In 1921, in the quiet seaside town of Hyannis, shipbuilder Grant Carroway dies in a hail of bullets. Cynical cop Drew Lucy investigates the case. When Grant's know-it-all daughter Cecilia barges into the crime scene, Lucy puts her at the top of the suspect list. Nine times out of ten, murder's a family affair.
Pilot Cecilia "Ace" Carroway thinks the hit was masterminded by a Great War tyrant she remembers killing. Is the shadowy Darko Dor still alive?
It sounds farfetched to Drew Lucy until he finds himself dodging bullets and grenades. He'd better get wise quick, or somebody else is going to die.
This book contains: Narrow escapes. 1920s slang. Cool female pilots. Noir detectives. Murder investigations. Explosions. Clipped sentences. Hired thugs. Jazz.
Ace Carroway Around the World by Guy Worthey is the second book in The Adventures of Ace Carroway, but it reads very well as a standalone novel, a thriller featuring murder, an investigation, and compelling characters. Shipbuilder Grant Carroway is murdered after leaving a note for his daughter that he was going to meet Mr. Darko Dor before the gentleman’s departure for Istanbul. He is riddled with bullets minutes after Ace finds the note. Police investigator Drew Lucy is investigating the crime and when Cecilia - “Ace” - rushes into the crime scene, asking to see her father and mentioning the name of Darko Dor, he puts her as one of his top suspects. It is not long before Drew Lucy learns that danger is closer to him than is accidental, barely escaping bullets and grenades. As for Ace Carroway, it is about unraveling the mystery of a very bad man she believes to have killed her father.
Guy Worthey’s novel is fast-paced, suspenseful, and it features very memorable characters with solid backgrounds. Ace is one of my favorite characters in the impressive cast, a pilot with incredible skills. The conflict is introduced from the very start of the story and it feeds on a powerful premise. The note her father leaves behind reminds Ace of someone she has met before and not under very good circumstances, and that strikes an unpleasant and disturbing chord. When her father is found dead, the question is who killed him if not the very dangerous man he said he was going to meet and, if it is the man, it means Ace is in even more trouble. The narrative is excellent and the use of tight sentences, timely paragraph breaks and short chapters makes for an enjoyable read. The dialog reads naturally. Ace Carroway Around the World is a gripping thriller, intelligently plotted, and focused.
