Blood Tide
BLOOD TIDE ISBN 0-9700476-2-2 WAYNE BARCOMB has written two other acclaimed novels, All Are Naked and Spin
the Bottle. He is presently working on a sequel to Blood Tide as well as writing
for several magazines. He and his wife Susan live in Sarasota. |
Blood Tide by Wayne Barcomb is hailed by author Steve Johnson (Dawn's Early Light) as "A new entry into the Florida Mystery genre with the mixture of suspense, color and commentary that made John MacDonald's Travis McGee series so popular."
Sam Wallace, recently divorced and fired from his teaching position at a Boston college, escapes to Sarasota, Florida. With his dog and a contract for a second novel, he looks forward to new adventures.
In Sarasota, Sam immediately encounters some of the extraordinary characters that have also found their way to Florida. Among them, he meets the nouveau riche, real estate developers, socialites and the hustlers – like the classic car dealer, Mike Rossi. Two days after they meet, Rossi is found murdered. Having been a police officer prior to academia, Sam pokes into the murder investigation.
He discovers many possible suspects who would have wanted Rossi dead, including a very short multimillionaire social-climber, a fast talking developer, and the proprietor of a kinky female escort service. Sam also meets Dr. Jennifer Belding, an expert on red tide whose research shows that an especially virulent strain may hit Southwest Florida at the beginning of the tourist season. Powerful people are alarmed that the release of her findings could precipitate financial disaster. When a houseguest of Jennifer's is murdered it is clear that she was the intended victim. The murders escalate to three before Sam finds the clues that lead to a surprising ending.
ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR BLOOD TIDE
"A tight accomplished thriller that never stops moving toward its surprising
and satisfying denouement."
—Howard Kaminsky, former President of Warner Books and Random House
"In Blood Tide Barcomb has written a smooth, suspenseful novel that goes down like fine bourbon. Besides interesting characters and a solid complex plot, the author has captured vividly the sun and sin, culture and crassness, big money and bigger dreams that make up sunny Sarasota."
—John Lutz, author of The Night Watcher