Customer Reviews

Electric Beach (Mike Connolly Mystery Series #3)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though detective and legal thrillers are not my usual fare, I gave this one a chance because I live near enough to Mobile to be interested in the setting.

Mike Connolly, as the protagonist, is an intersting subject for a compelling story. Characters with their own personal demons always make the most interesting heroes. Mike is a recovering acoholic who has lost his family and a fair amount of his own self-respect over the years. Now he is reformed but still fighting the shadows of his former life.

The subject of this story is tough on the senses. Sexual slavery and prostitution aren't the normal topics for Christian fiction. The fact that these things exist in deep in the heart of the Bible belt make this story even more compelling. Kudos to the the author for tackling them.

With all that said, the novel ends up being little more that Christian pulp fiction. And not great pulp fiction (i.e. Ted Dekker). The story is overloaded with far too many physical descriptions (street names, shop names,etc...)As a native of the area in the novel, I found these interesting but I am quite sure no one from anywhere else would care one bit about this glut of information.

There is great promise in the story's hero. But the great story did not become a really good novel.

Good easy reading, sometimes had too many details such as the different roads taken to arrive at a location, but altogether was a good read. Interesting to have the topics of today (prostituition, sexual slavery, alcoholism) merged into a book with no foul language. I liked it enough to buy his two previous books and am now reading the first of those.

I liked this book, but mainly because I'm from the Gulf Coast where the story takes place. I'm not sure this would have held my interest if I didn't like reading about familiar places. The character, Mike Connolly, is a likeable guy and it's interesting to see how he handles his past "demons" of alcohol and a fast-living lifestyle. Joe Hilley is no James Patterson, but if you're from the Gulf Coast, you'll enjoy this read. And if you like this book, you're sure to enjoy his others.

Joe Hilley has done it again!!! Electric Beach is a well written book that keeps you turning the pages!!! I just read where one reviewer stated Joe was "no James Patterson." That's true. Joe actually has a vocabulary!!! I've read just about every book Patterson has written. They're like watching movies and don't make you think! (Not to mention in about every one a child is murdered!) Joe's novels, on the other hand, are an absolute delight to read! Keep up the good work Joe!!!