The Ghost of Jeff Davis
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If you are looking for an entertaining mystery read and want a healthy surfing vibe running throughout then take a look at this offering from Ben Rayner - "The Ghost of Jeff Davis".
This book comprises of two stories and are part of the Fat Bennie series of mystery novels which are base around the Chicago PI and Great Lakes surfer Fat Bennie O'Day. For those who don't know, Fat Bennie O'Day is the original Chicago surfing PI. He likes a drink, he likes a surf and he likes to solve mysteries!
I'd not heard of Ben Rayner before let alone read anything by him before so did not know what to expect. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. Both The Ghost of Jeff Davis and The Wreck of the Jennie B were a very entertaining read. The action ticks along at a nice pace and the stories draw you in. Bennie himself is an entertaining central character, getting himself out of one scrape and into another.
The book also gives you a small peek into a Great Lakes surfers lot.
The Ghost of Jeff Davis: The first story of the two centers around the lost gold of the Confederacy. The story brings Bennie, the KKK, minority action groups, mushy gulf coast surf, and angry reptiles together for a big south side helping of noir whodunit. Is this a ghost story, hidden treasure or a search for the biggest waves? (you'll have to read it to find out)
The Wreck of the Jennie B: Bennie drops in and finds himself the best friend of big oil, a smarmy North Shore politician (is there any other kind?), and a WW II Lake Michigan shipwreck that hides a deadly secret. Childhood shootings, Great Lakes surf spots under threat - can Bennie get to the bottom of this one?
These stories are packed full of so many surfing metaphors it will make your head spin - in a good way! They are a nice easy read which makes them ideal to pack up on a surf trip and get straight into. The books are also ideal for pretty much any age.
Other Books in the Series Include:
T'ree Yards and a Cloud of Dust
The Ghost of Bix Beiderbecke
Fat Bennie vs The Scrap King of Chicago
Fat Bennie Goes to France or The Mystery of the Amber Room
Rayner's work has been compared to some of America's finest mystery writers, including Goodis and Thompson. His dose of hardnosed Chicago toughness and reverence for all things freaky create a curious and genre-defining series that just begs to be read.
Check out the selection of surf books in the store.
Not sure if this is the correct e-mail to address my comments, but I wanted to thank you for reviewing my book. Your reviewer obviously takes the time and makes the effort and I appreciate it. I don't say that just because she/he liked my book. You folks are far more professional than many sites that claim to have an interest in literature. Keep up the great work.