BRINK FISHING - Gulf Coast Mystery book 1
In a fishing village on the Gulf Coast of Florida, two cultures collide. Those that wish to protect an ocean in peril by restricting the harvest of fish and those who simply want to fish like their daddy did, and their daddy before him.
Drew is a Gulf War veteran that now works at the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. His buddy, Mack, is head of the local Marine Fisheries Laboratory. There are no fingerprints and no DNA samples, but somebody is killing dolphin. Who would do that? Who would chose to kill innocent marine mammals to further their cause.
It’s a small southern coastal town. It’s a New England village. It’s a hamlet in Nova Scotia and a protected cove in Oregon. Fishermen throughout North America make a living from the sea, like their father did, and their grandfather, and his father before him. They are survivors. Who knows the bounty of the sea better than those that live, work, and depend upon it day after day?
Yet, we are told that we are overfishing specific species to the point of collapse. We did it to the buffalo. We did it to the sturgeon. Are we capable of NOT doing it again? Who can tell a generation of people that were raised to fish, that the sea has no future for them? There are no easy answers. Both Drew and Mack know that, but they live and work in a fishing town. Unfortunately, both wildlife law enforcement and wildlife preservation are on the edge of a precipice that affects how people live.
We're all Brink Fishing!
Drew is a Gulf War veteran that now works at the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. His buddy, Mack, is head of the local Marine Fisheries Laboratory. There are no fingerprints and no DNA samples, but somebody is killing dolphin. Who would do that? Who would chose to kill innocent marine mammals to further their cause.
It’s a small southern coastal town. It’s a New England village. It’s a hamlet in Nova Scotia and a protected cove in Oregon. Fishermen throughout North America make a living from the sea, like their father did, and their grandfather, and his father before him. They are survivors. Who knows the bounty of the sea better than those that live, work, and depend upon it day after day?
Yet, we are told that we are overfishing specific species to the point of collapse. We did it to the buffalo. We did it to the sturgeon. Are we capable of NOT doing it again? Who can tell a generation of people that were raised to fish, that the sea has no future for them? There are no easy answers. Both Drew and Mack know that, but they live and work in a fishing town. Unfortunately, both wildlife law enforcement and wildlife preservation are on the edge of a precipice that affects how people live.
We're all Brink Fishing!
BOTTOM FEEDERS - Gulf Coast Mystery book 2
A crabber calls the Florida Wildlife Commission office in Panama City, there is a man tied to his crab trap at the bottom of West Bay. Drew Phillips, FWC officer, and his partner, Javier Rodriquez, are called to investigate what appears to be a murder with a gruesome but efficient method of eliminating evidence.
MacKenzie Haymer, Drew's buddy and head of the National Marine Fisheries office, urgently needs help. There are tourists in the hospital with mercury poisoning and seafood appears to be the source. The state is leaning hard on him and he really doesn't want the kind of help they are getting ready to send him.
Mercury has become a problem worldwide with pelagic fish like mackeral and tuna but not bottom feeders like crab. Could this be natural or is something causing these dangerous mercury levels? This could be a catalyst for a statewide economic catastrophe and there is no obvious source. When tourist dollars are at stake, blame must be assigned whether the problem is fixed or not.
Mercury poisoning. His girlfriend is leaving. Mack is out of sorts and there are too many unanswered questions. Drew is feeling trapped by events. He knows that much of it is because he has yet to figure out what he wants. Right now he needs a cool head, intuition, and some luck.
MacKenzie Haymer, Drew's buddy and head of the National Marine Fisheries office, urgently needs help. There are tourists in the hospital with mercury poisoning and seafood appears to be the source. The state is leaning hard on him and he really doesn't want the kind of help they are getting ready to send him.
Mercury has become a problem worldwide with pelagic fish like mackeral and tuna but not bottom feeders like crab. Could this be natural or is something causing these dangerous mercury levels? This could be a catalyst for a statewide economic catastrophe and there is no obvious source. When tourist dollars are at stake, blame must be assigned whether the problem is fixed or not.
Mercury poisoning. His girlfriend is leaving. Mack is out of sorts and there are too many unanswered questions. Drew is feeling trapped by events. He knows that much of it is because he has yet to figure out what he wants. Right now he needs a cool head, intuition, and some luck.
Shucked Up - Gulf Coast Mystery Book 3
Mandatory processing of raw oysters is being considered in Florida to prevent the spread of a deadly virus. Mack has been asked to “visit” local seafood processors to see how they may be affected by pending legislation. Drew is not enthusiastic about the road trip, but he knows Mack may need help staying out of trouble in the “Forgotten Coast” towns of North Florida.
The local seafood industry is a close-knit group and all of them are invested in its continued existence. The oystermen, the middleman, the processors, and the consumers all have a stake in what transpires and most of them just want to be left alone. Drew and Mack are in the eye of the storm when Mack is poisoned... then Drew finds he was a target too.
Nobody wants oyster harvesting to be stopped but short-term and long-term solutions are seldom equitable and lead to conflict at every level. Unexpectedly, the intricate web of family appears to be part of the problem and equally part of the solution.
After considerable investigation and fruitless worry, Drew finds someone he can trust but it’s complicated. Drew recognizes that he is out of his element and distracted… there must be something he missed.
This is not the time to be counting on a hunch. The Forgotten Coast is mesmerizing, and its secrets are held close by family and friends… which makes it more dangerous.
The local seafood industry is a close-knit group and all of them are invested in its continued existence. The oystermen, the middleman, the processors, and the consumers all have a stake in what transpires and most of them just want to be left alone. Drew and Mack are in the eye of the storm when Mack is poisoned... then Drew finds he was a target too.
Nobody wants oyster harvesting to be stopped but short-term and long-term solutions are seldom equitable and lead to conflict at every level. Unexpectedly, the intricate web of family appears to be part of the problem and equally part of the solution.
After considerable investigation and fruitless worry, Drew finds someone he can trust but it’s complicated. Drew recognizes that he is out of his element and distracted… there must be something he missed.
This is not the time to be counting on a hunch. The Forgotten Coast is mesmerizing, and its secrets are held close by family and friends… which makes it more dangerous.