Book Review: Coast Access

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Got to hand it to Walter Ramsey. He keeps his protagonist, Tucker Lee Anderson, a divorced ex-sports editor now doing investigative journalism with the aid of visions and an ancestral Indian ghost, busy. Coastal Access is the second book featuring Tucker. With the aid of friends, dubious friends, bungling enemies, and a mysterious friend, Doug, Tucker stumbles into a conspiracy that threatens not only his life and the lives of others he loves, but the way of life in coastal Florida.

Truth be known, I read this book in the revision stages, then again, breezed through a published copy. While there are some stretches of believability, beyond the limited paranormal aspects of the story, it is an intriguing read with plenty of twists, turns, and surprise revelations in the taut story. When the action hits close to home, Tucker finally exposes more of himself, deepening the story. I'd like to see more of it in future stories. Some of the secondary characters are not as fully developed as I like, but they serve their purpose to move the plot forward, making it worth rooting for the downfall of the bad guys even when it seems they hold all the cards.

This is a quick summer read that will keep you turning pages. The writing is strong and without grammatical bumps in the night. I found the multiple viewpoints a bit rough to start the story, but it smoothed out quick enough to a comfortable read. With the wide range of characters, there are times when I think Ramsey wants to channel his inner Carl Hiassen. Someday perhaps he will. I can't hang ten or anything else on a surfboard, but I'm hanging a solid "4" for this book.