Death with an Ocean View: Kate Kennedy, Senior Sleuth [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Nora Charles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2004

The once sleepy beach town of Palmetto, Florida is plagued by progress, and a developer's plan to raze the Ocean Vista condo has board president Stella Sajak in an uproar. But when Stella says she'll go to City Hall and fight this to the death, no one thinks to take her statement literally. And when Kate Kennedy begins to investigate the murder, she discovers that this little corner of the sunshine state is cursed with corruption.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sparkles like the south Florida sunshine."
-- Nancy Martin, Author of How to Murder a Millionaire

Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (September 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587247682
• ISBN-13: 978-1587247682
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,047,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tightly-plotted debut --, December 24, 2005

By 

kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death With An Ocean View (Paperback)

Although there are many reasons for reading a mystery series in the order the books were written (or published) the reader can also derive great enjoyment from reading them out of order, too. Such is the case with this book and this reader. Having stumbled over the second book, Who Killed Swami Schwartz? and liking it very much, I promptly set out to find the first book and see what I'd missed.

Obviously, this first book has the setup for the location as well as the premise, but also introduces several of the on-going characters. The author's wry sense of humor-especially regarding her own foibles, as exemplified by the heroine of the book-brings a delightful touch to the series. In addition, the writing is very engaging, drawing you right in to the every day activities of the folks so well-described that you think you already know them.

This is a delightful cozy novel set in a condo complex primarily inhabited by senior citizens in southern Florida. However, any reader of any age should certainly enjoy following the adventures of Kate Kennedy, a rather recent widow and now sleuth in spite of herself or her friends. I found this first book to be more tightly-plotted than the second book in the series, but that's hardly surprising.

Oh, joy! I've just discovered that book three--Death is a Bargain--is out now! Hooray!

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I was expecting great things based on the reviews, September 8, 2004

By 

M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death With An Ocean View (Paperback)

But this book was something of a disappointment -- not bad, but (to me) clearly a first for this author. I can't quite say what was wrong -- it just seemed not very polished.

The "detective" is the recently widowed 60 something Kate Kennedy, who is living in "Palmetto Beach" Florida (near Boca Raton) in an oceanfront condo with a lot of other retired people. She is still grieving and doesn't have much enthusiasm for her new home, which was where her late husband had wanted to live. One of the residents of this beachfront property is found murdered and Kate gets involved in trying to figure out who murdered this woman (the condo president, I might add) and why.

What I liked best were the characters and setting -- I really could imagine everyone and everything she was describing. I think that Kate could have been developed more and that the book was a little too short (overedited?) SOmehow the mystery plot never really engaged my curiosity -- perhaps because we never got to know the murder victims well enough, or perhaps because in the end, it all seemed too far-fetched (I can't say more without revealing too much). I read this book all the way through, but it certainly wasn't the kind of mystery I'd stay up late reading. Still, the author shows real talent and I suspect her books will get better over time.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars engaging amateur sleuth with a unique heroine, June 2, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death With An Ocean View (Paperback)

After signing the papers that made Charlie and Kate Kennedy the proud owner of a beachfront retirement condo at Ocean Vista in Palmetto, Florida, he died before they moved in. CEO David Fry of Sea Breezes, Inc is building a fancy resort complex on the waterfront and he wants to tear down Ocean Vista and build a parking garage. Stella Sajak, the president of the Ocean Vista Condominium Board of Directors promises to fight him.

One night Kate is looking out her balcony and sees fellow resident Stanley Ferris on the beach tripping over the murdered body of Stella. After living with a homicide detective for years Kate knows how to conduct an investigation and her path leads her to reporter Nancy Cooper also a resident of the same condo who is breaking three major stories in the weekly next edition. While on the phone with Nancy, Kate hears a gunshot and unable to reach the police she turns over to the paper only to find a gun to her head. She faints and when she comes to she knows that she is the killer's next target and vows to get him before he murders her.

Anyone who reads DEATH WITH AN OCEAN VIEW will realize life doesn't end at sixty. The characters in Nora Charles excellent debut mystery are active, thrill-seeking and fool of a joi le vivre. The heroine, who never wanted to leave New York, finally realizes that Florida is her home and she can be very happy there once the killer is caught. Her conversations with Charlie give insight into the man he was and readers can understand why Kate loved him so much.

Harriet Klausner