|
Bermuda Schwartz (Zack Chasteen Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Bob Morris
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $6.98 (100%)
New (32) Used (27) from $0.01
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 473085
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: 1st
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0312997493
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780312997496
ASIN: 0312997493
Publication Date: January 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Our feedback rating says it all: Five star service and fast delivery! We've shipped four million items to happy customers, and have one MILLION unique items ready to ship today!
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Among the shipwreck-laden reefs that rim Bermuda, a young scuba diver makes a fatal discovery: a treasure more valuable than gold—one that some people are willing to kill for…
Enter Zack Chasteen and his ladylove, Barbara Pickering. She’s come to Bermuda to celebrate her wealthy and eccentric aunt’s birthday—and, maybe, her engagement to Zack…if only he’d propose. Which seems unlikely given Zack’s recent dilemma: the millions he’s stashed away in one of the country’s notorious tax-free offshore accounts has vanished without a trace. And then Zack falls in with wise and wily Teddy Schwartz. A legendary Bermudan treasure salvager, Schwartz may be Zack’s last hope for finding his long-lost loot—but at what cost? Time is running out on this bizarre, bloody, and tumultuous two-thousand-year-old quest…
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
Humorous Mystery December 14, 2007
Elizabeth Slater (Jacksonville Beach, FL)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Zack Chasteen and his girlfriend, Barbara, travel to Bermuda to a) plant some palm trees and b) attend her aunt's 70th birthday gala. The last thing Zack expects is to rescue a scuba-clad body off of the hazardous beachfront property of Barbara's Aunt Trula, Cutfoot Estate (appropriately named, of course). He finds out later that the body, whose eyes had been gouged out, is in a similar condition to two other bodies found years ago, and he wonders at the coincidence. He, however, is not alone in his curiosity.
Zach has recovered the body of a murdered scuba diver, but his interest is piqued by the plethora of treasure hunters in the area, as well as an ancient arm (or hand) of the Portuguese mob, taking an interest in the possibility of a Christian reliquary in the nearby waters. Teddy Schwartz, Aunt Tula's latest beau and legendary scuba diver/treasure hunter, was Zach's tour guide and scuba buddy until Teddy's arrest on suspicion of the latest murder.
Then Zack decides, while in Bermuda, to check on the money he'd had secluded in an account there less than a year ago. Money he had earned legally, but from questionable resources. He is extremely unhappy to find that the money had been withdrawn by the company who had assisted in setting up the account. He follows the money trail, and finds himself in the untenable position of saving the thief's life.
Amidst the party preparations, boat rides, and palm trees, Zack's sense of humor keeps the multiple story-lines in perspective, as well as his ability to play the brute when necessary. With the help (or hindrance) of many different characters, including the returning Boggy, Zack pursues the leads where the police's hands are tied. He discovers early on that Bermuda is a small world, and he's got to fish in the right waters in order to straighten out all the lines he's cast.
I missed Morris' first two adventures with Zach, but from the first chapter I knew that I would enjoy Zach's problem-solving techniques simply from his wry wit. His directness in answering questions was something I could relate to, and his humor had me laughing out loud. I would suggest this mystery to people who like a complex storyline with a strong sense of comedy interwoven.
Wonderful read, well-written March 9, 2007
armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Zack Chasteen, a former professional football player, turned palm tree farmer, is not above bending the law to suit his purposes. Zack's girlfriend, Barbara Pickering, is headed to Bermuda to help plan her aunt's 75th birthday celebration. Zack and his best friend, Boggy, a Taino who is 'one' with the world, go along for the ride, and to transplant eight perfect palm trees in eccentric Aunt Trula's lawn.
As long as Zack is in Bermuda, he decides to visit his large stash of tax-free cash, only to learn that the millions have recently plummeted to a mere $2,000. Zack zeros in on the culprit and weaves a nasty web to recover his stash.
When a body (Ned) washes up on the shore outside of Aunt Trula's home, Zack joins forces with the victim's police officer sister to snare the killer of this heinous crime and that of two others, seven years earlier. The murder of Ned appears to be connected to a legendary organization that has relentlessly searched for the True Cross (that which Jesus Christ was crucified on) for centuries. Zack hooks up with Teddy Schwartz (a ship wreck salvager) who has some secrets and information he doesn't care to share. But if he doesn't, it could cost others their lives.
Bob Morris' Bermuda Schwartz is smart, edgy and quirky. The characters are bigger than life and make perfect foils for Zack's snappy, dry humor. The setting makes one want to hop a plane, relax at an outside cafe and drink adult beverages with umbrellas stuck in them while listening to the pounding beat of some Bermuda music.
Armchair Interviews says: Bermuda Schwartz is a rollicking good time. Read it and you'll want to pick up Bahamarama and Jamaica Me Dead.
A Quick and Satisfying Zack Chasteen Tale February 5, 2008
TMStyles (California)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Zack Chasteen, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, is now raising palm trees in Jamaica where he also troubleshoots for friends in need and mentally relishes the 2 million dollars he has secreted in a Bermudan bank (read " Bahamarama" and "Jamaica Me Dead"). In this latest offering, Zack accompanies the love of his life, Barbara Pickering, to Bermuda to visit her Aunt Trula and, coincidentally, transplant eight of his Madagascar palms on her estate for her 75th birthday bash. Fortunately, Boggy, his Taino associate, is along not only for his botanical support but also for his mystical philosophizing.
While in Bermuda, two separate plotlines develop. First, Zack discovers a body washed up in the surf that turns out to have been killed and horribly mutilated in a manner quite similar to two killings seven years earlier. The resulting investigation entangles Zack in an adventure that involves treasure hunting, salvaging, a priceless missing Christian reliquary (The True Cross), forged relics, and the Portuguese mafia (Red Hand). Along the way, he encounters the dead man's sister (an Australian police office), an investigative journalist, low life thugs, a Mafioso chief, a police officer who may or may not be useful to Zack, and Teddy Schwartz, a legendary scuba diver and treasure hunter. How all these people interact and the secrets they keep and those they reveal help propel this story to a satisfying end.
The secondary plotline concerns Zack's search to recover his missing 2 million dollars. It seems that when Zack drops into the Bermudan bank to visit his stash, he discovers most of it has been withdrawn by a representative of the firm who handled the initial deposit. Zack discovers he is powerless since the man who handled the deposit, Brewster Trimmingham, had set himself up as a co-name on the account and later "borrowed" Zack's money to cover an investment that now has the local mob after him. Yep, Morris has effectively merged the two storylines at this point as Zack begins devising an intricate plan to recover his money and tie up both plotlines.
Zack Chasteen is an enjoyable character for several reasons. He is flippant and cocky at times, yet he is physical and threatening at other times. He is usually a straight talking protagonist, even when cracking wise, and doesn't over think situations yet is often a step ahead of the opposition. It is also fun to enjoy a character who lives clearly in a world of gray and doesn't get overly excited by black and white values. His philosophical explorations with the mystical Boggy can sometimes bring a smile to my face. I recommend the Zack Chasteen series to readers who enjoy well plotted, crisply paced, mysteries that seldom require one to suspend disbelief.
 Another Home Run in a New Venue March 11, 2007
T. Strecker (Atlanta, GA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Bob Morris has hit another literary home run. Or perhaps, it would be more appropriate to say another literary touchdown, given the fact that Zack Chasteen is a former Miami Dolphin. Bermuda Schwartz has it all: historical mystery, corruption, intrigue, adventure, all set against the exotic backdrop of Bermuda. The story opens with a hauntingly horrific execution; the rest of the tale is the process of solving the riddle. It is a riddle that is both ancient and contemporary, as Morris utilizes his knowledge of Bermuda and some extensive historical research into shipwrecks, salvage, and cultural ritual to weave a compelling tale. It is a brilliant page turner as Zack unravels the connection between the murder and the disappearance of his $2 million Bermuda bank balance. We are treated to the development of his love affair with Barbara, including mysteriously abstract but strikingly accurate prophecies from his faithful companion, Boggy. As always, Morris ties the various elements together in a brilliantly compact but eminently credible package. This is another must read. I will eagerly await the next installment in the life of Zack and Barbara
 "The Deep" Revisited... Kind Of..... December 25, 2007
John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
One thing Bob Morris ought to have done, and he admits at the end of the book that he didn't, is to have spent some time in Bermuda before writing a book that takes place there.
I have spent the last 47 years visitng Bermuda and have done most everything you can do one the island within the law in that time, including diving. Therefore, the incorrect references to the island in this book are a bit jarring and detract from the story.
Memo to Mr. Morris: If you are standing on Front Street in Hamilton and see a cruise ship approching FROM THE EAST, you have probably had too many Dark and Stormys; if you see a live pelican anywhere on the island you will have been into something more powerful than a Dark and Stormy; and if you visit Westgate Prison "just outside of Hamilton," it will involve a bit of a walk and then a long swim across the Great Sound.
Those are just a few of the obvious errors concerning the island among many more. So let's start by saying that this sort of slip shod writing as it pertains to the locale was a bit off putting.
The story was way too reminiscent of the Peter Benchly book, later a movie, entitled The Deep. This story flows along rather well and is decently told, but I had the feeling of "been there, done that" during most of the telling.
Morris admits he came up with the title before he wrote the book and I'll admit that "Bermuda Schwartz" is a cute title, however, I suspect Teddy Tucker would not be amused.
This is an OK book. Best purchased in paper back and read by someone who has never been there or read The Deep.
|
|
|
|
| |
