Ballast Point Breakdown

Rolly Waters, a part-time musician, and part-time private investigator, is approached by a young woman who asks him to investigate the death of Janis Withers. Janis once ran the fan club of Rolly’s old band, The Creatures. She died after crashing a boat into the admiral club on the Navy base in San Diego. Police claim it was a suicide, but there may be more to the story. Before her death, Janis claims to have seen Arion. Is Arion a spy, or is he Butch Fleetwood, a man who has been dead for over twenty years. Rolly decides he owes it to Janis to find out. But he might not be prepared for where the case leads him.

Ballast Point Breakdown begins with a bang, or more precisely, a spectacular crash at the boat club. It was the excellent first chapter that drew me into the story. It hinted at exciting things to come, and it set the stage for the rest of the story. I also liked the fact that it was filled with enough action and twists and turns, which kept me glued to the page. Interestingly, the story didn’t always play out as I was anticipating.

The San Diego backdrop filled with water scenes and dolphins made this story a very scenic one for me. I appreciated the author’s ability to make me feel like I was on a journey with Rolly. I couldn’t help but feel I was looking over his shoulder experiencing everything he noticed.

Rolly was a character that I enjoyed getting to know, especially his complicated past. And I like that he was always straightforward, ready to put his cards on the table whether he was dealing with a suspect or the police. The other characters in the book were also interesting and well-developed. I found I had a soft spot for Rolly’s dad, Dean. The author did a good job of making his characters come alive. They felt like more than just people on a page.

Another thing that I found particularly enjoyable about this story was the author’s moments of comic relief. I am thinking specifically about chapter forty-two where Rolly tells Tammy at a critical point in a scene that he does not own a gun. I nearly laughed out loud. It is probably the mix of dark spots, good dialogue, and unpredictable events that make this an entertaining read and a book that I enjoyed. Getting to know Rolly Waters made me want to read more of his adventures.