Come Monday

Jake Sullivan #1

by Chip Bell

Trouble in Margaritaville Jake Sullivan had everything—his dream job as the chief prosecuting attorney in the Miami Office of the Justice Department, a loving family, and good friends. Many would describe him as a bulldog of a man with a strong moral streak. No one would have predicted what was actually to come. When Jake Sullivan takes on a high profile case, he naturally anticipates both a moral and a professional victory. But when his drinking and obsession with the horrific nature of the crimes involved cloud his judgement, the case is thrown out of court and a cold-blooded killer goes free. Shattered and mired in self-pity, Jake withdraws from his family and takes off for Key West where he builds a small practice fighting marine insurance companies. One night, still haunted by his failures, Jake stumbles upon a covert meeting between Attorney General Benjamin Matthews, the man who fired him, and the serial killer he let go free. What follows is Jake’s fight for redemption and his life as he unravels a Machiavellian plot that leads from Key West to the White House. This is the first book in the Jake Sullivan Series. Also by Chip "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season" and "Havana Daydreamin'"

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks, Fiction

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Charles L. "Chip" Bell, Jr., lives in the City of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Linda, is the father of two daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, and is a practicing attorney specializing in personal injury litigation, with his main office in Arnold, Pennsylvania.

Born on February 23, 1950, in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania, he grew up in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Tarentum High School in 1968, attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, from 1968 to 1972, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. He served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1974, attended Duquesne University School of Law from 1975 to 1979, and graduated Cum Laude. He practiced law as a personal injury trial attorney with the law firm of Rosenberg, Sewak, Pizzi and Bell from 1979 to 2002, and thereafter as a sole practitioner up to and including the present date.

He is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (formerly the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association) and has served on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association from 1988 to 1990. He is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and served on the Board of Governors in 1988. He is a founder and past president of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

He is the author of the Jake Sullivan series of novels, the first of which, Come Monday, was published in June of 2011, and the second, Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season, in October 2011. His third novel, Havana Daydreamin', was released in April 2012. His fourth novel, A Pirate Looks at Forty.has just been published as of June 2, 2014.

Reviews

[Lance Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great Jimmy Buffett song; a mediocre beginning for Jake Sullivan. The story was good, the writing okay (although too much was explained at times which made me feel like the stupid reader). In the end the story was just too rushed. With that being said however, I really liked the character Jake Sullivan. The author has written eight books in the series and has many readers. I am going to read at least the next two books and I'm betting that Jake Sullivan and the writing will grow together.

[Douglass w. Cann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

Nice plots Great character development. Looking to read to reading more. Intriguing story, moves right along you'll have trouble putting it down.

[Michael S. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

Not much for me to say besides I really enjoyed the book. The story, characters, plot, we're all good. Look forward to reading glasses the next one.

[Lori Clapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful. As I was reading it, my husband would ask for a recap on what was happening. Several days after I finished the book, we were still talking about it. Can't wait to start the next one in the series.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come Monday by Chip Bell

Jake Sullivan is an attorney who appears to revel in hot water. This is the first of the Jake Sullivan Trilogy. It is a mystery taking place in Key West, Florida.

Jake has the aspects of many of the often abused, frequently embroiled in difficulty protagonists that star in the hard boiled detective stories. A down on his luck attorney, he finds his luck worsening when he overhears something he shouldn't have heard.

The rest of the action follows his serendipitous discovery of information fraught with peril.

Bell rings in a new protagonist with lots of plot and action. The story is more of a novelette than full blown book which, I'm guessing why it is marketed as a self contained trilogy.

I recommend.

site:
http://www.amazon.com/Chip-Bell/e/B00...

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I know it was far fetched, but I quite enjoyed Jake Sullivan. Oddly enough, I figured out much of the who & why early on, but it didn't detract from the fun. Jake blows a BIG serial murderer case by losing the evidence; he's disgraced and fired as District Attorney by the Attorney General who hated him anyway. Jake had a drinking problems and the work problem caused him to drive his wife & daughters away. So sad. He moves to Key West to start over & develops a decent business as a maritime lawyer. THEN, he sees something he shouldn't, involving people who shouldn't be together, and the trouble starts BIG TIME. Everyone he turns to for help either is sort of involved OR have reason to believe that he's making things up to cover for new questionable behavior. I'll definitely read the next in the series!

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly suprised by how much I actually liked this book that I had to really sit back and think a while before writing this review. Jake Sullivan used to be a lawyer until his whole world came tumbling down on him.

Reasons why I should have hated this book:

I constantly complain about character development but in this book there was very little. (This didn’t bother me at all)

This story was very quick paced with little to no time to breath. (I actually liked that about the story most)

It was a political/thriller/wierd type of book that normally does not meet my genre list.

BUT

Not one of these factors bothered me and I actually found myself wanting more of Jake Sullivan and this author Very Very Impressed with this Freebie.

[Michelle LeKander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I was just in the mood for a good thriller mystery after reading a series of disappointing romance novels that made me give this book 4 stars, but I really enjoyed it. The beginning was a tad rough and I do have to agree with other reviewers that the author's dialogue and history lesson of Key West was a little over the top for me and frankly I glossed over it. But after that, the author had me and I must admit stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. Perhaps, it all came to a conclusion a little too quickly and easily, but once again I just found myself wrapped up in the story. I would read from this author again

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jake Sullivan, a former prosecuting attorney who was framed, and disgraced, for losing a high profile case, attempts to start over in Key West. Author Chip Bell uses the local scenery to create an authentic atmosphere from south Florida right to the White House. A great find with a steady flow of entertainment, plot twists and turns. A quick read and look for more Jake Sullivan titles from this author as well.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun shorter beach book. The story follows a disgraced former assistance AG who moves to Key West and stumbles across a conspiracy reaching deem within the US government. The story is a nice easy read but it’s a little too straight forward and simplistic for me to consider it a really great book, but the writing is good and the characters are engaging so if you’re looking for a light read that will take you to the beach, give “Come Monday” a try.

[Delta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read, but wasn't all that fulfilling. The first few chapters were intriguing with the evidence going missing. Then things started to fall apart for me. I think part of the problem was that there was so much going on. So many characters that were meant to be important but I quickly forgot about.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author has potential, but he needs to spend more time on the action and the dialogue, and less on the exposition. Those sidetracks slowed down the pace too much and many really had no bearing on the plot, like where he went to college, how he met his wife, time in the military, etc.

[Carol Voogd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fun, current story

A quick read, involving current events and places. I will read others by this author. not great literature, but a way to relax.

[Leslie Savisky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A quick, solid read.
Prons: I liked the title (clever, with a handful of Buffet references) and the Key West setting and background info about the Keys. Also, being born and raised in Southwestern PA myself, like Bell, I enjoyed the Pittsburgh-area references. I actually though that the FBI character, Mike Lang, was actually a nod to the beloved Penguins sports announcer Mike Lange, until I read the acknowledgements and realized the named came from a friend of the author. I enjoyed the characters and found myself rooting for Jake Sullivan. Also, although the book was published in 2009, I found Matthews eerily similar to a current, real-life politician. A premonition, maybe?

Cons: Like a few other reviewers stated, there was way too much "telling, not showing" and way too much overexplaining, even in the dialogue. I found myself thinking, "No one really talks like that" quite a bit. Example: in the boathouse, Matthews would never go on and on about the "informant" and tell Jake everything he did and planned to do. Also, there was so much overuse of names. "Listen, Jake... I gotta tell ya." Jake, listen here, Jake." Again, in true dialogue, no one uses other people's names that often.

All of that to say, this was the first Jake Sullivan book written a decade and a half ago. I'm sure that the writing gets better over time. I'd definitely read another Chip Bell book because I'd love to see what Sullivan gets into next.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a long-time Parrott-Head and try to get my hands on anything relating to the great Jimmy Buffett.

That being said, I was somewhat suspect of a series of mystery novels each bearing the title of a classic JB song. I have already enjoyed all of the terrific Tom Corcoran novels, each set in Key West, and wanted to see how Chip Bell's series measured up.

I am pleased to report that COME MONDAY not only held my interest but was an above-average thriller featuring former Prosecuting Attorney Jake Sullivan. He is literally miles away from his past career in Miami as he now has put down stakes with his own investigative office set in Key West.

His target in COME MONDAY is long-time nemesis Benjamin Matthews who just happens to be the residing Attorney General of the United States. When Jake suspects that Matthews is involved in some shady business with, among others, a noted serial killer, he has no idea how close to the truth he is. Since Matthews cannot himself to be exposed by a scandal that could over-turn a future White House run he makes it his mission to destroy Jake Sullivan.

You will be in for a good time watching how Jake overcomes enormous odds to nail Matthews. I am now looking forward to running through this entire series and have TRYING TO REASON WITH HURRICANE SEASON on my 'to be read' pile!

[Diane Wachter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Sullivan Series, Bk 1, EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2009, 2011, Read 2/2/22. Fiction, FL Government corruption, Drug Wars. Jake, a disgraced, fired prosecutor, now a lawyer investigating Insurance fraud for maritime salvage operations, stumbles upon a very suspicious meeting in a park in the wee hours of the morning, and gets embroiled in a deadly situation between the U.S. Attorney General, known killers, and the drug cartel. 4☆'s = Very Good. Lots of unsavory characters, many mistakes made by the main character and many twists and turns add interest and suspense into the mix.

[Lynnette Goebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series of the Jake Sullivan are interesting and entertaining. I knew nothing about these books, so I'm going to give you hints before you start reading them. First, the titles are all the names of Jimmy Buffet songs. (I only know of his songs to sing - Margaritaville.

Second, these are fiction books, but based on some morsels of truth.

I enjoyed learning about Jimmy Buffet, learning a little more about history and geography, and suspending my disbelief in many cases. The books are short and great for rainy days on vacation in Hawaii.

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, mediocre at best. The writing style is one notch above a Dick and Jane story. Way too much telling and not enough color. A few good bits, but more tongue-in-cheek bits than reality would allow. The editing is clean, but the plot stalls on occasion. A lot of stuff happens 'off-screen', so to say, and you're left wondering about it. IE: Jake's FBI friend does a lot in the background that the reader isn't privy to.

[MARIE MURPHY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something is rotten in the Justice Dept of the United States of America

This book pulled me in from the get go. Clear precise dialogue from the start. No mystery here you knew who was good and who was the culprit. Story line shaped up to be a great narrative and you were rooting for the protagonist to get comeuppance.. really good read

[Rena Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Some books are more fun to read than others. Some characters are more lovable, or at least likable than others. This is one of those books and Jake Sullivan is on of those characters.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this read. Haven’t read any books in close to a year. Knocked it out in a matter of days just casually reading. Liked the characters. Knowing the Keys, I could visualize all the locations. Easy and relaxing, especially while savoring a margarita. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[G.Richard Mccafferty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

This was a great book from a guy right down the river from Verona Penn's was fast reading lots of action as was really appreciated by this reader and I look forward to many more good 👍with Jake

[Mickey Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a deviously awesome story!

This is the first book by Chip Bell that I have read, and I am very impressed! I fully intend to follow this series. The well written plot and narrative were easy to read. The characters are strong and realistic. Well done!

[Amy I Hathaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything is just jake!

I really liked the story line and the main character. That being said, I think the author could have fleshed it out much more. It was a very quick simple read.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come Monday delivers

Come Monday delivers. The book moves quickly. Characters are believable and well developed. I like Jimmy Buffett so a few mentions of him and his songs was a nice touch. Great ending.

[Eric Jolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid start to a Key West thriller series featuring disgraced Miami DOJ Chief Prosecutor Jake Sullivan. No spoilers here, but a good novella. The plot was good, but maybe a bit underdeveloped.

I’ll bet the series gets better, over time…since there are now 13 Jake Sullivan books. I’d read more.

[Loretta Saxe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Sullivan took a stand and got himself in hot water; but this time the lawyer really won! I really liked the book and writing style.

[Suzy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, easy read.

[April Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

W/o did what to whom

This story had more twist and curves to it you never knew what was next. It was a very interesting book.

[Marty Mcintyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Buffet song for the title, Key West descriptions and political intrigue -- what's not to love! I think this was a good first book.