Sling Words CHASIN' THE
WIND: A No Spoiler Review
The cover of Chasin' The Wind has palm trees gilded by a
setting sun and a boat, silhouetted on a patch of gleaming
water. All else in the peaceful scene is darkness. The cover
artist perfectly captured the essence of this book, the first
Mad Mick Murphy Mystery, by Michael Haskins.
Set in Key West, the darkness beneath the bright surface of
this tourist mecca is revealed in the opening sequence when
Murphy, former globe-trotting investigative journalist,
stumbles upon the near-dead body of his friend and fellow sail
enthusiast.
Haskins has a lean, spare style that gives you the facts and
paints a picture of the Key West known to its denizens but
rarely seen by the tourists. Forget the glitz and glamor of
the other odes to Floridian excess as seen in book,
television, and film. Chasin' The Wind is the real deal. It's
the bite of lime in a mojito, the festering, relentless
antipathy still nurtured for Fidel, and the spray of salt in
your face when you're on the water.
Mick Murphy is not some unrealistic super hero sleuth. He
might be the guy you pass on the street. He's known tragedy,
and he's haunted by the past. He probably isn't extraordinary
in his beliefs: that loyalty and friendship are everything and
that justice should be sought.
Haskins has created an intelligent sleuth, and you'll get a
kick out of following Mad Mick Murphy from Key West to Cuba in
Chasin' The Wind. You'll wish you could hang with Murphy in a
seedy bar and share a beer while you wait for the next book in
this promising new series. |
