Blood Island [Hardcover]

H. Terrell Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

Matt Royal never has to look far for excitement. Excitement-and sometimes trouble-has a way of finding him first. But for this fun-loving lawyer turned beach bum, things are about to get serious. Dead serious.When his ex-wife asks for help in tracking down her stepdaughter, last seen in Matt's hometown of Longboat Key, Matt agrees to do a little searching. But what looks like the case of one missing girl turns out to be something much bigger-and much more dangerous. Enlisting the aid of his buddies Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton, Matt launches a full-speed-ahead search that leads from Longboat Key to Key West to an ominous strip of land called Blood Island.But this is no island paradise. Blood Island is home base to a cult of religious zealots. And they're making devastating plans that could change the world forever.Bullets fly, and as the clock ticks down, it will be up to Matt to make sure that what happens on Blood Island stays on Blood Island.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Longboat Key, Fla., Griffin's third mystery to feature semiretired lawyer Matt Royal (after 2006's Murder Key) proves bad things can happen in beautiful places. Matt, who's traded suits for shorts, now does mostly pro bono investigative work. When his ex-wife, Laura, shows up, needing help in locating her stepdaughter, Peggy, who went missing in Sarasota while on spring break, Matt dives into a puzzle with a quickly rising body count. Matt becomes really worried after Laura goes missing. Is her disappearance linked to Peggy's? The suspense rises as the trail leads to Key West and the Heaven Can't Wait Spa, where Matt uncovers a connection to Rev. Robert William Simmermon, a crazy preacher with a hidden agenda headquartered on nearby Blood Island. Griffin's breezy first-person narration brings the likable Matt, with his killer reflexes and wry sense of humor, vividly to life. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

The gold standard in Florida crime fiction was established by John D. MacDonald with his color-coded Travis McGee series back in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, it’s often been said—and meant as a high compliment—that Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford was the closest successor to McGee. Well, move over Doc because H. Terrell Griffin’s Matt Royal may be cut in even more of the McGee mold. Royal is a former Green Beret and former lawyer living in Sarasota (where McDonald resided), though this adventure, which involves finding his ex-wife’s missing stepdaughter, takes place on Blood Island in the Florida Keys (where McGee occasionally moored his houseboat). Royal displays the mixture of street smarts, physical prowess, and hypersensitivity that made McGee a paperback icon. Some of MacDonald’s less admirable features, such as amazingly lethal old friends who pop up when the plot requires their presence, also find their way into Blood Island; but even so, this is a thoroughly entertaining, old-school Florida mystery novel that fans of the region and the genre will love. --Steve Glassman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing; 1St Edition edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193351521X
• ISBN-13: 978-1933515212
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,160,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terror Attack, February 25, 2009

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blood Island (Hardcover)

There have been all kinds of approaches to novels with terrorist attacks as a plot. But none, to our knowledge, have put forward as different a tack as "Blood Island." The story begins simply enough: Matt Royal, a retired attorney who trouble always seems to find, is visited by his ex-wife, who implores him to find her missing step-daughter.

One would think that from this inauspicious beginning we would progress to a straightforward mystery involving a kidnapped college student or a wayward teenager. Instead we are confronted with a complicated but inventive plot that transcends the reader's ordinary expectations. Along the way we are treated to the attractions of Longboat Key and the Sarasota area of Florida, as well as the charms of Key West.

The story is fast-moving, with terse dialogue, violence and a sufficient amount of surprises to reward the reader. The conclusion may be overly dramatic, but such an approach is in keeping with the tale, and the book is recommended.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blood Island...This author is AWESOME if you love murder mysteries!, September 9, 2009

By 

Rachel T. Gause - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Island (Hardcover)

I HIGHLY recommend all of Terrell Griffin's books. I have been a book reader all of my life and especially love murder mysteries. Terrell's books are easy to read, fast paced and captivating. You are hooked on the first page. I never want to put his books down and then can't wait to pick it back up. I had the honor and surprise of meeting Terrell Griffin in Longboat Key, FL., before I had heard of his books. He actually gave me his first one and while I was talking to him I turned the book over and realized he had written the book. Not only is he a great author, but a very nice, down to earth person. When he says on his web site that he reads and answers his e mails, he does. If you like a good murder mystery, I urge you to order Blood Island and then look for all of his books. You will be hooked!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting thriller, February 9, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Island (Hardcover)

Cults are not the most reasonable things to deal with. "Blood Island" follows Matt Royal, an ex-lawyer as he searches for his ex-wife's step daughter on Blood Island. Matt finds that Peggy may have been forced to become a prostitute by a crazed cult, but it seems that's not the worst of it, as even finding the cult's prostitution ring, Peggy is nowhere to be found. Matt soon finds that more than sexual exploitation could be out there when he looks deeper into the cult. "Blood Island" is a riveting thriller that'll keep a reader going all the way to the end.