteries and this promised much. I was not wrong.
Martin was born on the wrong side of luck. Lorenzo and his boss, Don Gammino featured in this run of bad luck and set a string of events in motion. The future for Martin looked grim.
Mercedez had a soft spost for Martin and she proved it later on in the book, without giving too much away. Ike was a mysterious character, tough and ready to help anyone who needed it, I wanted him to adopt me after reading a few chapters where he featured.
The plot was strong and flowed sweetly with the odd hiccup or surprise for me, the reader, just enough to keep me reading.
I recommend this book of Tim Bakers and I will be reading more of his work in the future.
Martin was born on the wrong side of luck. Lorenzo and his boss, Don Gammino featured in this run of bad luck and set a string of events in motion. The future for Martin looked grim.
Mercedez had a soft spost for Martin and she proved it later on in the book, without giving too much away. Ike was a mysterious character, tough and ready to help anyone who needed it, I wanted him to adopt me after reading a few chapters where he featured.
The plot was strong and flowed sweetly with the odd hiccup or surprise for me, the reader, just enough to keep me reading.
I recommend this book of Tim Bakers and I will be reading more of his work in the future.
November 19, 2018
I was looking for something a bit different, and was delighted to find this book, a good combination of funny and great pacing. Of course, my favorite character was Ike, who stole the show. Entertaining interlude!
December 1, 2014
First of all - I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This book falls firmly in the genre of Florida fiction. I don't know what it is about Florida but it inspires a whole unique type of writing - about crime and some of the not so nice sides of human nature - but always with a sense of humor as well. Now that I've said that, I can't really place why I think this book made me laugh, but it just didn't seem as serious as a crime or spy novel. It was way too much fun. It is the story of a guy who is trying to get into the witness protection program, but he hasn't manage to witness anything to put him there. So - he ends up in Florida where things just get ever stranger and all ends up well for the 'good guys' who are not really all that good - but they're the guys you've been cheering for. I just loved Tim Baker's style. Easy to read, full of fun, and unpretentious. I would definitely read more by this guy. If they're all this fun I might have to read 'em all.
April 9, 2016
...a terrific read...
...there’s an incredible amount of thought and work that goes into writing a story that sails along effortlessly... Tim Baker has done just that...again... Martin Aquino, one of life’s perpetual triers, a good man, falls foul of mobsters in Rhode Island and seeks to get his life and affairs in order... his method runs across the mob boss’s wrath and he seeks anonymity in the Witness Protection Program... events are not as straightforward as he would have hoped... flight to Florida initially seems the perfect way out, until the recent past looms closer again... into the picture steps Ike... Ike is the solid ex-Navy Seal, running close to the edges of the law himself, but with a great moral compass... the combination gives a few twists and turns to the mix before a satisfactory closure ... a terrific read...
...there’s an incredible amount of thought and work that goes into writing a story that sails along effortlessly... Tim Baker has done just that...again... Martin Aquino, one of life’s perpetual triers, a good man, falls foul of mobsters in Rhode Island and seeks to get his life and affairs in order... his method runs across the mob boss’s wrath and he seeks anonymity in the Witness Protection Program... events are not as straightforward as he would have hoped... flight to Florida initially seems the perfect way out, until the recent past looms closer again... into the picture steps Ike... Ike is the solid ex-Navy Seal, running close to the edges of the law himself, but with a great moral compass... the combination gives a few twists and turns to the mix before a satisfactory closure ... a terrific read...
October 3, 2014
There's no doubt that Tim Baker knows how to spin an interesting yarn--he grabs you by the collar from the very start and never lets go, taking his reader through a merry maze of characters and plot turns before finally letting go at the end. Don't expect anything profound or ground-breaking here, but do hold onto your seat and prepare for a good time.
January 12, 2016
In a mixture of Carl Hiaasen, Deborah Brown, Sue Grafton, and Janet Evanovich, Tom Baker spins a yarn of innocents and gangsters bumbling through life.
I finished it in a couple of days... Goes down like warm apple pie and homemade ice cream.
For a little more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2016/0...
I finished it in a couple of days... Goes down like warm apple pie and homemade ice cream.
For a little more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2016/0...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews