Colorado Boulevard

Crush #3

by Phoef Sutton

When Zerbe, the honorary brother (and roommate) of LA's toughest bodyguard/bouncer, Crush, is kidnapped, Crush springs into action to save him. Unraveling the mystery takes him to Zerbe's estranged billionaire father, who's obsessed with building California's long-promised bullet train, as well as to Pasadena's famed Rose Parade along Colorado Boulevard. Rich with witty dialogue, nonstop action, and a solid mystery.

300 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2017

About the author

Phoef Sutton started as an actor and playwright in college; he was lucky enough to go to a small liberal arts college in Virginia, James Madison University, which encouraged student playwrights. Phoef was one of the only undergraduates to win the Norman Lear Award for Comedy Playwriting. After graduation, Phoef had plays produced at various regional theaters around the country, had his award winning play BURIAL CUSTOMS selected for publication by the Theatre Communications Group and was awarded a National Endowment for Arts Playwrights Fellowship.

After marrying and moving to Los Angeles, Phoef started his career at the NBC television show CHEERS. He stayed with the show for eight years, working his way up from staff writer to executive producer, winning two Emmys and a Writer’s Guild Award. A greater training ground for a writer could not be imagined.

After CHEERS, Phoef has produced and created a number of television shows and consulted on others, including NEWS RADIO and BOSTON LEGAL. He is honored to have won a Peabody Award, a GLAAD award and a Television Academy Honors award for this work on BOSTON LEGAL. Recently, he has worked on critically acclaimed series TERRIERS for FX and THE SOUL MAN for TV Land, DEFIANCE for SyFy Channel and ALPHA HOUSE for Amazon.

He has directed a short film – a suspense tale called ‘TIL DEATH. ‘TIL DEATH has been shown and various film festivals around the world and received prizes at the Garden State Festival and WorldFest in Houston, Texas.

Phoef has also worked for many years as a screenwriter and script doctor. MRS. WINTERBOURNE, directed by Richard Benjamin was an adaptation of a novel by one of his favorite authors, Cornell Woolrich. THE FAN, directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert DeNiro was an adaptation of the novel by Peter Abrahams.

Phoef is a published novelist – FIFTEEN MINUTES TO LIVE, a romantic-thriller; DEAD MAN: THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, a horror novel and its sequel DEAD MAN REBORN.
2015 is a promising year for Phoef, with the debut of his collaborations with Janet Evanovich, WICKED CHARMS and publication of his hard-boiled crime novel CRUSH.

Phoef lives in South Pasadena, California with his wife Dawn and his daughters Skylar and Celia.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I’ve read in the Crush series and prior to this my experience reading Phoef Sutton has been limited to his collaborations with Janet Evanovich, which I enjoyed and which made me very curious about this solo work of his, and it did not disappoint.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book.

Crush is a lot of formers. Former Marine, former mob lackey, former drinker, former private security, former stepson to a billionaire tycoon; in other words, he has a lot of experience with life’s less pleasant elements. When his former stepbrother and current roommate is kidnapped he goes to great lengths to get him back and walks into a shitstorm that’s been brewing for decades. The past plays out in the present and this kidnapping becomes so much more than just a bid for ransom.

It has all the over-the-topness I would expect from the co-author if Curious Minds, and there is a great appreciation for the absurd and the silly, which I enjoy. But at its heart, this book has heartbreaking tragedy that the villains go to ridiculous lengths to cover-up. There is definitely more to this book than meets the eye and I look forward to reading more of Crush’s story.

I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to make of this novel, which I very much wanted to like but which confounded that desire at almost every turn. I'd not read the first books so was not familiar with the characters but I don't think that would have made a difference. This was a bit too too for me, what with flashbacks and gazillionaires and kidnapping and car thievery etc. I think there's a better book in here because the characters, especially Crush, are interesting, as has been proven by the fact that this is the third book. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner!

[Tom Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of the story where we got to learn more about Crush’s backstory and his siblings, as well as explore a kidnapping caper with KC his half brother. Always a good read.

[Jennifer]

I am a huge fan of Phoef Sutton. Love his Crush series. I do wish there were more. It's the type of series that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[Tom Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not complete this book, but found characters appealing. Want to start series from beginning. Not fair to rate.