Book Review: Under the Gulf Coast Sun by Skip Rhudy

Under the Gulf Coast Sun by Skip Rhudy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A quick trip back in time to the beginning of a new young love.

Under the Gulf Coast Sun is a lovely historical romance by author Skip Rhudy and features the young adult surfing culture of mid-1970s Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast and the beginning of one made-for-each-other couple’s relationship. Connor O’Reilly and Kassie Hernandez had met the previous summer when she and her family were vacationing in his hometown of Port Aransas. Hitting it off, they’d kept in touch when she and her family had returned home to Midland through heartfelt letters, sharing their hopes and dreams as they completed their senior year in high school. When summer returned, so did Kassie, an event that the shy, inexperienced surfer boy Connor had dreamed about all year. Now faced with the reality, he’s filled with self-doubt that this beautiful girl whom every guy in town wants would want him, believing instead that she is out of his league.

What a good story! Connor is a genuinely nice guy and falls hard for Kassie. But with his recent history, the departure of his mother with a lover to pursue her own dreams, which didn’t include her only son, he’s got trust issues. Watching other guys hanging around and trying to catch Kassie’s eye is particularly difficult for him.

Kassie, whip-smart and with a full-ride scholarship to UC San Diego in hand, is certain Connor is different from other guys, interested in her for their common interests and not just for her hot physical attributes. However, his differences could be a two-edged sword, and she worries that her interest in him could divert her from her plans for the future. Thankfully, they eventually talk about their concerns, but not before there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING that causes a course correction on their journey to a HEA.

Told from multiple points of view, readers are privy to the inside skinny on the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and true motives. There’s a bit of repetitive “is she really into me” thinking on Connor’s part, but that seems to be a result of the emotional fallout from his mother’s actions. Kassie both abhorred and enjoyed the attention her physical appearance attracted, but she was only 18 years old when navigating through this.

The plot includes a lot of interesting descriptions and discussions of surfing, surfing legends of the era, and Connor and Kevin’s work aboard the crew boat. Connor’s time in the Gulf is suspenseful, and I thought the author did a great job of not telegraphing how this scenario was actually going to work out. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story has a lot of humorous moments as well, many centered around Kevin Stamford, but the party at the very beginning of the book had me laughing out loud.

Set as it is in the mid-1970s, these characters would have been my contemporaries, so I could relate to a number of things mentioned. Women’s roles were still in transition, and Kassie’s father’s warnings about what she could expect as a woman in a university science program were accurate. Even the assumption that women would naturally consider higher education at that time would have been false. But other aspects of the “historical” (really?) setting were fun and nostalgic, such as the music, the lower drinking age, and no cell phones, to name a few.

With its engaging characters, authentic descriptions, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful plot, I recommend UNDER THE GULF COAST SUN to readers of historical fiction and romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Depths of Deceit (Jamie Rush Mystery, #2) by Laura Oles

Depths of Deceit

by Laura Oles

July 25 - August 19, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Two sisters.

One deadly secret.

No time to lose.

PI Jamie Rush has her hands full with small-time skip-tracing and surveillance jobs in Port Alene, Texas. The work is steady, though she still struggles to make ends meet. But when her partner, Cookie, brings in a low-paying and potentially time-consuming case, Jamie takes it on out of loyalty.

Cookie’s childhood friend, Renata, needs to find her younger sister, Leah. As Jamie digs into Leah’s past, it becomes clear that the missing woman’s life was shrouded in secrets, the kind that could jeopardize those involved in the case.

To complicate matters, PI Alastair Finn has returned, and he’s willing to reclaim his town by any means necessary. Jamie has never been one to retreat, and Alastair enjoys a good fight. Sparks will fly.

A missing woman. Felonies. Finn’s return. Every twist reminds Jamie that she’s still an outsider in this town. Jamie must prove herself all over again, and the stakes have never been higher.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Female PI
Published by: Red Adept Publishing
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Number of Pages: 292
Series: A Jamie Rush Mystery, #2
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

The mermaid in the truck bed was what caught Jamie Rush’s attention. The cast-iron figure peeked over the hatch, her carved, flowing hair and demure smile in view. This was supposed to be a standard identify-and-repo job. Jamie was certain she hadn’t seen a mermaid on the itemized paperwork. Brody Rutger, in addition to hiding from creditors, had added theft of a local celebrity to his resume.

The day had started strong, with a lead on Rutger and an opportunity to catch him between fishing charters, using a boat he’d quit paying on months before. Suddenly, Marian the Mermaid was caught up in the mix.

And something was going on with the weather.

The month of November normally brought a steady stream of long-term vacationers from the north—affectionally called Winter Texans—who fled harsh winters for the promise of more tepid temperatures. Those who’d already set up residence in Port Alene were likely to be disappointed. Port A, usually quite predictable in her warmth, had suddenly changed her mind. That day, she was trading humidity for frigid air, and the wind, once laced with a warm, salty breeze, was offering only a cold shoulder. The palm trees lining Island Main bristled from side to side, and the town seemed to have turned inward in response. The icy wind whistled in the gap of her Tahoe’s window.

Jamie shuddered at the weather’s frigid downturn, while her partner, Cookie Hinojosa, all but cursed Mother Nature. He believed anything under seventy degrees was downright blasphemous. Jamie tilted her head toward the gray sky and welcomed the sting of air on her cheeks, her head briefly popping out the driver’s-side window. Cookie glanced over and shook his head.”

You’re very grumpy this morning,” Jamie said. She gave him a once-over, taking note of the large Dallas Cowboys logo on his chest, the silver star claiming almost all the space between his shoulders. “I see you found your favorite winter hoodie. Probably more fun to wear when they’re winning.”

Cookie turned to her and scowled. “Et tu, Brute? You’re going to dump on our favorite team? Really?”

Jamie reached over and gave her partner’s meaty shoulder a squeeze. “They need to earn our love by playing better. And we’ve been damned patient.” She rubbed her hand up and down his sleeve, noting the fabric felt cold. “You should probably break down and buy a proper winter jacket.”

“This is South Texas. Only snowbirds wear ‘proper’ winter jackets.”

Cookie dismissed the idea of wearing anything that added additional bulk to his substantial frame. “My Hawaiian shirts are sad from neglect.”

She had to agree. A long-sleeved Hawaiian shirt would look ridiculous on anyone. She rubbed her hands together and hoped the cold snap would soon dissipate, returning the balmy temperatures Port Alene normally delivered.

“I’m going to pull back a bit,” Jamie said.

Their skip of the day, Brody Rutger, owed their client, AAA Repo Services, $15,027. Brody had ducked all attempts at collection, so Jamie and Cookie had been hired to locate him and return the boat. Jamie and Cookie specialized in skip tracing, which essentially meant finding people who didn’t want to be found. They worked skips but also some surveillance—which paid well but was boring beyond belief—and some divorce cases, which also paid well but renewed Jamie’s resolve to never get married. In Jamie’s experience, if a person disappeared, the reasons involved money, private information, or violence. And secrets—always a secret.

***

Excerpt from Depths of Deceit by Laura Oles. Copyright 2022 by Laura Oles. Reproduced with permission from Laura Oles. All rights reserved.

Review: 5 stars!

With its engaging characters and fast-moving plot, DEPTHS OF DECEIT is an excellent follow-up to the series’ debut.

Depths of Deceit is the second book in author Laura Oles’s Jamie Rush Mystery series, and already I feel like these characters are old friends. Even with her odd childhood and struggle to break away from her con artist parents, Jamie is a pretty well-adjusted and normal woman working in an unusual business. With his more traditional upbringing and extended family, her partner, Cookie, is a great guy, a good friend, and a perfect partner in their joint business. Their friends Erin, Marty, and Riley are likable and engaging people. The introduction of the smug, self-satisfied yet somehow charming Alastair Finn adds an interesting bit of tension to both Jamie’s and Cookie’s lives. Fun characters also abound when they visit Erin’s senior community center. 

The author has created a delightful setting on the Texas Gulf Coast in the fictional Port Alene. The Corpus Christi area has been an annual destination for me for over 30 years, so I enjoyed trying to match up the disguised locations with the actual ones. Descriptions are so well done that I felt like I was there, even for the cold snap the characters were initially experiencing. 

The story may lean toward the cozy end of the mystery spectrum, but it definitely has its grittier moments. The plot takes some exciting and unexpected twists and turns, and I honestly didn’t want to put this book down until the final page had been read. The setting continues to be a very moody and atmospheric version of what is typically a sunny and touristy beach destination. The action takes us to some darker locations that made my skin crawl. I enjoyed the unusual backstory for the missing sister and the dangerous men with whom she had become involved. The subplot of Jamie’s parents and her younger sister was emotional, and I felt for both her and Grace. 

With very engaging characters and a fast-moving and compelling plot, this is an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series, DAUGHTERS OF BAD MEN. I recommend DEPTHS OF DECEIT to readers of mystery fiction, especially those who like strong female protagonists, bulldogs, and the Texas Gulf Coast.

Author Bio:

Laura Oles is the Agatha-nominated and award-winning author of the Jamie Rush mystery series, along with short stories and nonfiction. With two decades of experience in the digital photography industry, Laura’s work has appeared in trade and consumer magazines, crime-fiction anthologies, and she served as a business columnist. Laura loves road trips, bookstores and any outdoor activity that doesn’t involve running. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her family.

Catch Up With Laura Oles:
LauraOles.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @LauraOles
Instagram - @lauraolesauthor
Twitter - @LauraOles
Facebook - @lauraolesauthor

 

 

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Daughters of Bad Men (Jamie Rush Mystery, #1) by Laura Oles

Daughters of Bad Men by Laura Oles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Past and present clash on the Texas Gulf Coast in this excellent debut mystery by Laura Oles

Jamie Rush and her partner, Cookie Hinojosa, are skip tracers, private investigators skilled in the art of finding people who don’t want to be found. Sure, they do the bread-and-butter cases, too: divorce, surveillance, the occasional repossession, all to make ends meet; however, it is Jamie’s personal knowledge of how to disappear that has led to them excelling in their specialty.

They live and work in the small coastal town of Port Alene. Near Corpus Christi, it thrives on the tourist industry: spring break, beach vacations for inland Texans, and the annual influx of ‘Winter Texans,’ those from out of state fleeing the harsher conditions in their home states. Cookie, a Hawaiian shirt-wearing native son of Port Alene, is part of a large, extended family, but Jamie, a more recent arrival, had a much different upbringing.

Jamie’s parents were grifters, small-time con artists, and their activities necessitated frequent moves when things got hot where they were working or the grass looked greener elsewhere. Jamie had decided long ago she didn’t want any part of that lifestyle and left it and her family behind. However, she still hoped that one day they would straighten up and be the real family she’d always wanted. So Jamie couldn’t say no when her estranged brother, Brian, begged her to help him locate his missing daughter despite her suspicions he wasn’t telling her everything he knew.

Daughters of Bad Men is a fantastic debut for the Jamie Rush Mystery series by author Laura Oles. The main character, Jamie Rush, is a likable and capable yet vulnerable young woman who, despite her unfortunate childhood, has broken away from her family’s shady way of life and landed on her own two feet with a pretty positive outlook. She’s one smart cookie, able to read people, and has a witty personality. She and her partner have a delightful friendship and excellent working relationship that I really enjoyed. Their friend, Erin Clay, is a woman of contrasts. Although looking like a member of the Junior League, she’s building a successful bookie operation among the locals and the Winter Texans and doing so away from the influence of her father, a well-known, if not notorious, bookie in Las Vegas.

The author makes the coastal setting of Port Alene come alive. The descriptions are vivid and familiar, and I enjoyed trying to decide if the locations were actual ones, but disguised, or entirely fictional. I could easily visualize where the action was taking place, and I wanted to make a trip to Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, or Rockport quick, fast, and in a hurry.

The plot is smart and complex and held my attention from page one. I got the distinct impression that there is so much more happening below the surface of life in Port Alene than what is visible and that our characters are just getting started with their involvement in the business of the various crime families and criminal organizations. That feeling gave the book an extra undercurrent of menace and danger lurking nightside there. I hope there are many more mysteries to come in this series.

With its likable and engaging characters, sultry, salt-sprayed setting, and the emotion-tugging puzzle of a murder, I recommend DAUGHTERS OF BAD MEN to mystery fiction readers, especially those who like strong female protagonists, dog-and-cat partnerships, and a tempting setting on the Texas Gulf Coast.

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