Don't Turn Your Back on the Ocean

By Janet Dawson

Book Overview

"Dawson writes believable dialogue, creates quickly realized and appealing characters and has a particularly nice atmospheric touch." --San Francisco Examiner Beautiful Ariel Logan was last seen quarreling with her boyfriend outside a Monterey pub. Now she lies dead on a California beach. An autopsy reveals that Ariel's death is no accidental drowning, but a cold-blooded killing. Vacationing private investigator Jeri Howard has more than professional interest in the case: Ariel's boyfriend, the prime murder suspect, is Jeri's rowdy cousin, Bobby Ravella. Despite Bobby's refusal to defend himself, Jeri believes in his innocence, and instinct tells her the murder is part of a far larger evil. To find the truth, Jeri goes fishing for a big one in deep and treacherous waters and discovers that Ariel's short life was not free from dark secrets.... "Mother/daughter feuds, family solidarity, an ecological mystery: Dawson blends these familiar ingredients with a chef's ?lan." --Kirkus Reviews

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 044990766X
• ISBN13: 9780449907665
• Release Date: September 1994
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

DIVE INTO THIS BOOK!

Jeri Howard, private investigator is in Monterey for a restful vacation (or so she hopes)! But she immediately finds herself in the middle of several mysteries -- mutilated pelicans, mysterious accidents at a trendy restaurant and her own cousin accused of murder! This book keeps you interested and moves along at a good pace. Having visited the Monterey/Carmel area, I enjoyed the familiarity of sites mentioned. I am a new reader of female p.i stories but highly recommend this book to others who enjoy this type mystery. I'm glad there are several more Jeri Howard mysteries waiting to be read!!

especially fun if you know California's Central Coast

As a former resident of Monterey County, I enjoyed the references to familiar venues. The main character and her relationships to family (mother, cousins, aunts and uncles) and friends (and friends' pets!)are also of interest. The various plot aspects get a little choppy (clearing her cousin of murder charges while investigating sabotage at her mother's restaurant while supposedly on vacation from her private investigator job in Oakland) but the book kept me involved. This could be a good choice for beach reading, especially in California.