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Jake Samson Mystery #4
Spit In the Ocean
The FOURTH lively adventure in the Jake Samson mystery series.
“Jake Samson is sensitive and funny, a little wise, a little wary and pretty wonderful.” -Publishers Weekly
“A well-plotted and lively story.” -Mystery Scene
IT WAS A JOB THE BARROW GANG MIGHT HAVE ENVIED…
The vault emptied out, not a shot fired. In fact, it resembled a burglary more than a bank job, but when you rob a sperm bank, that’s sometimes all it takes. Here’s the set-up: The North Coast Sperm Bank in tiny Wheeler, California has been knocked over, and the perp’s tossed its assets in the ocean, leaving a religious-nut note of explanation. Just a prank, says Wheeler law enforcement. But the bank says: Not so fast, that stuff was valuable!
Enter P.I. Jake Samson and his ever-sharp Watson, Rosie Vicente, hired by the bank to find out who made the unauthorized withdrawal. No sooner have they dragged their bedraggled Bay Area selves into the storm even now brutalizing Wheeler than a bank employee slips in the mud and falls to her death.
And Singer’s got more up her sleeve. Every time you turn around you learn more about Wheeler and its fascinating Northern California crazies…ummm.. we mean inhabitants! Did we say crazies? We meant very fun, fascinating people. They're a kick! As is this complex puzzle mystery.
Who will like it: Fans of laid-back detectives, more in the Columbo than Jack Reacher mode, like Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings, Julie Smith’s Paul Mcdonald, or Tony Dunbar’s Tubby Dubonnet.
“...one of the nicer guys in the private eye business, who operates in a relaxed, casual style without need for macho posturing.” -Washington Post
“Jake Samson is sensitive and funny, a little wise, a little wary and pretty wonderful.” -Publishers Weekly
“A well-plotted and lively story.” -Mystery Scene
IT WAS A JOB THE BARROW GANG MIGHT HAVE ENVIED…
The vault emptied out, not a shot fired. In fact, it resembled a burglary more than a bank job, but when you rob a sperm bank, that’s sometimes all it takes. Here’s the set-up: The North Coast Sperm Bank in tiny Wheeler, California has been knocked over, and the perp’s tossed its assets in the ocean, leaving a religious-nut note of explanation. Just a prank, says Wheeler law enforcement. But the bank says: Not so fast, that stuff was valuable!
Enter P.I. Jake Samson and his ever-sharp Watson, Rosie Vicente, hired by the bank to find out who made the unauthorized withdrawal. No sooner have they dragged their bedraggled Bay Area selves into the storm even now brutalizing Wheeler than a bank employee slips in the mud and falls to her death.
And Singer’s got more up her sleeve. Every time you turn around you learn more about Wheeler and its fascinating Northern California crazies…ummm.. we mean inhabitants! Did we say crazies? We meant very fun, fascinating people. They're a kick! As is this complex puzzle mystery.
Who will like it: Fans of laid-back detectives, more in the Columbo than Jack Reacher mode, like Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings, Julie Smith’s Paul Mcdonald, or Tony Dunbar’s Tubby Dubonnet.
“...one of the nicer guys in the private eye business, who operates in a relaxed, casual style without need for macho posturing.” -Washington Post
Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
13 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Shelley Singer
31 books18 followersAka Lee Singer.
Shelley Singer is the author of a dozen published novels and many short stories. One of her mysteries was nominated for the prestigious Shamus Award of the Private Eye Writers of America. She has written mysteries, science fiction, and mainstream fiction. Singer began her working life as a reporter with UPI in Chicago. During a checkered and mercifully brief journalism career, she met such luminaries as Nikita Khrushchev, Jimmy Hoffa, Xavier Cugat, Mrs. Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, Jr., and a condemned killer on death row. She never met Joseph Stalin. She teaches fiction writing classes and does manuscript consulting.
Shelley Singer is the author of a dozen published novels and many short stories. One of her mysteries was nominated for the prestigious Shamus Award of the Private Eye Writers of America. She has written mysteries, science fiction, and mainstream fiction. Singer began her working life as a reporter with UPI in Chicago. During a checkered and mercifully brief journalism career, she met such luminaries as Nikita Khrushchev, Jimmy Hoffa, Xavier Cugat, Mrs. Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, Jr., and a condemned killer on death row. She never met Joseph Stalin. She teaches fiction writing classes and does manuscript consulting.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 10, 2018
Book 4: Spit in the Ocean — 30 chapters Shelley Singer (Aug 14-16, 2018)
Jake’s friend Chloe asks him (and Rosie) to look into a sperm bank heist. Once there, a terrible storm breaks out and a woman who worked at the sperm bank dies. Was it an accident or something more sinister?
I don’t know if it was the sporadic ability to read this story or if it was the writing style, but plot had a hurry up and wait with a ill foreboding feeling to it. There were two seemingly unrelated stories here: the sperm bank and the death in the ocean. Ms. Singer did admirable in putting them both together.
