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Garrison Gage #1
The Gray and Guilty Sea
A curmudgeon. An iconoclast. A loner. That's how people describe Garrison Gage, and that's when they're being charitable.
After his wife's brutal murder in New York, and Gage himself is beaten nearly to death, the crippled private investigator retreats three thousand miles to the quaint coastal town of Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. He spends the next five years in a convalescent stupor, content to bide his time filling out crossword puzzles and trying to forget that his wife's death is his fault. But all that changes when he discovers the body of a young woman washed up on the beach, and his conscience draws him back into his old occupation - forcing him to confront the demons of his own guilt before he can hope to solve the girl's murder.
After his wife's brutal murder in New York, and Gage himself is beaten nearly to death, the crippled private investigator retreats three thousand miles to the quaint coastal town of Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. He spends the next five years in a convalescent stupor, content to bide his time filling out crossword puzzles and trying to forget that his wife's death is his fault. But all that changes when he discovers the body of a young woman washed up on the beach, and his conscience draws him back into his old occupation - forcing him to confront the demons of his own guilt before he can hope to solve the girl's murder.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2010
6111 people are currently reading
4851 people want to read
About the author
Scott William Carter
82 books172 followersScott William Carter’s first novel, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a “touching and impressive debut” and won an Oregon Book Award. Since then, he has published many books and short stories, his fiction spanning a wide variety of genres and styles. His book for younger readers, Wooden Bones, chronicles the untold story of Pinocchio and was singled out for praise by the Junior Library Guild. He is the author of the popular Garrison Gage mystery series set on the Oregon coast, as well as the provocative Myron Vale Investigations, about the private investigator in Portland, Oregon who works for both the living and the dead. He’s also the cartoonist behind the Run of the House comic strip.
If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, in his “day job” life he works as an Instructional Designer and Digital Production & Publishing Specialist at Western Oregon University, where he manages the Digital Media Center and provides training and expertise to the campus community on a variety of topics, including Web page creation, digital video production, print-on-demand and ebook publishing, and many software applications related to publishing, distribution, and education in all its forms. He also teaches occasional classes for both the English department and the College of Education.
In past lives, he has been an academic technologist, a writing instructor, bookstore owner, the manager of a computer training company, and a ski instructor, though the most important job — and best – he’s ever had is being the father of his two children. He currently lives in Oregon with his wife and two children.
If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, in his “day job” life he works as an Instructional Designer and Digital Production & Publishing Specialist at Western Oregon University, where he manages the Digital Media Center and provides training and expertise to the campus community on a variety of topics, including Web page creation, digital video production, print-on-demand and ebook publishing, and many software applications related to publishing, distribution, and education in all its forms. He also teaches occasional classes for both the English department and the College of Education.
In past lives, he has been an academic technologist, a writing instructor, bookstore owner, the manager of a computer training company, and a ski instructor, though the most important job — and best – he’s ever had is being the father of his two children. He currently lives in Oregon with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 819 reviews
May 25, 2020
I enjoyed this quick read!
May 26, 2015
Strong start, weak middle, little back story of what drove him into exile. After too much introspection, it was hard to finish. The finish was nicer than the middle. This review sounds like a puzzle.
February 20, 2016
I saw this book on Amazon last month. It sounded interesting and the price was right. Free (Kindle version). I am next in line for a book I have on hold at my local library and was looking for a quick read. This novel is only 265 pages so I decided to read this while waiting for the book I have on hold to become available. At first I wasn't sure whether I was going to like the book. It started a little slow and weak and it was difficult to get into the characters and the story.
Garrison Gage is a loner. A curmudgeon. He could be a grumpy old man but it is unclear how old he is. He is living Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. Five years previously he was a private investigator in New York when his wife was murdered and he was severely beaten and now needs a cane to get around. When he isn't blaming himself for his wife's death he spends his time doing crossword puzzles and taking lonely walks on the beach. When the novel opens he is taking one of these walks when he finds the body of a young woman. A teenager.
The discovery of the young woman starts the cracks in the armor that Garrison has built. He becomes drawn into discovering who killed her. It becomes an obsession. Along the way the case becomes a vehicle towards self discovery. He finds that as hard as he tried to be a loner for the past five years that there are people who care about him. In fact that he needs and wants these people in his life. He is not the only person who has had tragedy and difficulties in life. Recovery is not possible if you retreat into a shell.
The story started out a little slow. A little gray and foggy like the description of Barnacle Bluffs but as I got into the book I started to enjoy the characters. The identity of the murder was not a big surprise. A bit predictable. But overall this was a nice story. I was looking for a quick read and this fits the bill.
Garrison Gage is a loner. A curmudgeon. He could be a grumpy old man but it is unclear how old he is. He is living Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. Five years previously he was a private investigator in New York when his wife was murdered and he was severely beaten and now needs a cane to get around. When he isn't blaming himself for his wife's death he spends his time doing crossword puzzles and taking lonely walks on the beach. When the novel opens he is taking one of these walks when he finds the body of a young woman. A teenager.
The discovery of the young woman starts the cracks in the armor that Garrison has built. He becomes drawn into discovering who killed her. It becomes an obsession. Along the way the case becomes a vehicle towards self discovery. He finds that as hard as he tried to be a loner for the past five years that there are people who care about him. In fact that he needs and wants these people in his life. He is not the only person who has had tragedy and difficulties in life. Recovery is not possible if you retreat into a shell.
The story started out a little slow. A little gray and foggy like the description of Barnacle Bluffs but as I got into the book I started to enjoy the characters. The identity of the murder was not a big surprise. A bit predictable. But overall this was a nice story. I was looking for a quick read and this fits the bill.
July 9, 2022
New author, new series for me. I feel extremely grateful for a worker at my library to have recommended this author and lucky to have easily found it with the help of my best friend, “Mr. Amazon”. We meet Gage, who is a private investigator and seems to be living under the guise of a tragic hero. You feel sorry for him as he suffers physically and mentally while pursuing the girl's killer but then you have to admire his determination to push on. The tale is believable and so very well-written. Carter has made excellent use of many of the things that make the setting real and easily imagined by the reader with the words he chose to describe this area of Oregan...the late winter followed by the early spring and the rest of the Oregon coast weather throughout the entire story. The book draws the reader in and holds you until the last sentence with its complicated characters and great plot line. I will warn those that are not willing to tolerate writers that make copious use of the "F" word in their work that this book is a cornucopia of them...otherwise a really good book.
December 22, 2021
I enjoyed this book a lot. Gage had probably one of the most awful back stories I have ever read. So incredibly sad. But this book is actually all about hope. Hope…even for the broken people. And the rainy gray days are so depressing for someone like me who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder. I hate cold gray days! Can’t quite figure out how I ended up back in New England, but here I am. The mystery was a good one and I will definitely read more in the series.
June 19, 2019
With everything in shades of grey and steel this atmospheric murder mystery hooked me straight away. From rolling fog and downpours of rain to the molten, churning sea and steel shaded skies the book had a very "SE7EN" melancholic feel to it. Gage Garrison is an ex-Private Investigator trudging from one day to the next in self imposed exile over the death of his wife and almost death/crippling of himself five years previously. He lives day by day, suppressing all feelings, doing crosswords, until a walk on the beach uncovers a girl's body washed up on the shore.
It's a somewhat cathartic experience for Gage as the sight of the girl embeds a thought in his brain of murder, and his finely honed sense of justice and need to solve a mystery reignites his choice to reconnect with the world by investigating.
Yes, there is definitely a murder to be solved and one that could have shocking implications, but more importantly this is a tale of a bevy of damaged people looking to redeem themselves and learning to trust again. The novel can come across as a bit depressing, but like the film "SE7EN" it draws you in with the characters and a puzzle worthy of solving. I immensely enjoyed this book.
It's a somewhat cathartic experience for Gage as the sight of the girl embeds a thought in his brain of murder, and his finely honed sense of justice and need to solve a mystery reignites his choice to reconnect with the world by investigating.
Yes, there is definitely a murder to be solved and one that could have shocking implications, but more importantly this is a tale of a bevy of damaged people looking to redeem themselves and learning to trust again. The novel can come across as a bit depressing, but like the film "SE7EN" it draws you in with the characters and a puzzle worthy of solving. I immensely enjoyed this book.
February 2, 2016
A decent first in a series by Jack Nolte who writes under the non de plume, Scott William Carter.
Garrison Gage has ended up in beach community in Oregon, as far from NYC as he can get. He's running from the memories of his wife's murder, too. He's grumpy. He's a loner. But when he finds the body of a teen-aged girl on the beach, something within him begins to thaw. He feels the responsibility to find out who she is and why she was killed. He knows if he can find out those two things, he'll know who her killer is.
Of course the local police chief and his retired FBI buddy have other ideas. His housekeeper, Mattie, has a bigger surprise for him. And then there is the owner of the small town's newspaper, The Bugle. She's persistent and damaged just like Gage - her's is invisible while his is his shattered knee that will have him severely limping for the rest of his life. Together these people will help him to find the girl's murderer.
Nolte's characters are well developed as is Gage's back story. However, the story lagged a bit here and there. But it's a satisfying mystery novel.
Garrison Gage has ended up in beach community in Oregon, as far from NYC as he can get. He's running from the memories of his wife's murder, too. He's grumpy. He's a loner. But when he finds the body of a teen-aged girl on the beach, something within him begins to thaw. He feels the responsibility to find out who she is and why she was killed. He knows if he can find out those two things, he'll know who her killer is.
Of course the local police chief and his retired FBI buddy have other ideas. His housekeeper, Mattie, has a bigger surprise for him. And then there is the owner of the small town's newspaper, The Bugle. She's persistent and damaged just like Gage - her's is invisible while his is his shattered knee that will have him severely limping for the rest of his life. Together these people will help him to find the girl's murderer.
Nolte's characters are well developed as is Gage's back story. However, the story lagged a bit here and there. But it's a satisfying mystery novel.
June 30, 2019
I discovered the Garrison Gage Mystery series through a book blogger whose name, unfortunately, escapes me. I keep reminding myself to take note of the source of my discoveries, but there are so many, I’m discouraged by the time leakage. I must become more disciplined because book bloggers are so generous with their information that the least I can do is give them credit for leading the way.
The first book in Scott William Carter’s Garrison Gage Mystery series, The Gray and Guilty Sea, started off with the author using the pseudonym of Jack Nolte, and the series was collectively called the Oregon Coast Mystery. He had a re-think about his pseudonym and the collective title of the series after his first book gave him the pleasant surprise of gaining popularity, and because of the fast and radical changes happening within the publishing industry. He decided to re-publish his Garrison Gage books under his “real” name, Scott William Carter and he also re-named the collective title of the series, to the more appropriate title of the “Garrison Gage Mysteries”. This pleased me so much that I re-purchased the book so I could have the correct book cover and the more up-to-date edition. Scott explains his reason for these changes, in an interesting blog post, on his website www.scottwilliamcarter.com .
When I started reading The Gray and Guilty Sea recently, I realised that I’d read this book a few months ago. I must have skimmed it, and not given it the focus it deserved. I usually have five books on the go, so if I overwhelm myself with choice, I just “clear the decks”. When I clear the decks, many a good book gets shelved and sometimes forgotten. Anyway, I picked it up again recently, I couldn’t recall “who done it”, so I read it again, and I’m very glad I did. It’s really good.
I could summarise the book for you here, but I think, particularly with crime novels, a summary always rips the heart and soul out of a good story. If you summarise what it’s about, it ends up sounding like a million other crime novels. I read lots of them. Mysteries, not thrillers. My favourite series, and there are many, could all be made to sound the same, but they’re not. I enjoy hours and hours of reading. Reading crime novels gives me great pleasure because the mystery drives my fascination. So no, I’ll not summarise the Garrison Gage Mysteries for you, except to say the stories are set on the Oregon Coast of the USA. The writing is good, the characters are interesting and their experiences are well drawn. The books are plot driven at a speed where you have time to take in the scenery and the weather, there’s time to get to know the characters and the consequences of their actions. There is a degree of violence and sex but it’s not too graphic nor over indulged. The core is the mystery of what, why and how and that’s what I like. (For more information go to Amazon.com where you’ll find a blurb for the book and reviews that may be helpful: The Gray and Guilty Sea: A Garrison Gage Mystery )
I look forward to the next two in the series. There are three books so far, as at May 2015, being: A Desperate Place for Dying and The lovely Wicked Rain. You can buy the books at Amazon.com, see the links below. I believe there is also a prequel. Enjoy!
Originally written as a blog post on my blog at www.artuccino.com
The first book in Scott William Carter’s Garrison Gage Mystery series, The Gray and Guilty Sea, started off with the author using the pseudonym of Jack Nolte, and the series was collectively called the Oregon Coast Mystery. He had a re-think about his pseudonym and the collective title of the series after his first book gave him the pleasant surprise of gaining popularity, and because of the fast and radical changes happening within the publishing industry. He decided to re-publish his Garrison Gage books under his “real” name, Scott William Carter and he also re-named the collective title of the series, to the more appropriate title of the “Garrison Gage Mysteries”. This pleased me so much that I re-purchased the book so I could have the correct book cover and the more up-to-date edition. Scott explains his reason for these changes, in an interesting blog post, on his website www.scottwilliamcarter.com .
When I started reading The Gray and Guilty Sea recently, I realised that I’d read this book a few months ago. I must have skimmed it, and not given it the focus it deserved. I usually have five books on the go, so if I overwhelm myself with choice, I just “clear the decks”. When I clear the decks, many a good book gets shelved and sometimes forgotten. Anyway, I picked it up again recently, I couldn’t recall “who done it”, so I read it again, and I’m very glad I did. It’s really good.
I could summarise the book for you here, but I think, particularly with crime novels, a summary always rips the heart and soul out of a good story. If you summarise what it’s about, it ends up sounding like a million other crime novels. I read lots of them. Mysteries, not thrillers. My favourite series, and there are many, could all be made to sound the same, but they’re not. I enjoy hours and hours of reading. Reading crime novels gives me great pleasure because the mystery drives my fascination. So no, I’ll not summarise the Garrison Gage Mysteries for you, except to say the stories are set on the Oregon Coast of the USA. The writing is good, the characters are interesting and their experiences are well drawn. The books are plot driven at a speed where you have time to take in the scenery and the weather, there’s time to get to know the characters and the consequences of their actions. There is a degree of violence and sex but it’s not too graphic nor over indulged. The core is the mystery of what, why and how and that’s what I like. (For more information go to Amazon.com where you’ll find a blurb for the book and reviews that may be helpful: The Gray and Guilty Sea: A Garrison Gage Mystery )
I look forward to the next two in the series. There are three books so far, as at May 2015, being: A Desperate Place for Dying and The lovely Wicked Rain. You can buy the books at Amazon.com, see the links below. I believe there is also a prequel. Enjoy!
Originally written as a blog post on my blog at www.artuccino.com
August 14, 2014
Decent characters though I found it hard to get a 'handle' on how old Gage was meant to be. He seemed a little 'unformed' in places. I only had a hazy idea about his backstory and what happened to him, and he spent a lot of time in introspection, which became a little boring after a while.
In some scenes the writing was really beautiful, intense and emotional but there were also numerous editing errors, some of which had me re-reading pages in an attempt to make sense of what was happening.
However, the errors were balanced out with an enjoyable plot.
Strong three stars.
In some scenes the writing was really beautiful, intense and emotional but there were also numerous editing errors, some of which had me re-reading pages in an attempt to make sense of what was happening.
However, the errors were balanced out with an enjoyable plot.
Strong three stars.
March 27, 2015
3.5* A retired investigator Garrison Gage, finds a body of a young girl washed up on a beach. Although he has given up on life something about this girl lights the spark that brings him out of his self imposed exile. This is a good thriller with well written atmospheric scenes and humorous quick-witted dialogue. An enjoyable read.
October 26, 2014
Not bad, a bit predictable, but all in all an ok read.
April 25, 2016
Not the worst book I've ever read, but it was also more confusing than satisfying.
The good:
The book was professionally edited and well put-together - thank you! This is an author who cares about their book. It gets a full extra star just for this.
While I agree with the others that the protagonist is vague in many ways, I thought he was complete and well developed from an emotional standpoint. That is, I found his reactions authentic and distinct from other characters. I also really liked some of the minor characters, in particular the old lady (Agnes?) at the community center.
The setting couldn't be more pleasant. I moved away from Oregon twenty years ago, but the descriptions of the woods and sea brought back nice memories.
The bad:
I found the entire premise, the main plot and all the subplots, to be entirely unbelievable. I won't give any spoilers away, but - for example - I just couldn't believe that the young and incredibly beautiful journalist who just moved to town is so overwhelmingly attracted to the old, self-described "crippled misanthrope" that she can focus on nothing but sleeping with him, falling to pieces every time he gently puts her off. I'm not saying older or disabled people can't have sex (my mother literally has one eye and no legs and she's a freak, true story) but this attraction feels more like a fantasy of the author than a real plot. The same holds for the main plot and subplots.
Several of the characters, including important characters, were dropped out of the sky. They have zero connection to the other characters or to the story, we do not know why they are there, and they serve no purpose.
The book is overwritten. It has its good points and there is some beautiful description, but keep your eyes open for the metaphors that are so corny they will slap you in the face and drag you out of the narrative.
His eyes felt like scratched marbles.
Moisture covered the window like plastic wrap.
Clouds covered the sun like someone holding a tissue over a yellow light.
There is also a significant amount of repetition in the language (I counted at least five instances where mist wetted someone's cheeks) and a few crazy run-on sentences.
It was only a few minutes before he came to a break in the trees, and then he saw it there through the gaps in the branches, a long winding road that led up to a castle overlooking the ocean, the road bordered on both sides by the private little forest."
Nolte engages in one of my pet peeves, obsessing about the size / weight of a larger character. One of the minor characters in the book is obese, and Nolte mentions it in nearly every other sentence. JUST IN CASE we forgot, fat person ahead. He describes her as wearing a sweater that could cover a boat. His tone turns pitying and judgmental. I hate that. People come in all sizes. If you aren't going to freak out about the exceptionally tall detective, don't flip out about the wide woman and beat me over the head with it.
The pacing is slow at the beginning but does pick up at the end. The resolution feels nice and complete.
Finally there are places where the book seems outdated, even though it is only 5 years old. The existence of pay phone booths and phone books, for example.
Overall, it's the kind of book that's great to pick up for free (which I did) and read when you need to kill some time. It's worth a couple hours of your time, although I'm not sure I'd say it's worth any money. Solid two stars.
The good:
The book was professionally edited and well put-together - thank you! This is an author who cares about their book. It gets a full extra star just for this.
While I agree with the others that the protagonist is vague in many ways, I thought he was complete and well developed from an emotional standpoint. That is, I found his reactions authentic and distinct from other characters. I also really liked some of the minor characters, in particular the old lady (Agnes?) at the community center.
The setting couldn't be more pleasant. I moved away from Oregon twenty years ago, but the descriptions of the woods and sea brought back nice memories.
The bad:
I found the entire premise, the main plot and all the subplots, to be entirely unbelievable. I won't give any spoilers away, but - for example - I just couldn't believe that the young and incredibly beautiful journalist who just moved to town is so overwhelmingly attracted to the old, self-described "crippled misanthrope" that she can focus on nothing but sleeping with him, falling to pieces every time he gently puts her off. I'm not saying older or disabled people can't have sex (my mother literally has one eye and no legs and she's a freak, true story) but this attraction feels more like a fantasy of the author than a real plot. The same holds for the main plot and subplots.
Several of the characters, including important characters, were dropped out of the sky. They have zero connection to the other characters or to the story, we do not know why they are there, and they serve no purpose.
The book is overwritten. It has its good points and there is some beautiful description, but keep your eyes open for the metaphors that are so corny they will slap you in the face and drag you out of the narrative.
His eyes felt like scratched marbles.
Moisture covered the window like plastic wrap.
Clouds covered the sun like someone holding a tissue over a yellow light.
There is also a significant amount of repetition in the language (I counted at least five instances where mist wetted someone's cheeks) and a few crazy run-on sentences.
It was only a few minutes before he came to a break in the trees, and then he saw it there through the gaps in the branches, a long winding road that led up to a castle overlooking the ocean, the road bordered on both sides by the private little forest."
Nolte engages in one of my pet peeves, obsessing about the size / weight of a larger character. One of the minor characters in the book is obese, and Nolte mentions it in nearly every other sentence. JUST IN CASE we forgot, fat person ahead. He describes her as wearing a sweater that could cover a boat. His tone turns pitying and judgmental. I hate that. People come in all sizes. If you aren't going to freak out about the exceptionally tall detective, don't flip out about the wide woman and beat me over the head with it.
The pacing is slow at the beginning but does pick up at the end. The resolution feels nice and complete.
Finally there are places where the book seems outdated, even though it is only 5 years old. The existence of pay phone booths and phone books, for example.
Overall, it's the kind of book that's great to pick up for free (which I did) and read when you need to kill some time. It's worth a couple hours of your time, although I'm not sure I'd say it's worth any money. Solid two stars.
December 11, 2015
My ambivalence about this book flows strong and deep. I couldn't hate it; there was some nice writing here:
"It's my last dying wish. It'd make me happy." Garrison stared at her, bemused at her chutzpah.
"I thought you were going to use that line on Zoe?"
"Oh, I will. But it's the kind of line I plan to get plenty of mileage out of."
"…His brown tweed suit fit so loosely Gage figured he'd slip out of it if he stood too fast."
"He loaded up his Beretta and tucked it inside his jacket, the weight of it like a rock against his heart."
There was also some not-so-nice writing. There were some silly situations, and some exasperating ones, and such unfortunate phrasings as "the soft underbelly of her breasts". Can breasts have an underbelly?
I did not like any of the characters. There is a new owner of the local newspaper: "There were two ad managers and a part-time secretary that came with this place, but I wanted to do things myself for a while so I knew the business inside and out." So she fired the whole staff? I wanted her to be the next murder victim.
The murder victim herself is described as a feckless little thing, who up till the point when she crossed paths with a killer was drifting along with almost no money - yet stopped to get a tattoo - then went looking for dolphins where dolphins don't swim. She didn't deserve to be murdered – but she didn't exactly deserve to not be murdered, if you see what I mean. And for me she didn't earn the level of fierce post-mortem protectiveness that infects our sleuth.
And that sleuth, our hero Garrison? The book description refers to him as a curmudgeon, and that works. Mushy on the inside, crusty on the outside. He fled from New York after his wife was murdered and he was pretty thoroughly beaten, and he has spent the years between then and now concentrating on being alone and doing crossword puzzles. However, upon finding the body of the feckless little thing mentioned above, he comes out of his shell with a vengeance, which happens to coincide nicely with the recent arrival of above-mentioned newspaper owner. I don't know; he puzzled me. We are told that back in New York he was, shall we say, rather attached to his wife's grave – but then he picked up and moved three thousand miles away from it. He was a pretty good detective back in the day – but here the bad guys seem to get the drop on him in every other chapter.
Having taken upon himself the task of identifying the dead girl and finding her killer, he gets himself into all kinds of adventures, and then … the whole thing turns on This struck me as so ridiculous that any possibility of reading more in the series went out the window.
Fun typo (I'm going to start collecting these): "Rock Eyed Angles".
And another: "Sue must have seen the seriousness in his yes".
"It's my last dying wish. It'd make me happy." Garrison stared at her, bemused at her chutzpah.
"I thought you were going to use that line on Zoe?"
"Oh, I will. But it's the kind of line I plan to get plenty of mileage out of."
"…His brown tweed suit fit so loosely Gage figured he'd slip out of it if he stood too fast."
"He loaded up his Beretta and tucked it inside his jacket, the weight of it like a rock against his heart."
There was also some not-so-nice writing. There were some silly situations, and some exasperating ones, and such unfortunate phrasings as "the soft underbelly of her breasts". Can breasts have an underbelly?
I did not like any of the characters. There is a new owner of the local newspaper: "There were two ad managers and a part-time secretary that came with this place, but I wanted to do things myself for a while so I knew the business inside and out." So she fired the whole staff? I wanted her to be the next murder victim.
The murder victim herself is described as a feckless little thing, who up till the point when she crossed paths with a killer was drifting along with almost no money - yet stopped to get a tattoo - then went looking for dolphins where dolphins don't swim. She didn't deserve to be murdered – but she didn't exactly deserve to not be murdered, if you see what I mean. And for me she didn't earn the level of fierce post-mortem protectiveness that infects our sleuth.
And that sleuth, our hero Garrison? The book description refers to him as a curmudgeon, and that works. Mushy on the inside, crusty on the outside. He fled from New York after his wife was murdered and he was pretty thoroughly beaten, and he has spent the years between then and now concentrating on being alone and doing crossword puzzles. However, upon finding the body of the feckless little thing mentioned above, he comes out of his shell with a vengeance, which happens to coincide nicely with the recent arrival of above-mentioned newspaper owner. I don't know; he puzzled me. We are told that back in New York he was, shall we say, rather attached to his wife's grave – but then he picked up and moved three thousand miles away from it. He was a pretty good detective back in the day – but here the bad guys seem to get the drop on him in every other chapter.
Having taken upon himself the task of identifying the dead girl and finding her killer, he gets himself into all kinds of adventures, and then … the whole thing turns on This struck me as so ridiculous that any possibility of reading more in the series went out the window.
Fun typo (I'm going to start collecting these): "Rock Eyed Angles".
And another: "Sue must have seen the seriousness in his yes".
June 22, 2019
Author from Oregon, writing about the central Oregon coast. His fictional Barnacle Bluffs mirrors the Oregon town in which I live.
Book started off great. About half way through I found it becoming bogged down with 'cookie cutter' characterizations. Too much introspection by Gage for me. A couple of Red Herring characters kept my interest, waiting to see how they developed.
Kept waiting for more backstory on the death of his wife and the damage to his knee other than 'Iranian circus performer'.
Book started off great. About half way through I found it becoming bogged down with 'cookie cutter' characterizations. Too much introspection by Gage for me. A couple of Red Herring characters kept my interest, waiting to see how they developed.
Kept waiting for more backstory on the death of his wife and the damage to his knee other than 'Iranian circus performer'.
August 17, 2018
Gripping
This book wrapped me around it's finger on the first page. Gage is intense and oddly, a source of hope and strength (even if he doesn't see it ). His friend Alex, and recent love interest, help keep him grounded in the present. With the disturbing plot, it's interesting that I kept feeling hopeful. Well written, and so worth the investment.
This book wrapped me around it's finger on the first page. Gage is intense and oddly, a source of hope and strength (even if he doesn't see it ). His friend Alex, and recent love interest, help keep him grounded in the present. With the disturbing plot, it's interesting that I kept feeling hopeful. Well written, and so worth the investment.
October 5, 2016
We find Garrison Gage, ex-New York private detective, who has lost his wife to murder and been almost beaten to death, now walking on the beach of Barnacle Bluffs in Oregon. Because of these injuries, he walks with the aid of a cane. He stumbles across the body of a young woman on the beach and informs the police.
His conscience draws him back to his old occupation when the police are not making any headway.
He enlists the aid of the beautiful Carmen Horne bridge sole proprietor of the local newspaper. He also feels responsible for his housekeeper who is dying of cancer and her granddaughter Zoe.
His investigation is not popular with the police, but he sifts through the dirty secrets of Barnacle Bluffs until he receives a message that his investigation is causing problems for the rich end of town.
Eventually, someone tries to kill him, but he turns the tables and suspects the police may be involved with the attempt on his life.
Showing concern and empathy for the dead girl who seems to evoke no concern from the townspeople. Gage and Carmen cooperate until they become close.
Eventually, he solves the crime by understanding how the townspeople operate and with that he can identify the killer.
Gage comes over as a compassionate person concerned about the dead girl and with Carmen shows how to treat unknown girls who are missing.
I found Garrison Gage the great character who sends this story racing along as he deals with all the problems of Barnacle Bluffs. A great read.
His conscience draws him back to his old occupation when the police are not making any headway.
He enlists the aid of the beautiful Carmen Horne bridge sole proprietor of the local newspaper. He also feels responsible for his housekeeper who is dying of cancer and her granddaughter Zoe.
His investigation is not popular with the police, but he sifts through the dirty secrets of Barnacle Bluffs until he receives a message that his investigation is causing problems for the rich end of town.
Eventually, someone tries to kill him, but he turns the tables and suspects the police may be involved with the attempt on his life.
Showing concern and empathy for the dead girl who seems to evoke no concern from the townspeople. Gage and Carmen cooperate until they become close.
Eventually, he solves the crime by understanding how the townspeople operate and with that he can identify the killer.
Gage comes over as a compassionate person concerned about the dead girl and with Carmen shows how to treat unknown girls who are missing.
I found Garrison Gage the great character who sends this story racing along as he deals with all the problems of Barnacle Bluffs. A great read.
April 12, 2017
A beautiful young woman’s body washes up on an Oregon beach. Her pale skin seems almost translucent, frames by a mass of nearly white-blond hair. Her blue eyes stared vacantly at the small clouds, dotting the cerulean sky. As fate would have it, this cruel and morbid scene plays out by the beach house of a reclusive ex-private investigator.
Garrison Gage is a broken man. Once at the pinnacle of his profession, he was now a physical and emotional invalid. A bat had crushed his knee while he was forced to watch the drowning of the love of his life. Surviving the ordeal, although he doubted that would be the appropriate verb to describe his present life, and migrating to the western coast of Oregon, to live the quiet life of a hermit. The uninvited guest on the sand in front of his house pulled him out of his stupor and got him motivated into focusing his attention away from his lost and broken life.
This murder/mystery will keep you guessing until the last pages. Emotional, social, and romantical tentacles wrap around this tale like a vine around an Atlas cedar. Garrison’s search for the identity of this mysterious young woman requires a Herculean effort in his physical and mental state. This is a new author for me and I feel worth watching. Although I can’t honestly mark it as awesome, it does come close.
Garrison Gage is a broken man. Once at the pinnacle of his profession, he was now a physical and emotional invalid. A bat had crushed his knee while he was forced to watch the drowning of the love of his life. Surviving the ordeal, although he doubted that would be the appropriate verb to describe his present life, and migrating to the western coast of Oregon, to live the quiet life of a hermit. The uninvited guest on the sand in front of his house pulled him out of his stupor and got him motivated into focusing his attention away from his lost and broken life.
This murder/mystery will keep you guessing until the last pages. Emotional, social, and romantical tentacles wrap around this tale like a vine around an Atlas cedar. Garrison’s search for the identity of this mysterious young woman requires a Herculean effort in his physical and mental state. This is a new author for me and I feel worth watching. Although I can’t honestly mark it as awesome, it does come close.
January 20, 2015
The cover picture caught my attention, the title drew me in. Reminiscent of "The Old Man and the Sea", "Moby Dick" and other sea faring or sea side tales, the ebook was begging to be read. Toss in a free download and color me hooked!
The synopsis sums up the story nicely, so I won't go into it here. Carter knows how to write, how to develop character, time and place without excess exposition or relying too heavily on any one theme. Carefully crafted, although I will air a minor gripe, that the title character is a bit overly melancholy, it parallels the Oregon coast perfectly. Weather matches mood in this retired detective novel, add in one dead girl with one live girl to even out the scales of justice.
Carter also levels the playing field with good guys, bad buys and even grey guys. Most of the book entails goose chases but doesn't detract from the novel as a whole. I admire the clean, clear writing while the investigator nips to and fro to find out who this dead girl was. Carter writes time and place that aids the forward movement of the book, rather than make filler to elongate the word count, as some authors are want to do.
I give 5 stars.
The synopsis sums up the story nicely, so I won't go into it here. Carter knows how to write, how to develop character, time and place without excess exposition or relying too heavily on any one theme. Carefully crafted, although I will air a minor gripe, that the title character is a bit overly melancholy, it parallels the Oregon coast perfectly. Weather matches mood in this retired detective novel, add in one dead girl with one live girl to even out the scales of justice.
Carter also levels the playing field with good guys, bad buys and even grey guys. Most of the book entails goose chases but doesn't detract from the novel as a whole. I admire the clean, clear writing while the investigator nips to and fro to find out who this dead girl was. Carter writes time and place that aids the forward movement of the book, rather than make filler to elongate the word count, as some authors are want to do.
I give 5 stars.
August 14, 2016
This is the first book of the Garrison Gage series about a former investigator who moved to an Oregon beach town to heal his wounds. Back in New York his wife was murdered, he was severely beaten, and now he must use a cane to walk. Other than limited interactions with a couple of people, he has spent five years doing crosswords puzzles, missing his wife and blaming himself for her death. His discovery of the body of a young girl washed up on the beach is the first thing to motivate him to emerge from his shell. She has no identification and the local police don’t seem up to the task, so Gage feels compelled to find out who she is and how she died. Once he begins his search he finds himself engaging in life again and obsessed with finding answers. Even when it becomes obvious that someone wants him to leave it alone, and is willing to do whatever it takes to stop him.
It started a little slow, and there was a lot of description of the gloomy atmosphere. But then it picked up and I started to enjoy the mystery and to like Gage as well as the people who care about him. I think I would have ended it a little differently, but it was an enjoyable read.
It started a little slow, and there was a lot of description of the gloomy atmosphere. But then it picked up and I started to enjoy the mystery and to like Gage as well as the people who care about him. I think I would have ended it a little differently, but it was an enjoyable read.
November 13, 2015
A decent thriller type mystery. I found the backstory about Garrison Gage a tad frustrating -- we are told bits & pieces but apparently everyone in the book knows more than we do, as they can find out by Googling him (as Gage more than once remarks). Unfortunately, I can't find out that way!
March 23, 2015
Kept my interest as the town in which this takes place mirrors the town in which I live on the Oregon coast.
The plot itself was nothing special. Left several unanswered questions as to the backstory of Garrison Gage.
The plot itself was nothing special. Left several unanswered questions as to the backstory of Garrison Gage.
