Bermuda Grass

Alan Saxon #5

by Keith Miles

Alan Saxon is helping to design a golf course at a new hotel in Bermuda. When his daughter, Lynette, agrees to spend a week on the island with him, he envisages an idyllic holiday. He is soon disillusioned. To begin with, Lynette brings a fellow - student from Oxford with her on the trip and Saxon has grave doubts about Jessica Hadlow. The girl ...

416 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2002

About the author

Pseudonyms: Edward Marston, A.E. Marston, Martin Inigo, Conrad Allen, David Garland, Christopher T. Mountjoy

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theater. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book.

The protagonist of the theater series is Nicholas Bracewell, the bookholder of a leading Elizabethan theater company (in an alternate non-Shakespearean universe).

The latter series' two protagonists are the Norman soldier Ralph Delchard and the former novitiate turned lawyer Gervase Bret, who is half Norman and half Saxon.

His latest series of novels are based in early Victorian period and revolve around the fictional railway detective Inspector Robert Colbeck.

Series:
* City Hospital
* Action Scene
* Alan Saxon
* Merlin Richards

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Saxon,once a big name on the pro golf tour had been given an exciting opportunity to help design a new golf course at a new hotel in Bermuda. He travels to the island with his daughter and obnoxious girl friend, hoping to have some free time to spend with them. Instead he finds the work on the course has been fraught with mishaps which will slow the course development significantly. Before Alan gets any time in the sun he finds the body of a murdered man. This event is followed in quick succession by the kidnapping of the girls.

Alan races against the clock to rescue the girls and help solve the murder before all his dreams go up in a slice to the rough. The most interesting part of the novel to me was learning about what Bermuda grass is and how it behaves. Golfers might get more out of the book than I did.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I did not think this mystery would be as good as another that I had recently read set also in Bermuda, but I was wrong. However, unlike the previously referred to mystery, this one did not rely on the setting nor did it evoke my own visit to this island nation.

That said, not only was there a murder, a sabotaged new golf course, but also a kidnapping. There were lots of suspects also from the hotel manager to the irate father to the lover.

And, I did not figure it out. Like the author intended, I vacillated between suspects and was surprised by the outcome. A nicely done cozy style mystery.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. An interesting plot but it was written by an Englishman. 90% is just to "cold" to get the reader involved. The only truly exciting parts were when Alan was in the process of rescuing the girls.It has a decent amount of humor in it which waited the third star. If interested, see my progress comments.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was mentioned in a Bermuda guide book. I haven't read any other Alan Saxon mysteries. It was a quick read and was great to read in Bermuda by the pool.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kidnapping in Bermuda. Could have been anyway, really. Not any local color. Very disappointing.

[Jersey Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually a reasonably good read with some tension and a mystery. But, for a golfer, Saxon has no balls when dealing with his ex wife. That is becoming tiresome and annoying.