Jeff Shelby Killer Swell

Killer Swell

Jeff Shelby

Dutton, Jul 205, $23.95, 304 pp.

ISBN: 0525948805

In Mission Beach, California while meeting wealthy Marilyn Crier, surfer private investigator Noah Braddock thinks back eleven years ago when he dated her daughter Kate, but the mother ended the relationship like an avenging angel. Now Marilyn wants to hire Noah to find her missing daughter who failed to meet her spouse Randall Tower at the San Francisco Airport as planned. Noah wants to say no even when Marilyn mentions a former patron recommended him and she knows he loathes her; he reluctantly agrees to find Kate in spite of Marilyn.

Noah tries to remain detached as he questions Randall, staying in San Diego's La Valencia. After another confrontation this time with the spouse over Noah's motivation, he questions Randall about his relationship with Kate. He obtains typical marital woes not enough to make a wife run away, but Noah wonders why Randall seems calm with his spouse missing for two weeks. Noah visits the Marriott where Kate stays when she is in town. In the parking lot he notices an isolated poorly parked Mercedes in two spaces. Inside he finds Kate. His former lover, Detective Liz Santangelo heads the official homicide investigation by warning Noah to stay out of it, but he feels he owes Kate for what could have been.

This is a fun beach noir that grips the audience from the personality-expressive opening line until the final reunion over the Pacific rocks. Noah is a likable slacker who works enough to surf without bills hanging over his board, but once on a case throws everything into the investigation. The murder mystery uses the San Diego area to enhance a solid sleuthing story.

Harriet Klausner