CONDO

by Kerry Costello

Killer Gators, murdering maniacs. sex mad snowbirds. Greed, lust and debauchery lurk just beneath the surface in the peaceful Acadiana Condo complex on Florida’s Paradise Coast.

When a killer gator unleashes chaos on a condo community on Florida’s Paradise Coast, it’s up to ex-British soldier Frankie Armstrong to hunt down the vicious fiend behind the attack.

The tranquil façade of The Acadiana complex masks a world of sex, violence and subterfuge. Nothing and no one is as it seems. The more Frankie looks into the lives of his fellow condo residents, the more shocking secrets he uncovers. The cops don’t believe him and he has to go it alone. Will he catch the killer, or will the killer find him first - and will Frankie’s quest for the truth cost him his life?

CONDO is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller. If you like fast-paced storytelling and twists that keep you guessing, then you'll love Kerry Costello's gripping tale.

Buy CONDO today to find out the shocking truth!

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Kerry Costello was born in England but is of Irish heritage. In his late twenties he started his own successful travel business, eventually selling out to focus on enjoying life - traveling, fishing, cooking, and writing novels. Costello says he feels more Irish than English and is very much at home in America where he and his wife Lyn have had a home for many years.

“The Irish are great story tellers and poets,” says Costello. “James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, W B Yeats, Edna O’Brien, Brendan Behan, the list goes on. I don’t claim to be in the same class as these writers, but I just enjoy writing and entertaining people with my stories.

Reviews

[Jay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped on this book because I am very familiar with the area where the action takes place, and the idea of being eaten by an alligator is truly scary. The characters in this story are realistic, but somewhat limited in depth. This was a good tale, and the action moved at a decent pace. The details of the plot are very imaginative and not like anything you may have read before. The writing was clear and easy to read. The author is a Brit with a condo in Naples Florida, and you will understand why if you have spent any time in England. I won't rehash the plot, but I will say it s convoluted right up to the end. It ends on a warm note.

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankie Armstrong, and expat Brit owner of a UK-based security company, is living in a rented second-floor condo in Naples, Florida with his dog, Charlie. He/s in Florida partly because the warm Gulf Coast weather is preferable to England’s wet fog, and mainly to get some distance from his estranged wife. Things are going well for him until one night he witnesses what appears to be an argument between a man and a woman near the condo’s dock, resulting in the woman falling, or being pushed, into the bay; He rushes down when he hears screams, but finds no one. Later, when police find a severed arm in the bay, it’s identified as belonging to Ava Ledinsky, a beautiful resident of the condo who teaches piano. Further investigation indicates it’s a possible homicide, and that Ava has a sketchy history, possibly of blackmailing married men with whom she’s having affairs. When Ava’s sister, Lisa, comes to settle her affairs and find out what happened to her sister, she too is killed, and Frankie becomes a prime suspect.

Condo by Kerry Costello is a fast-paced murder mystery with no shortage of suspects—in addition to Frankie, every man in the Condo is a potential suspect—and more red herrings than a London fish market. The killer, though not identified, is introduced early on, and the reader is kept guessing as to who he is. This story has more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster, and will keep you guessing, probably wrongly, until all the gators have been wrestled into submission.

I received a complimentary copy of Condo, and found it quite entertaining. I give it three and a half stars.

[T.B. Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the setting being Florida & the beachy/resort environment one associates with "Florida", I would also categorize this book as a "beach read", and here's why...

The murder/mystery plot was enough to keep me interested although as far as "believability" goes, this one really stretches the possibilities. I mean, the knit together details are solid but extreme. And in this day and age, I'm just not sure how copacetic it is to read/write a story where an older white man is totally given carte blanche to take over a murder mystery after being suspected as a suspect, to begin with. Sure, that probably happens, but since I don't relate to that kind of privilege (no, not an SJW, just grew up poor, so not about that life), I honestly didn't care for it. But to be fair, the story is based in an apartment complex in Florida where the majority of people there are retired, semi-wealthy, white people. So I'm sure in some ways this whole premise and audacious-ness are realistic to someone out there? Basically, this isn't for me, but it was still a good quick read that read easily. 3.5 stars.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Brian Borgford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting thriller – murder mystery
The story kept my interest from front to back. Well written with an interesting set of characters. The cover and initial blurb may lead you to believe that this is a story about a rogue alligator but be clear – this is a murder mystery – a great murder mystery. The murder takes place right at the beginning and although there are glimpses of the murderer through his eyes, it is late in the book before you get a sense of who the killer might be. But there is more – the hero may be a suspect, or is he the killer? Is there more than one killer? Just when I thought everything was brought to an exciting climax, more surprises occur before I was presented with another exciting climax followed by a satisfying ending. Impressive and complex story.

[Joe Mainous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Costello’s best. He does not just tell you a story, he takes you with him into the story as it begins and goes through murder, blackmail, identity confusions as lived in the South Florida luxury condominium world. You are taken care into this world from the first page on the journey. He combines the styles of Maupassant, Chandler and others to create the Costello style, one of accurate detail without being obsessed with it in creating the setting for the story. Just settle down and join him when you have plenty of time, once started you will not want to stop.

[GeeketteKathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author through Hidden Gems Books to review.

This book was easy to read as the action and mystery never ended from the first page to the last. Filled with twists and turns and surprises all the way to the end.

[fred jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written murder mystery, with some excellent touches, great characters and a great storyline. Really enjoyed this one.
I received a complimentary copy from Hidden Gems and am leaving a honest voluntary review