Collateral Damage (Matt Royal Mystery) [Hardcover]

H. Terrell Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2011 | Series: Matt Royal Mystery

The quiet beauty of Longboat Key is shattered when a young groom is shot to death on the beach the day after his wedding. His father is an old army buddy of Matt Royal, and Matt tries to soften the anguish of his friend by finding his son's murderer. Matt's search takes on added complexity when there appears to be a link between this murder and three seemingly unrelated murders that occurred on board a dinner cruise on Sarasota Bay the same day. Fortunately for Matt, his old buddies, Logan Hamilton and Jock Algren, show up to cover his back and to help investigate. But this case rekindles haunting events of Matt's past and incites a web of doubt, deception, and even suspicion, among the closest of friends. When Longboat Key detective, Jennifer Diane (J.B.) Duncan joins the investigation, Matt loses a little focus as he drifts toward more than just a professional relationship. But this distraction could cost lives when they encounter a shady and very dangerous cabal .

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Matt Royal Mystery

Matt Royal and his buddies are at it again. Four murders and a love affair. And all this on beautiful Longboat Key.

"Groom shot dead on beach the day after wedding! Three other murders on local dinner cruise same day!" Is this really happening on Longboat Key?

Substantial promotion and publicity to include targeted print media, mainstream print outlets, electronic media, and blogs.

Author appearances at major conferences/literary events

About the Author

H. Terrell Griffin is a former soldier, a retired trial lawyer, an award winning novelist, and a bon vivant. His goal is to become a beach bum. Terry and his wife, Jean, live in Maitland, Florida, but can be found at their place on Longboat Key, Florida, more often than not, plotting the next Matt Royal novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing (December 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608090264
• ISBN-13: 978-1608090266
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trouble in paradise, November 28, 2011

By 

TChris (Tzer Island) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Collateral Damage (Matt Royal Mystery) (Hardcover)

Trouble surrounds Matt Royal despite his residence in paradise. It seems that Florida's Longboat Key isn't paradisiacal for everyone. A young man is shot by a sniper while he's walking on the beach near the Hilton, just a day after his wedding. Then a dinner boat runs aground after nearly colliding with Royal's boat. Then the bodies of two more murder victims are discovered, both of whom had been passengers on the dinner boat. When a town resident is killed, it looks like a serial killer has invaded paradise. The killings aren't connected in any obvious way, leaving Royal's friend, Detective J.D. Duncan, without any obvious hope of solving the crimes. Then a former soldier from Royal's past shows up, the father of one of the victims, and Royal joins the search for the elusive killer. Every now and then another death occurs, leaving the reader, like Royal, to puzzle out the connection that links the murders.

Some aspects of the plot are hard to accept. Royal is a retired lawyer. The victim's father wants Royal to start a lawsuit -- against whom, he's not sure -- to help gather information against the murderer of his son. I found it difficult to believe that the police would willingly hand over their investigative file to him; giving open files concerning recent unsolved murders to private lawyers just isn't done. If you can suspend your disbelief in that regard, however, the story that follows is entertaining. It isn't particularly credible but that's standard for a thriller, and it's not much more difficult to believe than some newspaper stories.

The need to suspend disbelief isn't limited to the plot. One of the characters -- a waitress -- is the typical part-time computer hacker; a couple of community college computer courses and she can hack into airline and bank records, not to mention databases maintained by rental car, credit card, and telephone companies. Another character works for a double secret American intelligence agency. Royal's convenient friendships with people who can instantly access any information he needs is good for plot development but not so good for verisimilitude.

The investigation sends Royal down several blind alleys, all in a reasonably effective attempt to keep the reader guessing. An interesting plot twist occurs when Royal begins to wonder whether he can trust the quasi-romantic interest in his life. The solution to the complex puzzle -- the link that binds the murders -- is interesting although I had the feeling I was reading plotlines recycled from other thrillers and mashed together in an attempt to create something new.

Although Royal engages in the occasional episode of hand-to-hand combat, he has a more fully developed personality than the standard tough guy character. Someone during the course of the novel accuses Royal of being a philosopher. He's no Aristotle, but he's capable of subtle thought, a trait often lacking in fictional tough guys. All the characters -- even the minor ones -- are refreshingly intelligent.

H. Terrell Griffin writes vividly, if not originally, about Royal's service as a Green Beret in Vietnam. His writing style in general is fluid, tight, and cliché-free. He blends action and exposition effectively, although the story is a bit exposition-heavy toward the end.

Collateral Damage is the sixth Matt Royal novel but the first I've read. It likely won't be the last.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner., November 20, 2011

By 

Cher Clark "Captain Dan" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Collateral Damage (Matt Royal Mystery) (Hardcover)

Matt does it again. Another episode in the tales of Matt Royal and his buddies. Lots of action and intrigue. This one will keep you guessing until the end.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars suburb Florida Keys whodunit, November 8, 2011

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collateral Damage (Matt Royal Mystery) (Hardcover)

On Longboat Key, Florida, newlywed Jim Desmond goes out for his morning jog the day after he married. His new bride Meredith of Savannah waits for him to return to their room at the Hilton, but a sniper kills the Atlanta resident.

Jim's grieving dad Charles "Doc" Desmond asks his Vietnam War U.S. Marine buddy former lawyer turned local beach bum Matt Royal to investigate. Matt agrees to help his comrade in arms who desperately needs answers to receive some closure. Meanwhile Longboat Key's police detective J.D. Duncan investigates the Desmond homicide as well as the mass murder of three people on the Dulcimer dinner cruise ship. When clues lead to Laos drug trafficking, Matt asks his pals Logan Hamilton and Jock Algren to help him.

The latest Royal investigative thriller (see Wyatt's Revenge and Bitter Legacy) is a suburb Florida Keys whodunit. The story line hooks the audience with the opening line and never lets go until the final confrontation as readers will relish Royal's investigation ably backed by recurring characters Logan and Jock that nicely converges with the official one conducted by J.D.

Harriet Klausner