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A Deadly Calm in Cedar Key: A Hurricane-Swept Gulf Coast Thriller of Vengeance and Redemption
They killed a kindhearted elderly man ... and a disgraced lawman wants revenge.
PenCraft Book Awards — Spring 2026, Mystery-Sleuth Fiction International Firebird Book Awards — 1st Quarter 2026, Crime Fiction Independent Author Awards — 2026, Crime Fiction & Debut Fiction American Book Fest — 2026, Mystery/ Hard-Boiled CrimeOne of Amazon's Top Five "Hot New Releases" in Hard-Boiled Mysteries"Thought-provoking, chilling, and impossible to put down—this is the kind of story that sticks with you long after the final page!” — Kristin McTiernan, author of The Twitter Crush
____________________WHEN A BELOVED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER is brutally murdered in the small fishing village of Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast, disgraced former police chief Kemper McRae feels an urgent desire to return to the badge and find the killers.
Joining the investigation might restore his standing in the community, but it also risks exposing things from his past that he needs to keep buried, including actions surrounding his involuntary separation from law enforcement years earlier. Federal agents, local politics, and meth traffickers from a desperate drug gang create a powder keg of competing interests where no one escapes unscathed.
As justice for the victim slips further away, Kemper must choose between the law he once upheld with its promise of redemption or doing what he knows is right because some crimes demand a different kind of reckoning. With a hurricane bearing down on Florida's Big Bend region and time running out, Kemper faces an impossible decision that may cost him everything, including his life.
This hard-boiled crime thriller explores the morally complex, razor-thin line between justice and revenge in a community where everyone knows everyone and some debts can only be paid in blood! "This is a story that will take your breath, and your heart, and be well worth the investment of your time to read. I am already looking forward to his next book!" -- Nick West, author of Storm of the Century and Suwannee Wild
What readers are saying “As the storyline unfolds, you don’t just observe the characters—you come to understand them, flaws and all. Their quirks, imperfections, and eccentricities are written with a level of care that feels as though you truly understand them.” —TL
“Somehow, he’s created fictional characters that you could swear you ran into last week. They live near you. Shop at the same stores you do. So, it's easy to become invested in their dilemmas and struggles and, yes, their passions.” —JB
“It is full of nuance and interweaving threads that make a marvelously exciting read. I also enjoyed the treatment of good guy/bad guy dilemmas and moral questions that demand the reader consider both sides of the fence.” —CH
“This story is packed with history, twists, and moments that had me literally talking out loud to the characters (you know it’s good when that happens!)” —HML
“The Florida Gulf Coast setting almost becomes a character of its beautiful, humid, unpredictable, and occasionally dangerous.” —EB
“The detail of the Florida landscape, the complexity of the characters made me feel like I was reading a movie script. Really sucks you in with many twists and turns, very hard to put down!” —LS
“The pacing was spot on. It keeps moving without feeling rushed, and there’s enough suspense to keep you turning pages the whole time. Just when you think you have it figured out, it shifts on you.” —BC
“It's reminiscent of the Jesse Stone novels, interpreted by Floridian, and if Jesse was a certifiable good guy bad ass.” —TGP
"Lastly, go Captain!" —JM
____________________WHEN A BELOVED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER is brutally murdered in the small fishing village of Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast, disgraced former police chief Kemper McRae feels an urgent desire to return to the badge and find the killers.
Joining the investigation might restore his standing in the community, but it also risks exposing things from his past that he needs to keep buried, including actions surrounding his involuntary separation from law enforcement years earlier. Federal agents, local politics, and meth traffickers from a desperate drug gang create a powder keg of competing interests where no one escapes unscathed.
As justice for the victim slips further away, Kemper must choose between the law he once upheld with its promise of redemption or doing what he knows is right because some crimes demand a different kind of reckoning. With a hurricane bearing down on Florida's Big Bend region and time running out, Kemper faces an impossible decision that may cost him everything, including his life.
This hard-boiled crime thriller explores the morally complex, razor-thin line between justice and revenge in a community where everyone knows everyone and some debts can only be paid in blood! "This is a story that will take your breath, and your heart, and be well worth the investment of your time to read. I am already looking forward to his next book!" -- Nick West, author of Storm of the Century and Suwannee Wild
What readers are saying “As the storyline unfolds, you don’t just observe the characters—you come to understand them, flaws and all. Their quirks, imperfections, and eccentricities are written with a level of care that feels as though you truly understand them.” —TL
“Somehow, he’s created fictional characters that you could swear you ran into last week. They live near you. Shop at the same stores you do. So, it's easy to become invested in their dilemmas and struggles and, yes, their passions.” —JB
“It is full of nuance and interweaving threads that make a marvelously exciting read. I also enjoyed the treatment of good guy/bad guy dilemmas and moral questions that demand the reader consider both sides of the fence.” —CH
“This story is packed with history, twists, and moments that had me literally talking out loud to the characters (you know it’s good when that happens!)” —HML
“The Florida Gulf Coast setting almost becomes a character of its beautiful, humid, unpredictable, and occasionally dangerous.” —EB
“The detail of the Florida landscape, the complexity of the characters made me feel like I was reading a movie script. Really sucks you in with many twists and turns, very hard to put down!” —LS
“The pacing was spot on. It keeps moving without feeling rushed, and there’s enough suspense to keep you turning pages the whole time. Just when you think you have it figured out, it shifts on you.” —BC
“It's reminiscent of the Jesse Stone novels, interpreted by Floridian, and if Jesse was a certifiable good guy bad ass.” —TGP
"Lastly, go Captain!" —JM
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2026
Small towns usually promise peace. This one delivers murder instead.