July 11, 2017
A very good suspense story with interesting characters. I was left guessing who was the killer until very near the end.
November 25, 2018
The Gray and Guilty Sea is the first book in a mystery series, and Scott William Carter's Garrison Gage character is obviously inspired by, and I assume is supposed to remind the reader of, John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee. Carter has stated as much, but he doesn't have to--it is obvious by the similarities of the titles in the Garrison Gage series to titles of Travis McGee novels:
The Gray and Guilty Sea - Pale Gray for Guilt and The Empty Copper Sea
A Desperate Place for Dying - A Purple Place for Dying
The Lovely Wicked Rain - The Lonely Silver Rain
A Shroud of Tattered Sails - Bright Orange for the Shroud
Similarities between Travis and Garrison include their seaside location and the unofficial nature of both protagonists' sleuthing. But even though the inspiration from, and the homage to, Travis McGee are obvious, I think Carter's character more closely resembles Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder. Both Matthew and Garrison are ex-cops who were scarred psychically--indeed, almost destroyed--by a case from their previous lives, and both are heavy drinkers. And the tone of both series--at least from what I can see from my having read only the first Garrison Gage book--is much darker than the stories of Travis McGee, who lives on a houseboat in semi-tropical Florida and takes his "retirement in installments," solving cases as a "salvage consultant" in between living a rather hedonistic lifestyle.
I enjoyed reading The Gray and Guilty Sea, but it definitely strikes me as a first-in-a-series effort. The character seems only about 2/3 formed, and his investigation seemed to develop much too easily. But I would not pass up the chance to read more books in the series; I rather liked the Travis McGee/ Matthew Scudder mash-up.
The Gray and Guilty Sea - Pale Gray for Guilt and The Empty Copper Sea
A Desperate Place for Dying - A Purple Place for Dying
The Lovely Wicked Rain - The Lonely Silver Rain
A Shroud of Tattered Sails - Bright Orange for the Shroud
Similarities between Travis and Garrison include their seaside location and the unofficial nature of both protagonists' sleuthing. But even though the inspiration from, and the homage to, Travis McGee are obvious, I think Carter's character more closely resembles Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder. Both Matthew and Garrison are ex-cops who were scarred psychically--indeed, almost destroyed--by a case from their previous lives, and both are heavy drinkers. And the tone of both series--at least from what I can see from my having read only the first Garrison Gage book--is much darker than the stories of Travis McGee, who lives on a houseboat in semi-tropical Florida and takes his "retirement in installments," solving cases as a "salvage consultant" in between living a rather hedonistic lifestyle.
I enjoyed reading The Gray and Guilty Sea, but it definitely strikes me as a first-in-a-series effort. The character seems only about 2/3 formed, and his investigation seemed to develop much too easily. But I would not pass up the chance to read more books in the series; I rather liked the Travis McGee/ Matthew Scudder mash-up.
February 2, 2018
A girl washes up on the beach of Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. Retired and recluse, private detective, Garrison Gage finds the body. Not his idea of starting the day off on the right foot. For five years he’s retained his anonymity. A perfect day for him is coffee, crosswords and visiting his only acquaintance, Alex, who runs Books and Oddities. They are the perfect odd couple. Throw in the fact the Gage doesn’t own a computer, cell phone or land line, makes him the most unlikely of candidates to throw himself back into the world of solving crimes. Plus, he really doesn’t want to have his routine disturbed.
His psyched, won’t allow him to pass this off to the local police. His past comes rushing back. He’s reminded why he left New York for the simple life. The memory of his wife’s murder and the damage his body received during the attack is constant reminded of why he moved and eventually, why he must find the killer of this girl.
There are some nice twists and turns, yet when a minor character was introduced very briefly, the average sleuth, could see where its headed.
Felt the romantic chapters towards the end were a bit long, but the gals will love it.
Still, not a bad story with a good pace.
A few grammatical errors, but nothing to derail the story
Four stars
His psyched, won’t allow him to pass this off to the local police. His past comes rushing back. He’s reminded why he left New York for the simple life. The memory of his wife’s murder and the damage his body received during the attack is constant reminded of why he moved and eventually, why he must find the killer of this girl.
There are some nice twists and turns, yet when a minor character was introduced very briefly, the average sleuth, could see where its headed.
Felt the romantic chapters towards the end were a bit long, but the gals will love it.
Still, not a bad story with a good pace.
A few grammatical errors, but nothing to derail the story
Four stars
April 8, 2017
I really liked this one! The main character is a recluse who is reluctantly pulled into the workings of the small coastal community that he moved to a few years ago to escape memories of the past. After stumbling upon the body of a girl on the beach, he feels compelled to investigate the circumstances that led up to her death, even though he retired from private investigation. Naturally, this brings him into contact with all sorts of interesting people in the small town.
I have a soft spot for characters like this, so I enjoyed the introspective parts and the overall character development throughout the book. I also enjoyed the side characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again in future books in the series. There's also a bit of a romance element, but I would've preferred to see it progress more slowly, so I wasn't as keen on that aspect, but overall it's a very small part of the book.
If you like mysteries with darker elements, I'd say give this one a try. I enjoyed it a lot, and I read it in nearly one sitting. I'll be reading further in this series for sure.
I have a soft spot for characters like this, so I enjoyed the introspective parts and the overall character development throughout the book. I also enjoyed the side characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again in future books in the series. There's also a bit of a romance element, but I would've preferred to see it progress more slowly, so I wasn't as keen on that aspect, but overall it's a very small part of the book.
If you like mysteries with darker elements, I'd say give this one a try. I enjoyed it a lot, and I read it in nearly one sitting. I'll be reading further in this series for sure.
October 31, 2018
After his wife's brutal murder and himself beaten up close to death, now crippled PI Garrison Gage retreated into a little coastal town, becoming a hermit and alienating everyone through his rude manners during the next five years. When he discovers the body of a young woman washed up on the beach, all his all instincts awaken and draw him back to what he was best at - solving murders.
An interesting protagonist - grumpy, a hermit, with the burden of feeling guilty for his wife's death, and drowning in self-pity. Only to slowly get back to life, while getting involved deeper and deeper in the murder investigation, and finding friends who see past his grumpy exterior to the person within.
A good plot, interesting characters, but for my taste, the story was too dark, too sombre, and the narration style and development of the story a bit too slow. And I will not even start on the heavy (handed) use of metaphors, too numerous and a bit - let's say, unique, to stay polite.
Not a bad book at all, but I prefer murder mysteries to be a bit more fast paced and/or action packed.
An interesting protagonist - grumpy, a hermit, with the burden of feeling guilty for his wife's death, and drowning in self-pity. Only to slowly get back to life, while getting involved deeper and deeper in the murder investigation, and finding friends who see past his grumpy exterior to the person within.
A good plot, interesting characters, but for my taste, the story was too dark, too sombre, and the narration style and development of the story a bit too slow. And I will not even start on the heavy (handed) use of metaphors, too numerous and a bit - let's say, unique, to stay polite.
Not a bad book at all, but I prefer murder mysteries to be a bit more fast paced and/or action packed.
May 10, 2022
Like most prolific genre writers who tend to specialize in serials, Carter offers this, the first book, as a kindle freebie, to draw the audience in. And as far as draws go, I must admit it’s a really good one. Carter did the same with his other series, the Myron Vale books, once upon a time, and I read that one, so I knew the man was a good writer. This book only served to prove that first impression right.
It’s quite unusual, because normally serial authors like that go for a solidly mediocre quality and make up the rest in numbers of books they churn out, but Carter does it right.
This one was a genuinely well written engaging novel with compelling interesting likeable characters and nicely atmospheric scenery.
Why not make Oregon coast moodily grey and vaguely dangerous? It is, after all, a place of great beauty and all too infrequent direct visits from the sun.
Garrison Gage came there to be alone and sad, after a personal tragedy that left him a widower…and a cane user. The man sits around, does crosswords, takes walks.
And then on one such walk he discovers a body of a young woman washed up on the shore. His old detecting muscles start flexing once again and soon enough he’s investigating the murder and getting way too involved with the locals, including a sexy local reporter.
If it all sounds kind of clichéd, well, that’s because it is. A reader of mysteries will find a lot of familiar presets and structures here – Carter obviously doesn’t set out to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he spins it very well. Nothing new, but old and familiar done right is no small thing either. If the writing’s good enough and you’re enjoying reading the book, the plot’s similarities to Broadchurch and a million other things of that nature (terrible deeds done in picturesque small coastal towns) aren’t going to matter. Not really.
The only thing that really stood out to me (potential detractor) is how obvious the author makes it who the killer is. I mean, not right away and not for a long time, but once we finally meet them – that scene was very obvious. To me, anyway.
And I still enjoyed the novel, even knowing who did it. So yeah. Well done. Should more of carter freebies come my way, I’d gladly check them out. Recommended.
It’s quite unusual, because normally serial authors like that go for a solidly mediocre quality and make up the rest in numbers of books they churn out, but Carter does it right.
This one was a genuinely well written engaging novel with compelling interesting likeable characters and nicely atmospheric scenery.
Why not make Oregon coast moodily grey and vaguely dangerous? It is, after all, a place of great beauty and all too infrequent direct visits from the sun.
Garrison Gage came there to be alone and sad, after a personal tragedy that left him a widower…and a cane user. The man sits around, does crosswords, takes walks.
And then on one such walk he discovers a body of a young woman washed up on the shore. His old detecting muscles start flexing once again and soon enough he’s investigating the murder and getting way too involved with the locals, including a sexy local reporter.
If it all sounds kind of clichéd, well, that’s because it is. A reader of mysteries will find a lot of familiar presets and structures here – Carter obviously doesn’t set out to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he spins it very well. Nothing new, but old and familiar done right is no small thing either. If the writing’s good enough and you’re enjoying reading the book, the plot’s similarities to Broadchurch and a million other things of that nature (terrible deeds done in picturesque small coastal towns) aren’t going to matter. Not really.
The only thing that really stood out to me (potential detractor) is how obvious the author makes it who the killer is. I mean, not right away and not for a long time, but once we finally meet them – that scene was very obvious. To me, anyway.
And I still enjoyed the novel, even knowing who did it. So yeah. Well done. Should more of carter freebies come my way, I’d gladly check them out. Recommended.
February 13, 2026
After primary character is a past detective whose wife died several years prior and he was severely beaten. Not really able to get past this life altering event he moves to a small town where he lives alone with no telephone, no TV, and no visitors. He spends his days working on crossword puzzles and going for walks on the beach. One day he finds a young girl dead on the beach and he can't get her out of his mind and decides to look into it.
This brings him back to his detective days as he continues to investigate against the advise of the town sheriff. He becomes acquainted with a newswriter of the small town paper while he is looking for information and she becomes part of his investigation helping to gather data.
It was a good read and reinforces what a person can do when he / she sets the mind to unraveling a mystery.
This brings him back to his detective days as he continues to investigate against the advise of the town sheriff. He becomes acquainted with a newswriter of the small town paper while he is looking for information and she becomes part of his investigation helping to gather data.
It was a good read and reinforces what a person can do when he / she sets the mind to unraveling a mystery.
December 11, 2022
Not familiar w/ this author, but enjoyed this book and the character, Garrison Gage X private eye, and Carmen, befriended journalist. Gage finds a body of a your girl/woman on the beach, he has not investigated in 5 years, but this girl haunts him, retirement? Will have to wait.
August 10, 2020
Meh. It’s a whodunit with characters I never really bought into. It’s ok.
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