Saturday, April 19, 2008

Chasin' the Wind (Mad Mick Murphy) by Michael Haskins

Mad Mick Murphy is our guide to the darker side of Key West as this reporter's friend is murdered and he sets out to track down the killers. Mick is aided by his girlfriend, some Key West locals and his old friend, government spook Norm. The murder turns out to be tied to a government conspiracy, drug cartels and Cuban exiles. Good thing Mick's got a loaded Glock and a guy like Norm at his side!
This is a pretty fast and satisfying read, combining action, mystery, drama and some social commentary. All parts serve the story and it nowhere the plot speeds up too fast or goes to slow. Through it all Mick stays a believable protagonist, who's tough but human. Most of the locals didn't really come alive for me however and were just names on paper. Mick, Norm and Key West will however stay with me and will have me looking forward to the second novel in this series. A pretty solid debut.

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