OFF SEASON by Clive Fleury
GENRE: Mystery
MY REVIEW
We begin with Detective Ramesh Ryan leaving Sydney in disgrace. He worked in the Organized Crime Unit and is now on his way to the small town of Barton. It seems murder follows him and for a small town, Barton has an influx of dead bodies.
Detective Ramesh Ryan is a fastidious man and Clive Fleury’s description of him brings Ramesh to life on the pages. There are many characters and, at times, I thought I would need a glossary to follow them all. That leads to many suspects and many of them have no redeeming qualities.
The mystery and danger followed Detective Ramesh Ryan to Barton. At first, he wasn’t aware of just how dangerous his life had become. The pace picked up as the story unfolded. The mystery kept me guessing, but I was never on the edge of my seat.
BLURB
Detective Ramesh Ryan’s career with Sydney’s prestigious Organized Crime Unit is on the up, until he loses a court case against the city’s most powerful drug dealer. In disgrace, the detective is relocated to the tiny Australian beach town of Barton.
It is off season in Barton—when its few criminals usually take a well-earned rest. But not this year! With the detective’s arrival, the town suddenly becomes murder central. Two bodies are discovered in the space of days, both victims of drug overdoses. Then a mysterious foot is found washed up on the beach, and memories are awoken of an unsolved cold case of the teenager who disappeared fifteen years ago. Add to this a blossoming romance, along with a contract taken out on Ryan’s life, and it’s clear that the detective has jumped out of the Sydney frying pan into the Barton fire.
What follows is an action-packed adventure, thrilling at every turn—where truth and lies are almost impossible to separate, and unexpected twists are the order of the day.
EXCERPT
As the night drew on, the rain poured down ever heavier, and the waves grew bigger and stronger. They tossed the twenty-foot boat from side to side and up and down. The skipper had never been out in weather like this before. Nor had his friend. He was now clutching tight to the underside of his seat, his face green, his breathing labored.
“Almost there,” the skipper yelled, though, in truth, neither had decided where there was. They just needed to be a reasonable distance from the shore.
“This is fine,” his friend shouted back. “Let’s do it.”
The skipper cut the engine. “You take the helm.”
His friend tried to stand but fell back as the boat rocked violently. He shook his head. “I can’t.”
Standing and releasing the wheel, the skipper leaned over, yanking the man to his feet. “Hold on,” he said, placing his friend’s hands on his shoulders and guiding him onto the captain’s seat. “Now, take it.”
His friend lurched forward, catching the spinning wheel and clutching it tightly.
“Don’t let go,” the skipper ordered.
Leaning into the buffeting wind, the skipper set off for the stern. He reached the waterproof covering, stooped, and pulled the wrapping away. He tasted vomit rising in his mouth as he peered over at the lifeless body. Swallowing hard, he composed himself. “What was that song?” the man thought. “Always look on the bright side of life.” He grabbed the dead man’s arms and yanked the corpse forward. He was much stronger and heavier than the corpse so he could slide it along the sodden wooden deck. Then, wrapping his arms around the dead man’s ribs, he heaved it up, balancing it on the side of the boat. One more push, and it would be over. He stood, winded, and peered back through the rain up to the bow. Good, his friend was still holding tight to the wheel.
The skipper wrapped his arms around the corpse. Its head, which had been leaning back, lurched forward, knocking into his stomach. He tried to think of something else besides the cold dead eyes that were staring up at him. What about how lucky they had been? No one had seen them when they had set out. He smiled. So there it was. The bright side!
“Time to do this, ” he thought. Grabbing the cadaver’s legs tight, he tipped them forward, at the same time pushing hard. In one fluid movement, the corpse cleared the side of the boat, dropping into the churning ocean. It disappeared almost immediately, leaving no trace.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of books and screenplays and has worked all over the world as a Film/TV director, writer and producer. He has written six books, most recently ‘All Or None’, the second novel in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series.
‘All Or None’ sees Detective Ryan back in the thick of things. His latest investigation into a mysterious death couldn’t come at a worse time. He discovers his mother is hiding a troubling secret and is further sidetracked by a new romance. Fans of who dunnit’s, crime thrillers, and cop and detective stories will love this novel.
Clive’s other books include ‘Off Season’ – book one in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series; ‘Kill Code’ – a dystopian science fiction novel set in a world facing climate change; ‘Scary Lizzy’ – a novel about an eight year old girl, who befriends an African child ghost – and the teen action adventure book; ‘The Boy Next Door ‘ – a story of what happens when a teenage girl has a crush on her next door neighbor, who isn’t all he seems. He also co-wrote ‘Art Pengriffin and The Curse of The Four’ – a young adult fantasy adventure about a teenage boy who discovers his father was Merlin the Magician.
Website: https://clivefleurywriter.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clivefleury
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087136850713
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