The novel opens with an unsettling calm that quickly fractures when Jerry, a beloved local fixture, is brutally murdered. What follows isn’t just a whodunit but a layered unraveling of a community that thought it knew itself. Cedar Key feels vividly alive — salty air, fishing docks, gossip networks, and the rhythms of a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone… or thinks they do.
At the heart of the story is Kemper McRae, a disgraced former police chief pulled back into investigation after the death of his friend. Kemper is one of the book’s greatest strengths: flawed, stubborn, aging, and deeply human. His personal struggle — to reclaim dignity, purpose, and perhaps forgiveness — gives the novel emotional weight that elevates it beyond a standard crime thriller.
The mystery unfolds steadily, punctuated by moments of real brutality that remind the reader how fragile safety can be — especially in places that appear idyllic. The Florida Gulf Coast setting almost becomes a character of its own: beautiful, humid, unpredictable, and occasionally dangerous.
People carry history. Communities carry secrets. And sometimes the calmest surfaces hide the strongest storms. Some secondary plotlines and characters occasionally compete for attention, making the middle stretch feel slightly crowded.
The novel opens with an unsettling calm that quickly fractures when Jerry, a beloved local fixture, is brutally murdered. What follows isn’t just a whodunit but a layered unraveling of a community that thought it knew itself. Cedar Key feels vividly alive — salty air, fishing docks, gossip networks, and the rhythms of a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone… or thinks they do.
At the heart of the story is Kemper McRae, a disgraced former police chief pulled back into investigation after the death of his friend. Kemper is one of the book’s greatest strengths: flawed, stubborn, aging, and deeply human. His personal struggle — to reclaim dignity, purpose, and perhaps forgiveness — gives the novel emotional weight that elevates it beyond a standard crime thriller.
The mystery unfolds steadily, punctuated by moments of real brutality that remind the reader how fragile safety can be — especially in places that appear idyllic. The Florida Gulf Coast setting almost becomes a character of its own: beautiful, humid, unpredictable, and occasionally dangerous.
People carry history. Communities carry secrets. And sometimes the calmest surfaces hide the strongest storms. Some secondary plotlines and characters occasionally compete for attention, making the middle stretch feel slightly crowded.
February 25, 2026
If you like Jesse Stone, Travis McGee and similar gritty crime stories, you'll love Ed Braddy's retired police chief, Kemper McRae. He's a complicated man with a dark past, a son who has his old job, and a love of pretty girls. This book does a wonderful job of making the setting real. The real rural north central Florida is presented as it is, warts and all, in a way that makes you feel like a native. The characters, particularly the women, are very well done and are strong, interesting and complex. No cardboard cut-out stereotypes in this book. While you know who "dunnit" about halfway through the book, the hunt for the killer is tense and engaging. You definitely won't be bored, and there are no cringy characters,moments or modern politics to pull you out of the story in this one. It's also pretty clean, maybe a light PG 13 for violence and drug use, and I would let my tweens and teens read this one with no worries. Check it out and escape to Cedar Key this weekend!
March 7, 2026
I just finished reading A Deadly Calm in Cedar Key, almost nonstop. It's a well crafted story of a a small town police chief who had lost his job after losing his temper. When a friend is senselessly killed, he, the protagonist, wants justice.
It accurately describes the small island community of Cedar Key, Florida, which really exists, and the characters ring true, with relatable motivations. I found it engrossing, and read it one evening and the next afternoon. I read fairly quickly; it's not a novelette. It's reminiscent of the Jesse Stone novels, interpreted by Floridian, and if Jesse was a certifiable good guy bad ass.
The ending was realistic and a bit surprising. It's well worth reading, and I'm looking foward to perhaps a sequel or 5.
It accurately describes the small island community of Cedar Key, Florida, which really exists, and the characters ring true, with relatable motivations. I found it engrossing, and read it one evening and the next afternoon. I read fairly quickly; it's not a novelette. It's reminiscent of the Jesse Stone novels, interpreted by Floridian, and if Jesse was a certifiable good guy bad ass.
The ending was realistic and a bit surprising. It's well worth reading, and I'm looking foward to perhaps a sequel or 5.
March 29, 2026
📖 A Deadly Calm in Cedar Key – Edward Braddy
This one grabbed me from page one—the pelican’s point of view pulled me right into the story, and I was hooked. 🐦✨
What I loved most was how real it felt. I could picture every place, every dock, every stretch of this small Florida fishing town. If you know Cedar Key or coastal life, it hits even deeper—the culture, the people, the grit… it’s all there.
This story is packed with history, twists, and moments that had me literally talking out loud to the characters 🤦🏻♀️ (you know it’s good when that happens!). Between police drama, drug deals, secrets, betrayal—and a hurricane thrown into the mix—it keeps you turning pages.
Beautifully written with that raw Florida feel and a storyline full of tension and heart.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
This one grabbed me from page one—the pelican’s point of view pulled me right into the story, and I was hooked. 🐦✨
What I loved most was how real it felt. I could picture every place, every dock, every stretch of this small Florida fishing town. If you know Cedar Key or coastal life, it hits even deeper—the culture, the people, the grit… it’s all there.
This story is packed with history, twists, and moments that had me literally talking out loud to the characters 🤦🏻♀️ (you know it’s good when that happens!). Between police drama, drug deals, secrets, betrayal—and a hurricane thrown into the mix—it keeps you turning pages.
Beautifully written with that raw Florida feel and a storyline full of tension and heart.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
February 25, 2026
Do not miss out on this book!! Thanks to the author for the early copy of this book. I loved the characters, the grit and drama with every turn of the page. Love that it’s set in Florida and you can almost relate these characters to those in your hometown.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews