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Max Freeman #5
Acts of Nature
Undertaking a technology-free vacation in an isolated region of the Florida Everglades, private eye Max Freeman and detective Sherry Richards are caught in the path of a violent hurricane that injures Sherry and places them out of help's reach, a situation that tests their survival skills and pits them against murderous looters.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
75 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Jonathon King
14 books151 followersEdgar-award winning author Jonathon King is the creator of the Max Freeman crime series set in the Everglades and on the hard streets of urban South Florida. In his previous career as a journalist, he was a police and court reporter for 24 years with the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale and the Philadelphia Daily News.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 3, 2020
An excellent entry in the Max Freeman series. This is an exciting and very quick read as Max & Sherry ride out a hurricane in the Florida swamps and must come to grips with looters and corporate stooges. Well done. Recommended.
July 22, 2011
Review from Badelynge.
This is the 5th book featuring Max Freeman. An ex Philadelphia cop who has retired to a remote cabin in the Florida Everglades. Over the last 4 books Max has been getting his life back together after a fateful night when he shot a 12 year old kid at a convenience store hold-up and was badly injured himself. No longer on the force, he spends his days in solitude at his cabin or occasionally doing investigative work for his best friend Billy Manchester.
In this one Max is taking some time out to try to rescue his relationship with local cop Sherry Richards by spending some quality alone time with her out at his cabin. Unfortunately there's a storm coming. A Hurricane rips through the Glades, badly injuring one of the pair. Throw in a gang of opportunistic house-breaking Gladesmen, a couple of ex-military hired guns and an ornery alligator named Wally and you know this is going to all end in blood. By this time I've realised that this one has gone off track. No slow burning mystery with Max grinding away at the rough edges this time. Now I don't mind long running series breaking the formula, but this one just had set-up written all over it. Jonathon King writes great confrontation scenes it has to be said and Max v. the Gladesmen is as sparky as you would expect. I'm not keen on the split point of view though, establishing all the different characters so thoroughly could be described as padding. Contrary to the cover blurb, nobody is being stalked by persons unknown, as everyone's motivations are comprehensively explored with no stalking being part of the agenda. Ok, I can't speak for Wally. The plot is what it is: people coming together in the wrong place at the wrong time - a storm of consequences, you might say. It all being said, King's writing is good, going down like the first cold beer on a hot afternoon and I always enjoy Max's company. King's description of the Glades is, as ever, very good, mindful of the environmental issues and the conflicting forces of the natural world and the nature of mankind. It's just a shame the plot was so thin, considering how much the events in this one are going to impact on the series.
This is the 5th book featuring Max Freeman. An ex Philadelphia cop who has retired to a remote cabin in the Florida Everglades. Over the last 4 books Max has been getting his life back together after a fateful night when he shot a 12 year old kid at a convenience store hold-up and was badly injured himself. No longer on the force, he spends his days in solitude at his cabin or occasionally doing investigative work for his best friend Billy Manchester.
In this one Max is taking some time out to try to rescue his relationship with local cop Sherry Richards by spending some quality alone time with her out at his cabin. Unfortunately there's a storm coming. A Hurricane rips through the Glades, badly injuring one of the pair. Throw in a gang of opportunistic house-breaking Gladesmen, a couple of ex-military hired guns and an ornery alligator named Wally and you know this is going to all end in blood. By this time I've realised that this one has gone off track. No slow burning mystery with Max grinding away at the rough edges this time. Now I don't mind long running series breaking the formula, but this one just had set-up written all over it. Jonathon King writes great confrontation scenes it has to be said and Max v. the Gladesmen is as sparky as you would expect. I'm not keen on the split point of view though, establishing all the different characters so thoroughly could be described as padding. Contrary to the cover blurb, nobody is being stalked by persons unknown, as everyone's motivations are comprehensively explored with no stalking being part of the agenda. Ok, I can't speak for Wally. The plot is what it is: people coming together in the wrong place at the wrong time - a storm of consequences, you might say. It all being said, King's writing is good, going down like the first cold beer on a hot afternoon and I always enjoy Max's company. King's description of the Glades is, as ever, very good, mindful of the environmental issues and the conflicting forces of the natural world and the nature of mankind. It's just a shame the plot was so thin, considering how much the events in this one are going to impact on the series.