The plot was very interested me, with the title working well into the end. The author continues to develop these characters; they may have the same MO, but they continue to grow.
Still, the author spent a lot more time than needed on filler parts that didn’t contribute to the story at all. And some elements were annoyingly repeated more than twice. Tightening and refining via editing and structure of those points would have made a more enjoyable reading experience. (Although I need to remember that this was written ~30 years ago.)
Still, a pleasant read.
Three stars.
Jake’s friend Chloe asks him (and Rosie) to look into a sperm bank heist. Once there, a terrible storm breaks out and a woman who worked at the sperm bank dies. Was it an accident or something more sinister?
I don’t know if it was the sporadic ability to read this story or if it was the writing style, but plot had a hurry up and wait with a ill foreboding feeling to it. There were two seemingly unrelated stories here: the sperm bank and the death in the ocean. Ms. Singer did admirable in putting them both together.
The plot was very interested me, with the title working well into the end. The author continues to develop these characters; they may have the same MO, but they continue to grow.
Still, the author spent a lot more time than needed on filler parts that didn’t contribute to the story at all. And some elements were annoyingly repeated more than twice. Tightening and refining via editing and structure of those points would have made a more enjoyable reading experience. (Although I need to remember that this was written ~30 years ago.)
Still, a pleasant read.
Three stars.
August 13, 2023
Jake Samson and Rosie Vicente travel north to little Wheeler, California, where the North Coast Sperm Bank has hired them to investigate a break-in and robbery. The case quickly becomes more interesting when an employee of the bank dies during a storm.
Posing, as usual, as journalists, Jake and Rosie work together on the cases with local police, who appreciate the help. Local residents, though, resent the presence of nosy writers from San Francisco, making it difficult to penetrate the complicated secrets of the little community. This is a puzzling small-town mystery with a colorful cast of characters.
Posing, as usual, as journalists, Jake and Rosie work together on the cases with local police, who appreciate the help. Local residents, though, resent the presence of nosy writers from San Francisco, making it difficult to penetrate the complicated secrets of the little community. This is a puzzling small-town mystery with a colorful cast of characters.
December 31, 2019
Fourth in the series. Jake and Rosie go up to the small coastal town of Wheeler, California, in the beautiful region bear Mendocino, to investigate a sperm bank robbery that reveals many small town secrets. Wonderful use of the series' connecting motif of poker references (Jake usually plays at least one of his weekly poker nights in each book) to also make a geographical reference to an area of land with nice homes that becomes important during a bad storm in the novel.
September 12, 2020
The characters are good, the mystery is good, and the wrap ups are always top notch when the author brings all the clues together. The romance part of it is forced and skimmed over to the degree it could just as well be left out and not really missed. Simple sexual tension between characters would do more for me as a reader than 'oh, they got lucky, let's move on'. Give it your all or not at all. Still, a good little mystery with some fun characters.
July 21, 2025
I think this may be my second time reading this, some 30 years later. It's a quick, easy read. I enjoyed the plot and the cast of characters. I found myself chuckling out loud a few times. Definitely will seek out other books by this author. Loved the snarkiness.
May 19, 2017
Characters
So many possibilities and when put together at the end your like yes I see it now. Fun as always.
So many possibilities and when put together at the end your like yes I see it now. Fun as always.
March 29, 2020
Enjoyed
Another reason I really enjoyed your books is from beginning to end the mystery is worth the wait and I enjoyed the mystery.
Another reason I really enjoyed your books is from beginning to end the mystery is worth the wait and I enjoyed the mystery.
August 16, 2021
I'm enjoying the mystery but gotta say, no fan of Jake.
April 21, 2022
The usual meandering detecting, collecting clues with plodding success. One of the better ones in the series.
March 4, 2024
This was a very convoluted, twisted story with a mile long list of suspects.
February 7, 2017
A grisly murder during a stormy night. Everyone is suspect. But how does that tie into the theft from the bank vault – sperm bank, that is? I picked up this book because my curiosity was piqued by its unusual premise, and I’m glad I did! It was an entertaining read, and I learned more about sperm banks than I ever thought there was to know!
January 13, 2015
Kudos again
An easy read that runs along smoothly, and again the characters are fleshed out nicely. I found hard to put down for long without picking it up again. I'm afraid I wouldn't want to live there though.
An easy read that runs along smoothly, and again the characters are fleshed out nicely. I found hard to put down for long without picking it up again. I'm afraid I wouldn't want to live there though.
August 19, 2014
If you're in the mood for a light, fun mystery with no sex, you'll enjoy this. It was a nice break from what I usually read.
March 15, 2016
Spit in the ocean
I do enjoy this series. It has issues, but they seem less as the series progresses. I will continue to follow this series.
I do enjoy this series. It has issues, but they seem less as the series progresses. I will continue to follow this series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews