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Zack Chasteen #5
Baja Florida
Zack Chasteen’s old friend Mickey Ryser pays a surprise visit to deliver some bad doctors tell him he has only a few weeks to live and he plans to spend it on his private-island hideaway in the Bahamas. But Ryser has a favor to ask. He needs Zack to find his estranged daughter, Jen, whom Ryser hasn’t seen in more than twenty years. He wants to make amends and spend what little time he has left with her. When last heard from, Jen had bought a big sailboat and was bound for the Bahamas with some college friends. A private detective hired by Ryser to track her down has gone MIA. One of Jen’s friends has jumped ship, under curious conditions. And there’s the specter of an international piracy ring, known to hijack and plunder private yachts passing through island waters. With little to go on, Zack embarks on a mission that will take him from one end of the Bahamas to the other. It’s home to all sorts of rogues and rascals, with plenty of places to hide---a wonderment of islands that Zack calls Baja Florida.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
7 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Bob Morris
75 books51 followersRobert Morris is an American novelist who writes Caribbean themed mysteries. He is previously known as a columnist for several newspapers and magazines.
Series:
* Zack Chasteen
Series:
* Zack Chasteen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 10, 2018
As with all of Bob Morris' Zack Chasteen series, this is a good solid well written thriller mystery.
A bit too violent and gory for my tastes as are all of his books but not as bad as some I've seen in the genre and none of the violence seems gratuitous. It all serves to move the plot forward quite well.
Good plot, great characters. Morris really does a great job of giving the feel of life in Florida and the islands. His characters all seem real and believable, engaging and interesting. Their reactions all seem believable and I don't have to suspend disbelief much to get into each book. Looking at all of the books together it is of course unbelievable that all these significant incidents would happen to one person but of course that is the nature of the genre.
Gives you a great feel of what it is like to live in that part of the world and a great idea of what the scenery is like there.
A fun read and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery novels.
A bit too violent and gory for my tastes as are all of his books but not as bad as some I've seen in the genre and none of the violence seems gratuitous. It all serves to move the plot forward quite well.
Good plot, great characters. Morris really does a great job of giving the feel of life in Florida and the islands. His characters all seem real and believable, engaging and interesting. Their reactions all seem believable and I don't have to suspend disbelief much to get into each book. Looking at all of the books together it is of course unbelievable that all these significant incidents would happen to one person but of course that is the nature of the genre.
Gives you a great feel of what it is like to live in that part of the world and a great idea of what the scenery is like there.
A fun read and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery novels.
December 30, 2023
Baja Florida was a good quick beach read action mystery book. I hope Morris resumes the Zack Chasteen series. Morris writes well and offers opinions as well as information along the way. Huge bonus points for a Malcolm Gladwell Blink reference. In reference to Florida development planning, Morris noted, “It’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity” which will stick with me as a good line even if he wasn’t the originator. Low 4 stars and enjoyable.
August 28, 2019
Hard to put this book down!
Now I have to read the whole series. Love the characters, the plot, the settings etc. Great to read at the beach or if you want to feel like you're at the beach.
Now I have to read the whole series. Love the characters, the plot, the settings etc. Great to read at the beach or if you want to feel like you're at the beach.
February 3, 2011
I am an admitted Bob Morris fan. I love mysteries and think Morris's Zach Chasteen series is one of the best.
In the latest, Baja Florida, Morris has settled into his characters and tells an intriguing tale set on a sailboat and islands in the Bahamas. Morris's extensive knowledge of the region shines through with writing that resonates with a sense of place. I was filled with both hunger and wanderlust when I read Baja Florida...and an urge to pour myself a rum to sip...
The characters are well-written and compelling. With each book in the series, they are growing and evolving. It is what I like most of these books. Instead of repeating the same mistakes to create tension, Zach has moved from a (falsely-accused) inmate to husband and father. I like that we get to see a new side to him with each book and feel like I am reading about an old friend. He is a great character to keep revisiting.
I devoured Baja Florida. My only complaint, I have to wait for Bob to write the next in the series.
In the latest, Baja Florida, Morris has settled into his characters and tells an intriguing tale set on a sailboat and islands in the Bahamas. Morris's extensive knowledge of the region shines through with writing that resonates with a sense of place. I was filled with both hunger and wanderlust when I read Baja Florida...and an urge to pour myself a rum to sip...
The characters are well-written and compelling. With each book in the series, they are growing and evolving. It is what I like most of these books. Instead of repeating the same mistakes to create tension, Zach has moved from a (falsely-accused) inmate to husband and father. I like that we get to see a new side to him with each book and feel like I am reading about an old friend. He is a great character to keep revisiting.
I devoured Baja Florida. My only complaint, I have to wait for Bob to write the next in the series.
June 8, 2011
I just finished this book a few min's ago and I couldn't wait to tell you all how much I enjoyed it.
Maybe it was the tropical setting, one I am personally in love with, or maybe it was the action our hero - "Zach-o" gets caught up in as he goes on a deadly mission to find the "lost" daughter of his dear and dying longtime friend, Mickey. A mission which takes him by land, sea and air in and around the islands. Or, maybe it was the cool cover which caught my eye on the bookshelf. It's all good...whatever it was.
Intrigue and bad guys - Bahamian style, with great narration, description of the locale AND the food kept this book rolling right along, no dips, slowdowns or rough patches. Morris keeps the tension cranked with all the right elements throughout and takes us on the grand tour of the chain of islands 90 miles from where I sit. I liked this book and I'll be looking to read another in the series next, after I catch up on a few other review commitments. This was my first Bob Morris book and won't be my last.
Maybe it was the tropical setting, one I am personally in love with, or maybe it was the action our hero - "Zach-o" gets caught up in as he goes on a deadly mission to find the "lost" daughter of his dear and dying longtime friend, Mickey. A mission which takes him by land, sea and air in and around the islands. Or, maybe it was the cool cover which caught my eye on the bookshelf. It's all good...whatever it was.
Intrigue and bad guys - Bahamian style, with great narration, description of the locale AND the food kept this book rolling right along, no dips, slowdowns or rough patches. Morris keeps the tension cranked with all the right elements throughout and takes us on the grand tour of the chain of islands 90 miles from where I sit. I liked this book and I'll be looking to read another in the series next, after I catch up on a few other review commitments. This was my first Bob Morris book and won't be my last.
May 22, 2017
Well, it took exactly 2 weeks to plow through Bob Morris' 5 novels to date that make up the Zack Chasteen series, and I was not disappointed once. This is a series that is smart, thrilling, with great mysteries and excellent locations. This book is a bit slower than the previous entry (A Deadly Silver Sea). In a way, it resembles an old fashioned mystery with Chasteen searching for a dying friend's lost daughter. What Morris does that works so great is offers a parallel narrative from the point-of-view of the kidnapped daughter, giving the reader an extra bit of tension as Chasteen continues his search. This book also returns to the Bahamas, the sight of the first book. Another excellent book in an excellent series.
July 5, 2010
"There is a tendency of one generation to run wild, break rules, enjoy itself, and then condemn those who come along next to give these indulgences a new spin".
It is my opinion that the condemnation comes from envy of their youth.
This is my first Bill Morris/Zack Chasteen novel. I was prepared not to like this book but the more I read of it the better I liked it. Until I learned that Zack is independently wealthy, I thought it was a bit unbelievable that he was throwing hundred dollar bills around like they were confetti.
Overall, a well told story but the plot was somewhat predictable at times.
It is my opinion that the condemnation comes from envy of their youth.
This is my first Bill Morris/Zack Chasteen novel. I was prepared not to like this book but the more I read of it the better I liked it. Until I learned that Zack is independently wealthy, I thought it was a bit unbelievable that he was throwing hundred dollar bills around like they were confetti.
Overall, a well told story but the plot was somewhat predictable at times.
August 26, 2015
While I'm not a fan of series books, I love anything dealing with the tropics and boats. This was the only Bob Morris book on the library shelf, so thought I'd give it a try. Not bad writing, interspersed with humor, which is always fun. I laud Morris for making Zach, the protagonist, likable & macho without the use of foul language. Morris obviously know the islands well & creates a nice atmosphere with a little history of the Bahamas thrown in. I think I've even met one of the customs agents on a recent trip:>
October 25, 2015
The first of the series that I read, enjoyed the overall island vibe very well. Also learned something about the Bahamas, which is not hard to do because I knew almost nothing other than general location and that English is spoken. The details on the boats was cool, liking boats myself. In many ways a classic story (lost daughter, large legacy, dying father, isolated luxury house, old friends to the rescue) but executed quite well and with an interesting main character. I liked it and will look for the others in the series.