November 11, 2018
Ex-cop Max Freeman and his cop girlfriend Sherry Richards decide to go to a remote shack in the Florida Everglades to enjoy a few days' R&R. Cut off from the outside world, little do they realize that a major hurricane is homing in on the area. In the aftermath of the storm, with Sherry seriously injured, they must endeavor to get back to civilization. In their way are not just natural hazards like alligators and polluted water but human foes -- a team of looters and a pair of "security consultants"/hitmen sent to make sure the storm damage hasn't revealed an oil company's dirty secret . . .
I suppose this thriller does the business, but for me it came across as a tad flat. We spend the first two-thirds or so of the text rotating between Max's first-person narrative and third-person accounts of the looters and one of the heavies, Harmon. While Max's chapters usually serve to advance the story, the chapters belonging to the other two strands all too often didn't really seem to me to go anywhere; in particular, we get loads of fleshing-out of the character Harmon, which might be fine except that, in the end, he doesn't play all that much of a part in the plot. Matters improve a lot when first two of the strands are brought together, followed by the third, but by then it's quite late in the book.
The novel's not helped by copious examples of sloppy writing -- sentences that don't parse, missing parenthetical commas, etc. -- and even sloppier proofreading. A couple of times I did an odd double-take, one part of my mind suggesting I was reading an ARC even as the other was assuring me that the object in my mitts was an actual finished hardback.
On the plus side, quite a lot of Max's narrative -- which forms the bulk of the book -- has a nice hardboiled feel to it. I could see this making a great rural neonoir movie . . . and perhaps someone will do just that.
I suppose this thriller does the business, but for me it came across as a tad flat. We spend the first two-thirds or so of the text rotating between Max's first-person narrative and third-person accounts of the looters and one of the heavies, Harmon. While Max's chapters usually serve to advance the story, the chapters belonging to the other two strands all too often didn't really seem to me to go anywhere; in particular, we get loads of fleshing-out of the character Harmon, which might be fine except that, in the end, he doesn't play all that much of a part in the plot. Matters improve a lot when first two of the strands are brought together, followed by the third, but by then it's quite late in the book.
The novel's not helped by copious examples of sloppy writing -- sentences that don't parse, missing parenthetical commas, etc. -- and even sloppier proofreading. A couple of times I did an odd double-take, one part of my mind suggesting I was reading an ARC even as the other was assuring me that the object in my mitts was an actual finished hardback.
On the plus side, quite a lot of Max's narrative -- which forms the bulk of the book -- has a nice hardboiled feel to it. I could see this making a great rural neonoir movie . . . and perhaps someone will do just that.
July 9, 2013
Goodreads Author Jonathon King subtly weaves different tales of "nature" into this installment of his Max Freeman Series. Mother Nature, animal nature, and man's nature all collide in a climactic intersection in South Florida's Everglades.
Max and Sherry are at Max's Everglades cabin for a well deserved rest after their last case together. And the tranquility will be good for them as they decide whether to stay a couple. Max certainly hopes they will, but does Sherry? Sensing that she is bored, Max suggests they go West to a friend's fishing camp, totally unaware that there a strong hurricane bearing toward them. They have no radio or cell phone. While they are canoeing toward the West, the wildlife are sunning themselves or hunting, especially Wally. The gator is trekking them. When all the birds, turtles, snake, and even gators just disappear and the swamp is suddenly silent, Max is stunned. He has no clue what is coming, and Sherry won't be able to help him. She may even become a liability.
Ed Harmon knows what is coming to South Florida. He's seen the storm - west to east - the polar opposite of Hurricane Andrew. He and his family lost everything, but he is ready for this storm. He is scared. He is not afraid of a man; he knows how to fight and if necessary to kill a man like the guerrilla in South America. But you can't fight nature, especially a Hurricane. His partner, Squires, makes fun of him and his employer wants him to go out to the Glades after the storm to secure a camp. Knowing the fishing camp is a cover for some illegal activity by the oil company, Harmon is packing heat and C4. He is a cleaner, a mercenary.
Buck Morris just wants to stay out of prison. He's still looking for "the big score." His young cohorts may have just the right plan. Hurricane Simone may be his ticket north. Yes, those cabins and fishing camps won't be inhabited and may have some valuables left. If the storm hadn't gotten them, he will. It's really not looting, it's salvaging he thinks.
Acts of Nature is not Jonathon King's usual police procedural thriller; it is more psychological. And switching from Max to Harmon to Buck feeds the action and nicely fuels the psychological suspense.
Max and Sherry are at Max's Everglades cabin for a well deserved rest after their last case together. And the tranquility will be good for them as they decide whether to stay a couple. Max certainly hopes they will, but does Sherry? Sensing that she is bored, Max suggests they go West to a friend's fishing camp, totally unaware that there a strong hurricane bearing toward them. They have no radio or cell phone. While they are canoeing toward the West, the wildlife are sunning themselves or hunting, especially Wally. The gator is trekking them. When all the birds, turtles, snake, and even gators just disappear and the swamp is suddenly silent, Max is stunned. He has no clue what is coming, and Sherry won't be able to help him. She may even become a liability.
Ed Harmon knows what is coming to South Florida. He's seen the storm - west to east - the polar opposite of Hurricane Andrew. He and his family lost everything, but he is ready for this storm. He is scared. He is not afraid of a man; he knows how to fight and if necessary to kill a man like the guerrilla in South America. But you can't fight nature, especially a Hurricane. His partner, Squires, makes fun of him and his employer wants him to go out to the Glades after the storm to secure a camp. Knowing the fishing camp is a cover for some illegal activity by the oil company, Harmon is packing heat and C4. He is a cleaner, a mercenary.
Buck Morris just wants to stay out of prison. He's still looking for "the big score." His young cohorts may have just the right plan. Hurricane Simone may be his ticket north. Yes, those cabins and fishing camps won't be inhabited and may have some valuables left. If the storm hadn't gotten them, he will. It's really not looting, it's salvaging he thinks.
Acts of Nature is not Jonathon King's usual police procedural thriller; it is more psychological. And switching from Max to Harmon to Buck feeds the action and nicely fuels the psychological suspense.
August 18, 2018
I became a fan of Jonathon King the moment I read The Blue Edge Of Midnight, and scooped up every book as soon as it came out in paperback. But I never found this one. So, when I got a Kindle for Christmas, this was the first book I ordered.
The tension starts on the first page and never goes away. At first it is low key, just a feeling bad things will be happening in the future, then it escalates as the book progresses.
Max Freeman and Sherry Richards are enjoying a vacation at Max’s cabin in the Everglades when Hurricane Simone hits, leaving Sherry seriously injured. King doesn’t clobber the reader over the head with page after page of description of the hurricane, just tells us in a few tightly woven sentences what the principal players experience. As the story moves forward, we are given ‘snapshot’ descriptions of the hurricane’s havoc.
The ending, while expected and realistic, came as a bit of a surprise.
Had I been able to get this book in paperback, I would have read it at least three times by now (as I have first four in the series). I may have to dig them out and re-read them again. I hope King brings Max Freeman back for many more novels.
This is the first e-book I've ever read and I noticed several 'typos' that stopped me in my tracks, the main one being me where the should be. Have you other e-reader users noticed this in e-books you've read?
08/18/2018: I started re-reading this book yesterday, but have to give up on it after only 33 pages. I know what's coming and that has me tied up in knots.
Reflecting now on this book, I think it may bet the best in the series because it pits Max and Sherry against a string of bad guys and a hurricane with nothing but their own skills, guts, and drive to save them.
Perhaps somewhere down the road I can pick this up again and read it through to the end. But I can't do it right now.
The tension starts on the first page and never goes away. At first it is low key, just a feeling bad things will be happening in the future, then it escalates as the book progresses.
Max Freeman and Sherry Richards are enjoying a vacation at Max’s cabin in the Everglades when Hurricane Simone hits, leaving Sherry seriously injured. King doesn’t clobber the reader over the head with page after page of description of the hurricane, just tells us in a few tightly woven sentences what the principal players experience. As the story moves forward, we are given ‘snapshot’ descriptions of the hurricane’s havoc.
The ending, while expected and realistic, came as a bit of a surprise.
Had I been able to get this book in paperback, I would have read it at least three times by now (as I have first four in the series). I may have to dig them out and re-read them again. I hope King brings Max Freeman back for many more novels.
This is the first e-book I've ever read and I noticed several 'typos' that stopped me in my tracks, the main one being me where the should be. Have you other e-reader users noticed this in e-books you've read?
08/18/2018: I started re-reading this book yesterday, but have to give up on it after only 33 pages. I know what's coming and that has me tied up in knots.
Reflecting now on this book, I think it may bet the best in the series because it pits Max and Sherry against a string of bad guys and a hurricane with nothing but their own skills, guts, and drive to save them.
Perhaps somewhere down the road I can pick this up again and read it through to the end. But I can't do it right now.
May 22, 2017
Jonathon King's 5th book in the Max Freeman series goes back to roots, and for the the first time since his debut novel sets the vast majority of the action in the Everglades. Freeman and his girlfriend policewoman Sherry have canoed deep into the 'Glades for a romantic getaway, but then get caught unaware by a major hurricane. Sherry is injured with a broken leg. Max has to get them out. At the same time, there are two other stories: a small gang of looters looking for a big score, and two military-trained security men who also play the role of assassins. Inevitably, all these characters cross paths in a wrong-place, wrong-time violent showdown. So much works well here, yet feels like an author trying too much within 260 pages. It's past page 220 before the characters all meet, and then wraps up in a way that makes you say, "That's It?". There are stronger books in this series, but this is still worth a read. I would not read this book as a first by the author. Start with the debut, "The Blue Edge of Midnight."
June 14, 2020
There is a hurricane coming and Shelly and Max are unaware and in the Everglades on vacation.
Three thugs see it as an opportunity for "salvaging" valuables to be fenced. There is also two bad guys out to secure one of the targets since it is full of equipment that should not be there.
Shelly breaks her leg and Max rescues her to this same site where the other two groups are also heading.
Riveting!
Three thugs see it as an opportunity for "salvaging" valuables to be fenced. There is also two bad guys out to secure one of the targets since it is full of equipment that should not be there.
Shelly breaks her leg and Max rescues her to this same site where the other two groups are also heading.
Riveting!
March 5, 2021
The approach of having the convergence of characters in a staggered timeline was a nice touch. Good background to the characters and good plot. Didn’t enjoy the style of switching back and forth between different perspectives mid-chapter. Also didn’t think Buck had a worthy way of going out. Felt like getting rid of him in that manner was a cop-out to progress the main character’s objective.
3.6/5
3.6/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2023
A very engaging and enjoyable read and I considered giving it 5 stars. However, it was also slow to get to get started, probably due to the significant background it gave to get the 2 groups to the same location (Max & Sherry, Buck & Boys and Harmon & Squires). I don't mind the extensive background, but it made the climax seem short. Would have loved more of that. Still a very good read as Jonathon King's dialogue through Max Freeman made me see myself in that situation.
