Hard Aground [Hardcover]

James W. Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 11, 1993

A seafaring thriller set off the Miami coast.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miami provides a potent setting for Hall's ( Bones of Coral ; Tropical Freeze ) expertly spun crime thriller, a dark, often funny novel with a powerful kick. The book's plot encompasses both a sunken 17th-century galleon filled with Mayan treasures and a local 19th-century homicide. On Biscayne Bay, somewhat unstable Vietnam vet Hap Tyler makes windsurfers and leads tourists through historic Mangrove House--built by his grandfather, the legendary Commodore Randolph Tyler--where he lives with his brother Daniel, an archeologist. Hours after promising to tell Hap a family secret, Daniel is found dead, apparently of a heart attack. Hap blames Daniel's lover, Marguerite Rawlings, a crusading preservationist who hopes to restore her grandmother's mill on the mid-city site where her forebear, a vehement conservationist, was murdered 100 years before. After learning that Daniel's death was also a murder, Hap and Marguerite join forces against Marguerite's mother, a corrupt U.S. senator who hungers for Mayan artifacts. Hall intertwines the Tylers' and Rawlings' pasts with evocations of rhythmic, dangerous modern Miami, whose residents include a Vietnam hero, his flashy black ex-con girlfriend and a volatile Cuban ex-cop who bulldozes his dreams of fortune in the deftly orchestrated climax. Although a few of the colorful lowlifes occasionally speak a highlife diction, Hall, in the company of Elmore Leonard, Edna Buchanan, John Lutz and Carl Hiassen, gives the Sunshine State the fictional crime stature of L.A. and New York City. BOMC and QPB featured selections; major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Daniel Tyler, a Dade County, Florida archaeologist, knows the location of the Carmelita , a 17th-century Spanish shipwreck that went down in Florida waters while carrying $400 million worth of Mayan gold, silver, and gems. He knows, but he's not telling, even through the torture that finally costs him his life. After Daniel's murder, his brother Hap and girlfriend Marguerite team up to find the treasure, competing with some highly motivated bad guys, including Daniel's murderers. Add to this a historical subplot about one of Miami's first murders and another about a large chunk of downtown Miami that reverts back to the descendants of the original 19th-century settler. The fast pace set by the author is given a creditable treatment by reader J. Michael Lee, despite a challenging diversity of characters. Exciting and fascinating as the story is, Hard Aground is also noteworthy for conveying a convincing sense of contemporary as well as historical Miami. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.
- Kristen L. Smith, Loras Coll. Lib., Dubuque, Ia.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd; First Edition edition (February 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043431241X
• ISBN-13: 978-0434312412
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,540,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it, couldn't put it down till I was done!, July 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hard Aground (Paperback)

Hall's writing style captures the gritty essence of the redneck characters, and the plot takes readers on a tour of the raunchy side of Florida society. I don't know how much of the book's historical setting is accurate, but it sure is entertaining! The plot has multiple twists, even after you thought you had it figured out. You won't be able to put this one down.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding - An author that keeps you on the edge., August 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hard Aground (Paperback)

I picked up this book on vacation at the beach, it has lead me to read the rest of his works. I highly recommend Hard Aground to anyone looking for a great read and some mental adventure.

4.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER FLORIDA WRITER, February 13, 2010

By 

James L. Woolridge "Wooly in PSL, FL." (Sunny Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hard Aground Pb (Paperback)

I read a lot of books in the mystery genre that deals with Florida, and I keep being told to try James W. Hall, the Thorn series. But I found a used book, HARD AGROUND, outside the Thorn series and decided to try it before trying his series stuff. This book is very good. Nice story line, fun characters and good witty dialogue. Perhaps a little predictable but worth my time in a hammock or at the beach. The story deals with the death of Daniel Tyler and with it his secret location for lost treasure an how brother Hap and Dan's girl friend Marguerite work together (really together) to unlock the mystery and stay alive. RECOMMENDED. Will try Thorn for sure.