On a cool winter evening, a speedboat hurtles across San Diego Bay and crashes into the ballroom of the Admiral’s Club. As guests flee the ensuing fire, a woman crawls from the burning boat and screams her last words: Arion has returned! Before long, guitar-playing detective Rolly Waters is on the case, connecting the dead woman to a Navy diver who disappeared twenty years earlier and the twisted wrecks of the lives he left behind.
The fourth novel in the Rolly Waters mystery series.
Fayman quickly draws the reader in with the boat crash scene, which couples dry humor with fiery drama. The story is fast-paced and intensified by the myriad of twists and turns, each establishing another character who had a reason to want Butch dead. Fayman craftily ties together the mystery behind Butch’s disappearance and the present-day deaths. Though Fayman clearly outlines the characters’ motives and how they connect to one another, readers must pay close attention to the details to have a thorough understanding of the intricately woven web.
Fayman expertly underscores the ups and downs of a musical career, and his use of the San Diego area and the influence of the naval base there adds elements of realism and authenticity. Mystery fans will quickly warm to the affable Rolly, a genuine man who, though scarred by events of his past, has embraced the present to live one day at a time. This standalone installment will satisfy both newcomers and series fans with a fascinating mystery and colorful cast.
Takeaway: This music-themed murder mystery will draw fans of old-fashioned gumshoes, vivid characters, and twisty, layered stories.
Great for fans of Robert B. Parker’s Crimson Joy, James Patterson and James O. Born’s The River Murders.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Ballast Point Breakdown, the fourth novel in the Rolly Waters mystery series, will be published by Konstellation Press March 1, 2020