October 20, 2014
#5 in the Zack Chasteen series. Apparently the final chapter in the saga of Zack Chasteen, a former Miami Dolphin linebacker.
Zack Chasteen heads for the Bahamas as a favor to a dying friend. He is to find the friend's daughter, supposedly on a sailing trip, and bring her and a restored yacht to the friend's island. The daughter and her sailboat are missing and Zack gets conflicting information from her shipmates. Murder and mayhem ensue and someone is intent on pinning it on Chasteen.
Zack Chasteen heads for the Bahamas as a favor to a dying friend. He is to find the friend's daughter, supposedly on a sailing trip, and bring her and a restored yacht to the friend's island. The daughter and her sailboat are missing and Zack gets conflicting information from her shipmates. Murder and mayhem ensue and someone is intent on pinning it on Chasteen.
February 10, 2010
I started reading Bob Morris on his first novel, Bahamarama. Bob Morris is a fun read. Part mystery, a little humor, and a lot of Florida and the islands to the south. Zak is the kind of guy that you've met that's just a little bigger then life. If you like to read Carl Hiaasen or like the Stephanie Plum novels of Janet Evanovich, give Bob Morris a read.
October 29, 2016
Great Craziness
Bob Morris knows how to tell a cliffhanger thriller and also has a deft hand for dropping in the knowledgeable details about the things he knows and loves - the real Florida, boats, life on the salt, the islands in The Stream. This Zack Chasten novel is a corker. Read it now.
Bob Morris knows how to tell a cliffhanger thriller and also has a deft hand for dropping in the knowledgeable details about the things he knows and loves - the real Florida, boats, life on the salt, the islands in The Stream. This Zack Chasten novel is a corker. Read it now.
February 3, 2010
If you can’t afford a tropical vacation, try visiting Baja Florida instead. Though its pages are filled with mystery, murder, and deceit, it’s still an enjoyably laid-back read.
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
February 23, 2010
Another well told tale by Bob Morris. Zack Chasteen helps a dying friend find his daughter in this entertaining story that has all kinds of twists and turns. Morris' description of a changing Florida and the Bahama chain of islands adds depth and emotion to the plot. Well worth reading.
July 26, 2011
Thoroughly enjoyable. With the Zack series, Morris' plotting, while solid, is almost secondary. The settings and the characters are what the stories are really about. I'm a sucker for a strong supporting character, and Boggy is one of my favorites. This one has a nice heavy dose of Boggy.
August 10, 2011
i recently plowed through the five (so far) Chasteen novels from Bob Morris. All were solid, fun little mysteries. The main character is likable and not too much of a either a sinner or a saint. Fun stuff and each is worth the read.
March 23, 2015
Great read
A fun page turner. I am a slow reader but gobbled it up. Bob Morris is part mystery writer, part food critic and part travel guide. It all makes for a fun ride - and a good read.
A fun page turner. I am a slow reader but gobbled it up. Bob Morris is part mystery writer, part food critic and part travel guide. It all makes for a fun ride - and a good read.
February 8, 2010
I'm a sucker for tropical settings, water and happy endings. not much else there.
February 20, 2010
Bob Morris has written another winner in his Zack Chasteen series.
March 29, 2010
5th book in Morris's Zack Chasteen series. Nothing terribly original or earth-shattering. But this is a great beach, airport, vacation read. Enjoyable while reading but forgettable afterwards.
February 2, 2016
Good story, well told.
June 9, 2010
Similar to the Randy Wayne White books, but it was a bit tedious.
August 18, 2010
This was a fun read and I love to read stories that are set in Florida. The character reminded me of the Robert B. Parker's Spencer character, complete with questionable, hot sidekick.
August 30, 2010
Interesting story.
Worthwhile mystery.
Will not pursue author.
Worthwhile mystery.
Will not pursue author.
October 27, 2010
Mr. Morris does a wonderful job of transporting the reader down to the Keys! A great setting for a solid mystery.
Read
July 18, 2011Once I read the first book, I was hooked on Zach, he's a humorous and very likable charactor. Can't wait for another novel.
July 18, 2011
The Author kept it simple and I enjoyed reading about the area I've grown accustomed to. He keeps you wanting for more.
October 9, 2013
Weaker than the previous novels, with an obvious-from-the-first non-twist. Really 2.5 stars.
August 6, 2014
quick read, very engaging. couldn't put it down.
November 19, 2013
Always like his Florida books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews