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Gabriel Ross #1
Eye on You: Right Place, Wrong Time
A day as hot as horseradish. Throw in a deserted Biloxi beach and an abandoned car. Add to this a bullet riddled trunk and the stench of death. On the front seat throw in a revolver the size of a small cannon and as serious looking as a Baptist Minister’s sermon. Only an idiot would pick up the gun, plastering it with their finger prints.
Gabriel Ross never planned to become a Private Eye. He just fell into it. Now he’s in over his head in a fun house ride involving a beautiful client, missing teenage girls, police corruption and organized creeps.
Gabriel Ross never planned to become a Private Eye. He just fell into it. Now he’s in over his head in a fun house ride involving a beautiful client, missing teenage girls, police corruption and organized creeps.
- GenresMystery
358 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2014
1 person is currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Joe Hamilton
12 books20 followersJoe lives in Hamilton, Ontario with his wonderful wife Anita and two of his three kids. (The ones that have not flown the coop). He also lives with his three dachshunds. Initially attracted to owning the breed so that he could make wiener jokes in bed, he has come to love them and respect their many talents. Here he is with Pumba who is asking him to edit a chapter and remove all of the wiener jokes.
After retiring from a long career in banking, Joe decided to take up creative writing. His short stories have appeared in local publications. "Eye on You –Murder in Biloxi" is his first novel. He followed up on the success of his first novel with a sequel "Eye on You - Rock you like a Hurricane." His third book in the series, "Eye on You - The Mississippi Queen" is due in the fall of 2016. He is currently working on the fourth in the series, "Eye on You - Southern Man"
His website can be found at www.joehamilton.ca
After retiring from a long career in banking, Joe decided to take up creative writing. His short stories have appeared in local publications. "Eye on You –Murder in Biloxi" is his first novel. He followed up on the success of his first novel with a sequel "Eye on You - Rock you like a Hurricane." His third book in the series, "Eye on You - The Mississippi Queen" is due in the fall of 2016. He is currently working on the fourth in the series, "Eye on You - Southern Man"
His website can be found at www.joehamilton.ca
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 10, 2022
“I hadn’t planned on being a detective.”
“They don’t teach you anything about guns, dead bodies or cheating spouses in accounting class.”
If Gabriel Ross were a teenager, one might say he was simply looking to find himself. But perhaps it’s better to say that, after a divorce and a job termination, Ross was forced into the unwanted necessity to rebuild his life. Serendipity rules and Ross found an opportunity in Biloxi, Mississippi to enter the rather dubious occupation of private detective under the mentorship of friendly local police officer, Ben O’Shea, who was rankling in a local law atmosphere that he saw as less than completely on the up-and-up. Author Joe Hamilton clearly acknowledges the motivation that created Gabriel Ross as a composite character – the sarcastic mouth of Nelson DeMille’s perennially snarky wise ass John Corey; the bumbling, self-effacing yet always clever and penetrating TV private eye Columbo; and, last but not least, the suave, handsome, and witty Rockford (also of 1970s television fame). It’s worth pointing out it’s no coincidence that the building blocks of Ross’s character coming from the 1970s. Of course, that’s where RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME takes place and Hamilton has done a masterful job in bringing the era to life with fleshed-out characters, credible, convincing atmosphere and snappy, colloquial dialogue that ring completely true.
To summarize the plot is simplicity itself. One of Ross’s very first cases is to provide a seriously, disgruntled (but breathtakingly gorgeous and exotic … well, of course) wife with photographic evidence of her husband’s philandering. It is totally obvious that hell will have no fury like THIS woman scorned. But her husband happens to be the local sheriff whose popularity and influence has the entire community in his hip pocket. But a wayward husband does not a mystery novel make so it is not long before Ross’s sleuthing leads him into much, much deeper waters – gun running, human trafficking, police corruption, arson, and serial murder. Definitely the deep end of the private investigator’s pool!
For those readers who would suggest that Ross’s abilities as a rank beginner detective and his over-the-top physical skills as a pugilist (despite his less than intimidating diminutive stature) are a little beyond the pale and lacking credibility, I say … OK, I agree but surely a little literary license is acceptable for a novel that is obviously intended to be a mystery steeped in humor as opposed to an exercise in realism.
A couple of quotes that I found particularly amusing:
“The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make up their minds.”
“… women are like roads, the more curves they have, the more dangerous they are.”
As a Canadian and fellow resident of Hamilton (the city), I’ll give extra special accolades to this series debut and assure Hamilton (the author) that I’m on the hunt for #2 in the series, ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
“They don’t teach you anything about guns, dead bodies or cheating spouses in accounting class.”
If Gabriel Ross were a teenager, one might say he was simply looking to find himself. But perhaps it’s better to say that, after a divorce and a job termination, Ross was forced into the unwanted necessity to rebuild his life. Serendipity rules and Ross found an opportunity in Biloxi, Mississippi to enter the rather dubious occupation of private detective under the mentorship of friendly local police officer, Ben O’Shea, who was rankling in a local law atmosphere that he saw as less than completely on the up-and-up. Author Joe Hamilton clearly acknowledges the motivation that created Gabriel Ross as a composite character – the sarcastic mouth of Nelson DeMille’s perennially snarky wise ass John Corey; the bumbling, self-effacing yet always clever and penetrating TV private eye Columbo; and, last but not least, the suave, handsome, and witty Rockford (also of 1970s television fame). It’s worth pointing out it’s no coincidence that the building blocks of Ross’s character coming from the 1970s. Of course, that’s where RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME takes place and Hamilton has done a masterful job in bringing the era to life with fleshed-out characters, credible, convincing atmosphere and snappy, colloquial dialogue that ring completely true.
