Shaper

Cully Beach #1

by Stephen Brooke

Ted Carrol had found his 'last place.' A place where he could live quietly and build surfboards and where all the kids called him 'Shaper.'

His settled existence was not to last. Into Cully Beach swept Michelle and her daughter Charlie, two women escaping a dark past. How could Shaper have known he was going to fall in love?

Surf and suspense, smugglers and self-doubt, combine as Shaper must solve their mystery and that of his own future, in a tale both serious and funny, romantic yet real.

Shaper — a novel by Stephen Brooke

260 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Stephen Brooke is a novelist, poet, musician, illustrator/artist and, now, a publisher with his own imprint, Arachis Press (http://arachispress.com).

Stephen lives in an old farmhouse in the Florida Panhandle.

Reviews

[Mary Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is very different from the author's previous novels, which are full of fantasy and adventure. There is some adventure here but Shaper is about real people in a real world. I learned quite a lot about surfboards, too!

I think some might call this 'chick-lit.' It is certainly more about relationships than it is about the not very mysterious mystery underlying the plot. The author digs deep and it pays off. These characters are very well realized.

Somehow I missed the very Catholic slant in Mr. Brooke's earlier books. Looking back, I can it is pretty obvious! Shaper is not a religious book by any means. Moreover, there is a certain amount of sex (but almost no violence, surprisingly) so don't go mistaking it for a 'Christian' novel in any normal sense.

It is however, definitely a very good read.

[Oliver Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this novel would be considered 'crime' rather than 'mystery,' though it veers close to the cozy mystery subgenre. Enough action to keep one entertained, enough depth to keep one interested, all told by a middle-aged surf shop owner who is pulled into thing much against his will.

[Stephen Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest from...me. A bit of a romance, a bit of a mystery/suspense, but mostly sort of a mainstream novel. Literary fiction, even, I might say if I were sure exactly what that is. A tale of a man seeking meaning in life and, perhaps, finally finding it. I'm pretty satisfied with what I've written but I put so much of me into it, I don't think I'll be going this direction again for a while. Back to the fantasy adventures!

[Wayne Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't have thought a book about addicts and murderers could also be so funny. Shaper is not exactly fast-paced or action-packed or however good adventures would normally be described. It is thoughtful and full of wry observations about both the narrator himself and the world around him. I enjoyed it and hope there are more novels about Ted Carrol, or maybe his just-acquired family. Recommended.

BTW I think the fictional town here might be based on Flagler Beach Florida. At least partly.