Photo Finish (Trouble in Paradise) [Kindle Edition]

Terry Ambrose (Author)

Book Description

Catch island fever with this funny Hawaiian mystery set on the beautiful island of Oahu.

Wilson McKenna's newest tenant is hot, gives great hugs, and just saw a dead body being thrown from a plane. McKenna's not one to get involved in other people's problems, especially those of a woman half his age, but before he knows it, he's volunteered to track down the plane and its owner. In no time, McKenna has uncovered an island drug ring, pissed off a sociopath, and set himself up as the victim in a beautiful woman's con that could cost him his life. 

Trouble? Oh, yeah. McKenna's found it. If only trouble didn't have such great legs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ambrose has created an appealing protagonist for his new mystery series. Ambrose's choice of the beautiful island of Oahu as the book's setting provides yet another assurance that this will be a series well worth following." -- Carol Thomas, Mystery Series Examiner, Examiner.com

"Toss together a bit of Hawaiian voodoo, a con artist on the trail of a big score, and a wiseass hero who can't resist getting involved. Mix with wit. Add a touch of sarcasm and you have Terry Ambrose's "Photo Finish"--a mystery as refreshing as a visit to the islands themselves." -- Deborah Coonts, author of "So Damn Lucky", the latest in the Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure Series

"Photo Finish is a Rockford Files meets Hawaii Five-O murder mystery--well-written with humor and heart. Mahalo, Terry Ambrose!"  - Dee DeTarsio, Author of "Haole Wood"

From the Author

The idea for Photo Finish came about years ago while we were vacationing on Kauai. Once I got started on the character, it just seemed natural. Photo Finish went to the back burner for a long time while I worked on other projects, then one day not that long ago, I decided that it was time for McKenna to make his debut. 

In addition to the book, McKenna's also got a blog called The McKenna Chronicles at terryambrose.com/mckennas-blog, in which he talks about life, Hawaiian style, with a twist of grumpy. It's always fun and seldom predictable.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 541 KB
• Print Length: 264 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008NQJD8S
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,542 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Good Things About Photo Finish July 22, 2012

By Linda Schroeder

Format:Kindle Edition

Terry Ambrose's smooth detective story, Photo Finish, actually begins with a photo taken by a female photographer in a "you aren't allowed to go there" area of Oahu. Well, maybe she's a photographer. We have our doubts early on. But the hero, McKenna, 60-something, a "grumpy landlord," not too self-assured, falls for the story the gorgeous woman spins. Naturally, that leads him deep into danger.

An old guy falling for a young beauty--what's so interesting about that?

For starters, the story is set in Oahu and filled with island sunsets, ocean colors, and trade winds. We are treated to brief historical trivia. And the hero sometimes addresses the reader, explaining local words and phrases so we get a real sense of belonging on the island.

Secondly, Ambrose fashions descriptions that give depth to the storytelling: "Every time her eyelids closed and her facial muscles started to relax, she jerked like a hula-girl doll in the back window of an old Chevy on a bumpy road;" "The air smelled fresh and clear, as though it had taken only a few raindrops to remove the sins of the day."

Thirdly, the hero is a bit naive as the story begins. He is not a cliché, not some hotshot spy or brilliant homicide detective. McKenna's talents are gradually revealed throughout the story until we finally appreciate his ability to piece together clues. We understand his sense of humor and admire his genuine concern for both his best friend and a crabby, hard-of-hearing geezer, Meyer, whose insights help solve the mystery. There is some great dialogue based on the fact that Meyer does not hear words correctly.

Fourthly, except for the suspenseful climax, violence happens off stage. Conflict and confrontation occur as characters face-off and danger escalates but bodies don't pile up page after page.

Fifthly, the story is smoothly unraveled for us as the plot heads straight to a solution of the one mystery. Ambrose does not bombard us with subplot after subplot after subplot. That makes for an easy flow which keeps us turning pages. And the hero's childhood baseball game as backstory is more than a character development sideline. It surfaces as a nice surprise in the climax.

This is great read.
Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding! July 24, 2012

By K. Meador

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have just finished reading Photo Finish and I absolutely fell in love with the strong, well-defined, very humanly portrayed characters. I found myself relating to the places mentioned in the book as I currently live on Oahu. I found myself laughing, being disturbed, mystified, and having "ah-ha" moments as the mystery unraveled. The suspense and action kept you motivated to know what was coming on the next page.

I don't want to give away this novel or the ending so I am going to end this review with this: Photo Finish is a well thought out mystery placed in a beautiful location with characters that will leave you with a sense of having new friends....for life. This story is a must read and I am looking forward to more of Terry Ambrose's future novels!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A special book for me July 24, 2012

By E. K. Stackler

Format:Kindle Edition

I was one of this book's early, pre-publication readers, so this is not an objective review, but I have to say that I love PHOTO FINISH. For one thing, Terry Ambrose is a fine writer. For another, the story delivers on its two main pillars of mystery and quick pacing. But it was the hero and setting that made it unforgettable for me. Ambrose depicts Hawaii -- and (via the protagonist McKenna) humanity -- in realistic, warts-and-all fashion. This is the Hawaii that tourists don't see. Much as in the movie THE DESCENDANTS, it's an exotic yet painfully down-to-earth world we find ourselves exploring. And in the hilariously surly but ultimately compassionate McKenna, we have a hero that most commercial fiction eschews: an older, ordinary man in whom we glimpse our present or future selves. Kudos to Terry Ambrose and his debut novel PHOTO FINISH!

More About the Author

Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark to "help" when negotiations failed.

A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, where he invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons such as--always keep your car in the garage.