May 31, 2011
This is a great read and new author for me! I am still going to go with John Connoly but I have to say this guy is a good second! I will look for this author again in the future, if you are in a rut with your favorite guy this author can do it for you. Has the experience as former law enforcement and also the active outdoor life.
I enjoyed it and am sure you will as well!
May 11, 2009
Excellent "train book" (I have a 40-minute commute each way). Fast-paced; a quick read. I cared what happened to the lead characters (even one of the "baddies"!).
I'll be looking up the other books in the Max Freeman series now, so I can see how this character developed.
I'll be looking up the other books in the Max Freeman series now, so I can see how this character developed.
August 16, 2023
One of the best so far in the Max Freeman series. Despite featuring a PI and a sheriff’s deputy, the story is less a who done it than a human and natural maelstrom. Pretty bloody near the end but the overall plot involves people caught in a hurricane and their actions afterward.
Well done!
Well done!
July 5, 2011
One of those books that have a great idea but couldn't put it together properly to make it great.
April 15, 2016
By far his best book
This was a thrill a minute book that put you in the "eye" of danger and painted a real canvas of the beautiful Everglades...........
This was a thrill a minute book that put you in the "eye" of danger and painted a real canvas of the beautiful Everglades...........
December 21, 2018
Quick fun read.
June 22, 2019
It ended a little quickly, but I really enjoyed the story. I like King's book and will read more of his books. Loved the nature settings, but don't think it was realistic about Florida bugs :-)
January 19, 2020
A very intriguing novel about hurricanes destruction in the Florida everglades. Mixed with that mysteries about criminals looting damaged properties. Another great read by the author.
May 6, 2022
The most fearful adversary in this Max Freeman book is a level 3 hurricane, but there are five humans who put Max and Richards in a seriously hostile situation. Again Jonathon King’s description of the horrifying results of the high winds are not only terrifying, but lead to a serious accident for Richards—the floor in the cabin opens up under her and she falls in and breaks her leg. Max has only the small first aid kit he carries with him to bandage her, but he is able to set, stabilize, and strap her leg using duct tape and boards that blew from the two walls of the cabin. After dragging her to his patched up canoe, he is able to paddle her to another cabin that miraculously escaped the full brunt of the storm. There he had to fight looters—who took advantage of the storm to steal valuables from the damaged properties—and tough mercenaries sent by the oil company to check on an illegal oil operation. The description of the hurricane’s devastating strike on the cabin was bad enough, but a thirteen-foot alligator decided to enter the fray as well. An interesting tale told well.
September 25, 2019
I really enjoy the Max Freeman series and look forward to reading every book. The characters are well developed and realistic. I didn’t know much about the Everglades until I started reading this series and now I have an appreciation for the wildness of the tropical wilderness as well as the people who have grown up in the Everglades culture.
I would have given the book four stars but I thought the ending was abrupt. Maybe I just wanted the book to continue.
I would have given the book four stars but I thought the ending was abrupt. Maybe I just wanted the book to continue.
September 23, 2025
3.5 stars, almost 4, but the ending was weak. Excellent exposition of living thru the aftermath of a hurricaine in the middle of the Everglades. Max and Sherry's story was fine throughout, the two other plotlines were interesting but then petered down to a hurry-up finish. A quick and enjoyable read, tho, and I would assume a needed part of the continuing series.
November 21, 2023
Not much to say about this book. It’s my first time with a Jonathon King series of mysteries. I would call it just an ok read - a very light TV plot-like action script that wasn’t deep with much character development. The storyline kept me engaged which is a good thing. I would put mystery authors like Robert Crais, Randy Wayne White and Michael Connelly as better writers overall. We’ll see if I read another one. 3 stars.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
October 30, 2024
A quick read and fairly entertaining.
August 31, 2008
Acts of Nature – 5 Paws
Jonathon King
Dutton, 2007, 260 pps.
