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A Deadly Calm in Cedar Key: A Hurricane-Swept Gulf Coast Thriller of Vengeance and Redemption
335 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