Buck Reilly is laying low, living out of a hotel in Key West. In a past life he was in charge of a successful antiquities company. However when it all came crashing down around him investors lost a lot of money and he found himself accused of fraud and murder. Now he runs Last Resort Charter and Salvage, hoping to find a treasure wreck that will help end his money worries. One particular charter trip lands him in the middle of escalating tensions between the USA and Cuba, possibly hexed by Santero devotees and under the scrutiny of a seriously unhappy FBI agent. Despite everything that is going on he still finds time for a little romance.
The characters in this book are a lot of fun. Buck seems pretty laid back, enjoying following his dreams having managed to fly under the radar and avoid a prison spell. It seems like he's not such a bad guy, rather he got caught up in a venture that ended badly and then tried to take care of his former business partner. Potential squeeze Karen comes over as attractive but quirky. There are plenty of bad guys, some of whom turn out to have a bark worse than their bite. My slight problem with the book was the number of characters introduced in quick succession, some with names that were too similar to make them distinct. As the action got under way I found it a bit of an effort to remember who was who, and had done what, which made keeping up with the plot difficult. However by the end I had all the threads straightened out.I loved the locations in the book, which mostly spoke of fun and sunshine, and having visited Key West recognised some of the places mentioned. The main plot had some good elements and, as someone who in the past has read about other less mainstream religions and beliefs, I found the parts about Santeria interesting. I'm a bit of an aviation fan so loved Buck's pride and joy, amphibious plane Betty.
I found this action novel a breath of fresh air, it felt much less dark than many I have read but without descending into farce, but did think that with some tinkering it could have been easier to follow. I warmed to Buck and would love to know more about his past and keep up with his future adventures.
Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 3*