ISBN No.978-0-525-95008-0
An unexpected visit by Hurricane Simone will have a lasting effect on the lives of a number of people in the way of the storm.
Max Freeman, former police officer in Philadelphia, and now a PI in Florida has invited Sherry Richards to spend a peaceful week with him at his remote cabin in the Everglades. Max and Sherry agree that this will be a few days with no contact with the outside world so no one really knows their location. The two are enjoying a great get-away until Simone makes her appearance.
A small time hood nicknamed Buck is happy to see Simone. He thinks that he can grab his two teenaged helpers, Marcus and Wayne, and head into the Everglades on a scavenger hunt as soon as the winds die down. Buck is sure that most of the people with remote cabins in the Everglades will be too busy cleaning up at their main residence to worry about what is happening in their vacation spot.
Edward Christopher Harmon is a PI with a military background. The work he is doing now is sometimes very dangerous and not within the legal boundaries. Harmon doesn’t fear much but he does fear hurricanes and knows from personal experience the havoc the storms can create. Harmon is not pleased about a call from his employer immediately following the storm to check on a site that they own in the Everglades but contacts his usual sidekick, Squires, and heads to the location.
Acts of Nature is an exciting story of the three entirely different groups with no previous history with each other and the impact that Simone and the Everglades have on their lives. There is danger involved for all concerned and it is touch and go as to who will survive.
Acts of Nature is another great addition to the Maxwell Freeman series and perhaps the best one yet.
Jonathon King
Dutton, 2007, 260 pps.
ISBN No.978-0-525-95008-0
An unexpected visit by Hurricane Simone will have a lasting effect on the lives of a number of people in the way of the storm.
Max Freeman, former police officer in Philadelphia, and now a PI in Florida has invited Sherry Richards to spend a peaceful week with him at his remote cabin in the Everglades. Max and Sherry agree that this will be a few days with no contact with the outside world so no one really knows their location. The two are enjoying a great get-away until Simone makes her appearance.
A small time hood nicknamed Buck is happy to see Simone. He thinks that he can grab his two teenaged helpers, Marcus and Wayne, and head into the Everglades on a scavenger hunt as soon as the winds die down. Buck is sure that most of the people with remote cabins in the Everglades will be too busy cleaning up at their main residence to worry about what is happening in their vacation spot.
Edward Christopher Harmon is a PI with a military background. The work he is doing now is sometimes very dangerous and not within the legal boundaries. Harmon doesn’t fear much but he does fear hurricanes and knows from personal experience the havoc the storms can create. Harmon is not pleased about a call from his employer immediately following the storm to check on a site that they own in the Everglades but contacts his usual sidekick, Squires, and heads to the location.
Acts of Nature is an exciting story of the three entirely different groups with no previous history with each other and the impact that Simone and the Everglades have on their lives. There is danger involved for all concerned and it is touch and go as to who will survive.
Acts of Nature is another great addition to the Maxwell Freeman series and perhaps the best one yet.
February 2, 2018
Book Description:
Hailed for his "extraordinary" writing ( Publishers Weekly ) and his "incisively chiseled characters" ( The New York Times ), Jonathon King returns with a chilling new thriller featuring Max Freeman, the most thoughtful, well-read, and multilayered private eye hero since Spenser" ( Booklist , starred review). Craving some quiet time together, Max Freeman and Detective Sherry Richards retreat to Max 19s shack deep in the Florida Everglades. No television. No cell phones. No neighbors. It seems like the perfect getaway until a violent hurricane rips through South Florida, obliterating everything in its path. And that is just the beginning of the nightmare. With Sherry severely injured and no way to call for help, the couple begins a treacherous trip back to civilization only to find that the hurricane 19s devastation is the least of their worries. The isolation they sought becomes a deadly enemy as undesirables invade the Glades. Some have come to pillage and loot what remains, while others are desperate to protect secrets. All are willing to kill to get what they came for, and Max and Sherry are smack in the line of fire. Evocative and gripping, Acts of Nature traces their race against time and the elements to escape before it 19s too late.
My Review:
I listened to this audio book and found it to to very interesting. I have never read Jonathon King before but I will definitely try another one of his books. Lots of action with a hurricane, criminals and the good guys all coming together for a very exciting ending!
Hailed for his "extraordinary" writing ( Publishers Weekly ) and his "incisively chiseled characters" ( The New York Times ), Jonathon King returns with a chilling new thriller featuring Max Freeman, the most thoughtful, well-read, and multilayered private eye hero since Spenser" ( Booklist , starred review). Craving some quiet time together, Max Freeman and Detective Sherry Richards retreat to Max 19s shack deep in the Florida Everglades. No television. No cell phones. No neighbors. It seems like the perfect getaway until a violent hurricane rips through South Florida, obliterating everything in its path. And that is just the beginning of the nightmare. With Sherry severely injured and no way to call for help, the couple begins a treacherous trip back to civilization only to find that the hurricane 19s devastation is the least of their worries. The isolation they sought becomes a deadly enemy as undesirables invade the Glades. Some have come to pillage and loot what remains, while others are desperate to protect secrets. All are willing to kill to get what they came for, and Max and Sherry are smack in the line of fire. Evocative and gripping, Acts of Nature traces their race against time and the elements to escape before it 19s too late.
My Review:
I listened to this audio book and found it to to very interesting. I have never read Jonathon King before but I will definitely try another one of his books. Lots of action with a hurricane, criminals and the good guys all coming together for a very exciting ending!
Read
January 4, 2009Acts of Nature, by Jonathan King, b-plus, narrated by Mel Foster, produced by Brilliance Audio, downloaded from audible.com
This is the fifth book in the Max Freeman series. Max was a cop in Philadelphia for a decade but left the force because he accidentally killed a child. He moved to Florida to an isolated shack to have peace, and in the last five books he’s had precious little. In this book Max and his girl friend, Deputy Sherry (forgot her last name right now) go first to his isolated shack, then decide to go even deeper into the isolated everglades. They have no access to a cell phone or electricity or running water, or much else. Everything is fine until a hurricane blows up and practically blows their shelter away. Sherry is seriously injured with a broken and fractured leg, and they have no antibiotic. Max starts back with Sherry in a leaky canoe with only a makeshift paddle, (everything has been blown away by the storm). They find a shelter and decide to rest there. Then an air boat appears and they think they’ll be saved. But this boat is full of looters. Max and Sherry are in the way. Then a helicopter lands with men who say they’re from the DEA, but Max doesn’t believe them. All of them seem very shady and willing to kill, and Max is concerned to get Sherry out before she dies from infection. This is a gripping book and ends with life changes which, it will be interesting to see how he handles in future books.
This is the fifth book in the Max Freeman series. Max was a cop in Philadelphia for a decade but left the force because he accidentally killed a child. He moved to Florida to an isolated shack to have peace, and in the last five books he’s had precious little. In this book Max and his girl friend, Deputy Sherry (forgot her last name right now) go first to his isolated shack, then decide to go even deeper into the isolated everglades. They have no access to a cell phone or electricity or running water, or much else. Everything is fine until a hurricane blows up and practically blows their shelter away. Sherry is seriously injured with a broken and fractured leg, and they have no antibiotic. Max starts back with Sherry in a leaky canoe with only a makeshift paddle, (everything has been blown away by the storm). They find a shelter and decide to rest there. Then an air boat appears and they think they’ll be saved. But this boat is full of looters. Max and Sherry are in the way. Then a helicopter lands with men who say they’re from the DEA, but Max doesn’t believe them. All of them seem very shady and willing to kill, and Max is concerned to get Sherry out before she dies from infection. This is a gripping book and ends with life changes which, it will be interesting to see how he handles in future books.
October 2, 2007
ACTS OF NATURE (Suspense-Max Freeman-Florida-Cont) - VG
King, Jonathan – 6th in series
Dutton, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780525950080
First Sentence: I have my arms around her, my chest pressed into her back, the tops of my thighs against her hamstrings, and I can feel a vibration from deep inside of her. [No, it’s not what you think.]
*** Max and his new love, Detective Sherry Richards take some time for a completely restful time at a secluded shack in the Florida Everglades. A violent hurricane changes course and completely upsets their plans, leaving Sherry seriously injured. With unexpected visitors of a gang looking to profit by looting Everglade properties and another pair determined to destroy the property their in, with no survivors left to tell about it, Max must do whatever he can to keep himself and Sherry alive and get her to help.
*** If you are looking for an exciting, albeit violent, page-turner, this is it. The setting and weather certainly add to the story but it is driven by the characters; good and bad. I’m so glad I found this series as it is the perfect counterpoint to a quiet afternoon. Very good suspense.
King, Jonathan – 6th in series
Dutton, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780525950080
First Sentence: I have my arms around her, my chest pressed into her back, the tops of my thighs against her hamstrings, and I can feel a vibration from deep inside of her. [No, it’s not what you think.]
*** Max and his new love, Detective Sherry Richards take some time for a completely restful time at a secluded shack in the Florida Everglades. A violent hurricane changes course and completely upsets their plans, leaving Sherry seriously injured. With unexpected visitors of a gang looking to profit by looting Everglade properties and another pair determined to destroy the property their in, with no survivors left to tell about it, Max must do whatever he can to keep himself and Sherry alive and get her to help.
*** If you are looking for an exciting, albeit violent, page-turner, this is it. The setting and weather certainly add to the story but it is driven by the characters; good and bad. I’m so glad I found this series as it is the perfect counterpoint to a quiet afternoon. Very good suspense.
January 5, 2010
The fifth book in the series but the weakest entry. After Max and Sherry solved a brutal case in the previous novel, they now need to decide how they can move their relationship into the future. Sherry travels to the Everglades and Max's home in the remote Everglades. After a few days they decide to travel by water to another fishing camp. Unknown to them a hurricane is blowing in which was the best part of the book. In other plots we have two seperate stories being told and when they come together it was a little farfetched. I still give King props for taking a very slim plot idea and spending a great yarn from it. This book didn't have enough depth to it and my favorite supporting character Billy barely makes an appearance. I notice he is writing stand alones and with the way this book ended it could be the end of the series or a new direction for these characters.
July 8, 2014
Book started out fine, but started to wear thin toward the middle. The three nearly separate stories were okay, but I started only being interested in Max and Sherry's story.
And I wonder if I got an unedited eBook version or something, because I found a couple sentences where it had me instead of my and some things that just didn't make sense - all within the space of a few pages.
The ending, where we got three different views of the same events, was frustrating because in one of them, there was no mention of the sudden loud music and some other inconsistencies. I was just ready to be done with the whole thing by that point.
And I am sad if Max really is going to give up his shack on the river. It was one of the things that made him unique and stood out to me.
And I wonder if I got an unedited eBook version or something, because I found a couple sentences where it had me instead of my and some things that just didn't make sense - all within the space of a few pages.
The ending, where we got three different views of the same events, was frustrating because in one of them, there was no mention of the sudden loud music and some other inconsistencies. I was just ready to be done with the whole thing by that point.
And I am sad if Max really is going to give up his shack on the river. It was one of the things that made him unique and stood out to me.
November 6, 2012
At only 260 pages an author has to tell a story pretty quick and here King does a nice job of it. I guess these books are mainly classified as mystery novels but there really is no mystery here. More a story of Max Freeman on vacation when a hurricane comes a blowing. Now of course there is going to be a bit more to the story but I don't feel it is my place to be telling the story as the author has done a fine enough job of that. So enjoy the read and watch the skies for there comes a storm a blowing.
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