To summarize the plot is simplicity itself. One of Ross’s very first cases is to provide a seriously, disgruntled (but breathtakingly gorgeous and exotic … well, of course) wife with photographic evidence of her husband’s philandering. It is totally obvious that hell will have no fury like THIS woman scorned. But her husband happens to be the local sheriff whose popularity and influence has the entire community in his hip pocket. But a wayward husband does not a mystery novel make so it is not long before Ross’s sleuthing leads him into much, much deeper waters – gun running, human trafficking, police corruption, arson, and serial murder. Definitely the deep end of the private investigator’s pool!
For those readers who would suggest that Ross’s abilities as a rank beginner detective and his over-the-top physical skills as a pugilist (despite his less than intimidating diminutive stature) are a little beyond the pale and lacking credibility, I say … OK, I agree but surely a little literary license is acceptable for a novel that is obviously intended to be a mystery steeped in humor as opposed to an exercise in realism.
A couple of quotes that I found particularly amusing:
“The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make up their minds.”
“… women are like roads, the more curves they have, the more dangerous they are.”
As a Canadian and fellow resident of Hamilton (the city), I’ll give extra special accolades to this series debut and assure Hamilton (the author) that I’m on the hunt for #2 in the series, ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
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April 29, 2016Excellent, funny private eye story set in the 1970's gulf coast (Biloxi). Great first book in a lighthearted murder mystery series
March 5, 2015
I had the pleasure of reading Eye on You-Murder in Biloxi through the Goodreads First Reads program. Hamilton's protagonist, Gabriel Ross is an accidental private eye. He's goofy and reckless with a knack for pushing the envelope--especially as a Yankee navigating the inner workings of politics and law enforcement in small-town Mississippi while simultaneously trying to find a missing teenage girl and performing surveillance for a suspicious spouse. Oh, and the suspicious spouse happens to be the bombshell wife of the local sheriff. Foolishness notwithstanding, you want to root for Ross.
The dialogue is well done, and Hamilton's descriptions draw you into the story and make you part of it. I have a couple of criticisms, though. As someone who is slightly (okay, incredibly) OCD about music and song titles, I was jarred each time "Copacabana (At the Copa)" was merely called "At the Copa." As an aside, I hope my mention of Barry Manilow and his being referenced in the book doesn't dissuade anyone from reading it; if anything, it's a testament to the author's dedication to wanting to take the reader on a wacky ride. My issue with the song title is minor, though, and probably only bothers me. However, the bigger problem I had was the constant narrator and time/place-hopping. Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with multiple narrators if they serve to provide deeper insight into the characters. In this book, though, it seemed as if the shifting points of view were less of a literary device and almost more like a cop-out. For example, I didn't necessarily get a better sense of one of the book's villains by reading a chapter written from his point of view. I already knew he was a jerk, and the chapter didn't provide anything deeper; it just seemed like it was easier to write the chapter that way as opposed to telling it with Ross as the narrator. I think Hamilton is a much better writer than that. The first half of the book is exceptionally strong, and therein lies my three star rating. Joe Hamilton is talented, and I hope to see future capers involving Gabriel Ross.
The dialogue is well done, and Hamilton's descriptions draw you into the story and make you part of it. I have a couple of criticisms, though. As someone who is slightly (okay, incredibly) OCD about music and song titles, I was jarred each time "Copacabana (At the Copa)" was merely called "At the Copa." As an aside, I hope my mention of Barry Manilow and his being referenced in the book doesn't dissuade anyone from reading it; if anything, it's a testament to the author's dedication to wanting to take the reader on a wacky ride. My issue with the song title is minor, though, and probably only bothers me. However, the bigger problem I had was the constant narrator and time/place-hopping. Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with multiple narrators if they serve to provide deeper insight into the characters. In this book, though, it seemed as if the shifting points of view were less of a literary device and almost more like a cop-out. For example, I didn't necessarily get a better sense of one of the book's villains by reading a chapter written from his point of view. I already knew he was a jerk, and the chapter didn't provide anything deeper; it just seemed like it was easier to write the chapter that way as opposed to telling it with Ross as the narrator. I think Hamilton is a much better writer than that. The first half of the book is exceptionally strong, and therein lies my three star rating. Joe Hamilton is talented, and I hope to see future capers involving Gabriel Ross.
March 5, 2015
This book, set in 1979, features Gabriel Ross, the least likely private investigator in modern fiction. He's much shorter than the usual PI, drives a very uncool VW bug (no Elvis Cole driving a Corvette in this life), and he's a misplaced, smart-mouth Detroit yankee working in coastal Biloxi, MS. The time period is done right, (plenty of searching for pay phones to make contact, no GPS, etc), but the crimes are timeless. Ross' silent partner in the PI Agency, "The Eye on You," is a Biloxi PD detective, who is a recent hire and doesn't quite fit into the laid back structure of the Biloxi Police Deparment. Plenty of tension arises when crime solving jurisdictions collide between the Biloxi PD and the surrounding county's sheriff department, to say nothing of corruption running rampant in "pre-casino era" Biloxi. Identifying the good guys and separating them from the bad guys and worse than bad guys in law enforcement as well as the truly criminal element make this an interesting read. My only complaint is the print size of the text; it's tiny! This problem is somewhat mitigated by double-spacing the type on the page, but was disconcerting until my eyes adjusted. Overall, I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a fast paced crime story. As a winner of this book from good reads, I feel like I was doubly lucky to have won such an entertaining yarn.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews