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By-Catch: Southern Gulf Coast Crime
Other works by David Turtle Bay (A Shamus Pickford story #1); A trip to the Myakka Cutoff (A Shamus Pickford series #3, and newly released Riviera Marina!
A fast and funny Florida crime caper for fans of Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, and Randy Wayne White comes Florida's next hot fictional humorist!It’s that time of year again—Charlotte Harbor’s redfish tournament, where egos run high and fish mysteriously shrink when it’s weigh-in time. Shamus Pickford doesn’t bother fishing it anymore—not even for hire. Too much drama, not enough beer.
But while working a catering gig with his old buddy Cliff Fleming, Shamus overhears something sketchy coming from the mouths of a couple of would-be champions. Naturally, he does what any semi-retired fisherman with a grudge and too much curiosity would do—he follows them.
At the crack of dawn, Shamus and Cliff launch their own “investigation,” which mostly involves spying, speculating, and squinting through binoculars from behind a cooler of sandwiches. What they uncover doesn’t just smell fishy—it reeks. By the end of the day, Cliff’s shaken, Shamus is outraged, and both are rethinking everything they thought they knew about tournament “sportsmanship."
About the David Earth is a passionate outdoorsman with a fever for writing. Daily, he skims the shallow water of Charlotte Harbor on his skiff brainstorming and researching his next story. When Earth’s not exploring his next plotline, you’ll find he’s quite the companion for adventure.This coastal crime adventure continues on the Florida Gulf Coast, blending fishing tournament crime thriller elements with a twisting story of friendship and betrayal. As competition heats up, secrets, cheating, and high-pressure stakes collide, drawing readers into a backwater crime suspense novel steeped in Gulf Coast grit. With threads of PTSD, loyalty, and the cost of overthinking when danger strikes, this mystery explores where trust ends and survival begins, perfect for fans of coastal crime fiction with emotional depth and sharp-edged tension.
A fast and funny Florida crime caper for fans of Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, and Randy Wayne White comes Florida's next hot fictional humorist!It’s that time of year again—Charlotte Harbor’s redfish tournament, where egos run high and fish mysteriously shrink when it’s weigh-in time. Shamus Pickford doesn’t bother fishing it anymore—not even for hire. Too much drama, not enough beer.
But while working a catering gig with his old buddy Cliff Fleming, Shamus overhears something sketchy coming from the mouths of a couple of would-be champions. Naturally, he does what any semi-retired fisherman with a grudge and too much curiosity would do—he follows them.
At the crack of dawn, Shamus and Cliff launch their own “investigation,” which mostly involves spying, speculating, and squinting through binoculars from behind a cooler of sandwiches. What they uncover doesn’t just smell fishy—it reeks. By the end of the day, Cliff’s shaken, Shamus is outraged, and both are rethinking everything they thought they knew about tournament “sportsmanship."
About the David Earth is a passionate outdoorsman with a fever for writing. Daily, he skims the shallow water of Charlotte Harbor on his skiff brainstorming and researching his next story. When Earth’s not exploring his next plotline, you’ll find he’s quite the companion for adventure.This coastal crime adventure continues on the Florida Gulf Coast, blending fishing tournament crime thriller elements with a twisting story of friendship and betrayal. As competition heats up, secrets, cheating, and high-pressure stakes collide, drawing readers into a backwater crime suspense novel steeped in Gulf Coast grit. With threads of PTSD, loyalty, and the cost of overthinking when danger strikes, this mystery explores where trust ends and survival begins, perfect for fans of coastal crime fiction with emotional depth and sharp-edged tension.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 7, 2026
Dedicated life
By-Catch was a lite easy read. David Earth did a great job of describing the geography of Charlotte Harbor, FL. You can sense David's efforts to document the natural area of his Florida stomping grounds before the natural area is gobbled up by development.
By-Catch was an enjoyable read without violance a mayhem.
By-Catch was a lite easy read. David Earth did a great job of describing the geography of Charlotte Harbor, FL. You can sense David's efforts to document the natural area of his Florida stomping grounds before the natural area is gobbled up by development.
By-Catch was an enjoyable read without violance a mayhem.
January 31, 2026
Wayne Stinnet fan
Nice read. Reminds me of Wayne’s early starts. Read the first and continued to 31. Wish David well and continued success.
Nice read. Reminds me of Wayne’s early starts. Read the first and continued to 31. Wish David well and continued success.
February 15, 2026
Fun story!
Very enjoyable!
Not what I originally expected but it continued to draw me in to the final conclusion. Good ending!
Very enjoyable!
Not what I originally expected but it continued to draw me in to the final conclusion. Good ending!
May 15, 2026
Liked the venue the most.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews