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BITTER END
by Christine Kling
Ballantine, September 2005
304 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0345479033


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Seychelle Sullivan is on her way to a towing job when she notices Nick Pontus' boat ahead of her on the water. As both boats near the bridge, someone leans down and shoots Nick. His boat goes out of control but Seychelle manages to tow it in for salvage. Nick is dead and the police are interested in all information about the killer.

By saving Nick's boat, Seychelle is forced into contact with Molly, Nick's former wife. Many years before, Molly and Seychelle were best friends but that ended when Molly ran off to marry Nick. Now Seychelle is forced to put the past behind her in order to help Molly and her son.

The police believe that Molly has the most to gain by Nick's death. In fact, it seems as though they are focusing their investigation on her without following up any other suspects or scenarios. Regardless of their problems, Seychelle does not believe that her old friend could be a murderer.

Plus, Nick had numerous enemies who might be responsible. Nick was the owner of a multimillion dollar company, was somehow caught up with the Russian mob and several environmentalists were opposing his actions on the river. In order to protect an old friend, Seychelle must put her own life at risk in an attempt to flush out the killer.

BITTER END is a well-paced mystery. The story moves smoothly and quickly. The dialogue is realistic as are the actions of the main characters. There are enough surprises in the plot to keep the reader hooked without the surprises coming out of left field. In addition, Seychelle is such an engaging character that it is hard to not be curious as to her next move.

Throughout BITTER END there are several underlying themes that are important in Florida life. Three examples of these themes are casinos, tourists and the environment. The role of the casinos, both Indian casinos and others, has an impact on the economy, on the tourists, and on the environment.

As Florida's tourist attractions continue to grow, vital wildlife is threatened. In fact, regular boat traffic on the river systems threatens the animals that currently live there. If casino boats or other water tourist attractions grow, the situation will only get worse. While these ideas are not the driving force of the book, there is enough information subtly provided that the reader can ponder these themes if so inclined.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, February 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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