Coastal Access (Paperback)

In Florida, Interstate 95 snakes from the Georgia state line to Miami in an uninterrupted run of coastal cities. The country that lies west of the interstate however, is often referred to as a wasteland, a no-man's territory fit only for those who can stand the dank heat of a swamp. So when Judge Arnold Galley and his consortium seem intent on acquiring over a million and a half acres of this fetid real estate just west of the highway, many heads begin to turn. Why does he want it so bad? That question intrigues Tucker Lee Anderson, a divorced sports reporter down on his luck. Not long after his discovery of the judge's prodigious real estate lust, he finds himself plunged into the middle of a massive murder cover-up that involves the magistrate as well. Suddenly, the sports scribe has turned into an undercover investigative reporter who must piece together the puzzle to find out why so many people want or need the judge's coastal access. The mystery's roots are deep and old. To crack the case, Tucker will have to draw on the knowledge contained in his family's Deep Southern lineage, which dates back to a time before the Civil War. He is aided in his quest by Craig, a detective and childhood friend, whose law enforcement connections will prove invaluable for his investigation and even for his own personal safety. Yet Tucker's most startling source of help is a mysterious stranger named Doug. After being presumed dead for decades, he has returned to Florida for unexplained reasons. Eventually, Tucker will find that Doug plays an unexpectedly large role in his life and will let him understand how his fate is intimately tied to the real estate greed of the judge's consortium. By the mystery's end, Tucker will realize that most journeys lead you back to where you first began. In this spellbinding tale of good versus evil, Tucker will find the strength he needs to carry on from family roots he scarcely knew he had. This page turning mystery will surprise readers with its ventures into old Florida history from a time before condos and luxury beachfront resorts. The author reveals quite a bit of the lesser known history of the state's Seminole Indian tribe. Coastal Access is a murder mystery that entices the reader with a pinch of mysticism, a splash of crime, and enough humor to keep the reading experience light and enjoyable. Its vivid descriptions of the central Florida coastline and the brackish waters that haunt the state's interior are drawn from author Walter Ramsay's three decades of living in the Sunshine State. He has conducted archival research into the region's history and has traveled widely throughout the state from his father's home in Daytona Beach to Key West. A unique novel of real estate speculation run amok, Coastal Access is a rollicking murder mystery that will put the reader in the mind of the sun-kissed investigations of the Magnum P.I. television show of the 1980s.