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April, 1951. Lee County, Florida. It’s Friday night at the Caloosa Club, an ultra-private, members-only hideaway tucked inside the riverfront Caloosa Hotel in downtown Fort Myers. The crowd, well-heeled, freewheeling locals, vacationing war veterans and their wives, are enjoying the club’s forbidden pleasures: high-stakes poker, untaxed mixed drinks and play-for-pay escorts of both sexes.
Hotel manager and war hero Dan Ewing is pleased yet troubled by the unexpected arrival of a wartime lover, Australian combat pilot Oliver McKenna. Dan, the survivor of Japanese torpedoes, five days on a life raft, and the death of a shipboard lover, has settled into life with another veteran, hard-charging, Southern-drawling Lee County Detective Bud Wright, a former Marine sergeant twice decorated for valor. Dan’s feelings are painfully mixed about the choice he feels he must make. Should he resume the previous romantic affair and follow the handsome pilot to Australia or remain with his devoted partner in conservative, intolerant, booming Fort Myers?
Southwest Florida’s rapidly changing society is fueled by postwar development, widespread corruption and undercover deals. One by one the hidden horrors come to light: Politicians on the take, hired thugs smashing reputations, the rape of a young man by a trusted teacher, candid photographs of an illicit tryst, and an upcoming special election in which voters will be influenced by wealthy businessmen as well as newspapers. All of these forces are in place when a mutilated body is discovered at an opulent, oceanfront cottage.
As the tension rises, Bud and Dan must put aside their differences and work together to solve another Caloosa Club mystery.
Significant erotic content and salty language.
Hotel manager and war hero Dan Ewing is pleased yet troubled by the unexpected arrival of a wartime lover, Australian combat pilot Oliver McKenna. Dan, the survivor of Japanese torpedoes, five days on a life raft, and the death of a shipboard lover, has settled into life with another veteran, hard-charging, Southern-drawling Lee County Detective Bud Wright, a former Marine sergeant twice decorated for valor. Dan’s feelings are painfully mixed about the choice he feels he must make. Should he resume the previous romantic affair and follow the handsome pilot to Australia or remain with his devoted partner in conservative, intolerant, booming Fort Myers?
Southwest Florida’s rapidly changing society is fueled by postwar development, widespread corruption and undercover deals. One by one the hidden horrors come to light: Politicians on the take, hired thugs smashing reputations, the rape of a young man by a trusted teacher, candid photographs of an illicit tryst, and an upcoming special election in which voters will be influenced by wealthy businessmen as well as newspapers. All of these forces are in place when a mutilated body is discovered at an opulent, oceanfront cottage.
As the tension rises, Bud and Dan must put aside their differences and work together to solve another Caloosa Club mystery.
Significant erotic content and salty language.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 2, 2020
It was really great to discover that Book #4 of the Caloosa Club Mysteries had been released. It's been a while between drinks.
I've enjoyed reading about Dan and Bud in the past, and this time was no exception. In this book we have a new character added to the mix - an old mate from Dan's past. As an Aussie, it was fascinating to see this story unfold, with little bits of true blue Aussie vernacular from the 1950's thrown around. We don't speak that way these days, but I did recognise most of the words and phrases.
Along with the mystery of the murder of the dodgy politician, Dan has to work out his feelings for Oliver ... will he stay with Bud, or go with Oliver?
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I've enjoyed reading about Dan and Bud in the past, and this time was no exception. In this book we have a new character added to the mix - an old mate from Dan's past. As an Aussie, it was fascinating to see this story unfold, with little bits of true blue Aussie vernacular from the 1950's thrown around. We don't speak that way these days, but I did recognise most of the words and phrases.
Along with the mystery of the murder of the dodgy politician, Dan has to work out his feelings for Oliver ... will he stay with Bud, or go with Oliver?
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
June 30, 2020
This was a shorter read/tale than the usual offering from Mr Mackle, but still a decent one anyhow. Given that the Caloosa Club is basically a vice setting (for the privileged whites) in Southern USA that’s protected by powerful post-war military/political clout, the usual sexual shenanigans occurring within the upstairs rooms can and do occasionally break out of club manager Dan's control to make scandalous societal/news-worthy headlines. Dan and his lover - County Detective Bud (who's also moonlighting as the club security manager and trouble-shooter) tread very fine lines because just how much law & order can be brought about for same crimes and misdemeanors within a protected vice setting is of course debatable.
The death of a pig is the main conundrum in this latest of the series - an unwanted animal carcass as well as the lynching murder of a political swine; the two incidents just might be related. Dan's main concern is to protect his staff (companions with benefits) from unwanted sexual attack from powerful players with deep pockets.
To further complicate Dan and Bud’s understandably down-low relationship (given the times and the southern state they're in), the author brings back a wartime Australian ex-lover, exacerbating the uncertainties in Danny’s mind as to Bud’s long term commitment? Not just one but two good-looking (bonza) fellas from down-under in fact ... seeking to establish local trade connections for their good old Aussie lamb. Of course this is treading familiar territory for the author as several earlier books have threads that veer towards polyamory ... just what defines a ‘mate’ …. a good friend … or friend with benefits, or just perhaps something more? I read the last third of the tale in trepidation, hoping Dan was not going to make a terrible mistake that would cost him Bud's 'loving attention'.
The author has made great efforts with Aussie vernacular/slang. Some of these I'm aware of but have not actually heard spoken out loud (e.g. drongo / sheila) ... perhaps because I live in a major cosmopolitan 21st century city downunder. The use of the word crook was puzzling ... it can mean 'to feel ill', and in one particular statement, I was a bit flummoxed as I'd misinterpreted that meaning within the sentence/context. But no ... "He's crook" is probably better written down as "He's a crook" (meaning a dodgy/shady fella).
I also feel Mackle makes a very decent attempt at unwrapping some of the complicated emotional / psychological bonds tying a child sex-abuse victim to their abuser without getting too technical or deep. In the end, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 and I'm really hoping Caloosa Club #5 will not be six years in the making!
The death of a pig is the main conundrum in this latest of the series - an unwanted animal carcass as well as the lynching murder of a political swine; the two incidents just might be related. Dan's main concern is to protect his staff (companions with benefits) from unwanted sexual attack from powerful players with deep pockets.
To further complicate Dan and Bud’s understandably down-low relationship (given the times and the southern state they're in), the author brings back a wartime Australian ex-lover, exacerbating the uncertainties in Danny’s mind as to Bud’s long term commitment? Not just one but two good-looking (bonza) fellas from down-under in fact ... seeking to establish local trade connections for their good old Aussie lamb. Of course this is treading familiar territory for the author as several earlier books have threads that veer towards polyamory ... just what defines a ‘mate’ …. a good friend … or friend with benefits, or just perhaps something more? I read the last third of the tale in trepidation, hoping Dan was not going to make a terrible mistake that would cost him Bud's 'loving attention'.
The author has made great efforts with Aussie vernacular/slang. Some of these I'm aware of but have not actually heard spoken out loud (e.g. drongo / sheila) ... perhaps because I live in a major cosmopolitan 21st century city downunder. The use of the word crook was puzzling ... it can mean 'to feel ill', and in one particular statement, I was a bit flummoxed as I'd misinterpreted that meaning within the sentence/context. But no ... "He's crook" is probably better written down as "He's a crook" (meaning a dodgy/shady fella).
I also feel Mackle makes a very decent attempt at unwrapping some of the complicated emotional / psychological bonds tying a child sex-abuse victim to their abuser without getting too technical or deep. In the end, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 and I'm really hoping Caloosa Club #5 will not be six years in the making!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews