Peak Season: A CW McCoy Novel

by Jeff Widmer

Overview

Life at the beach can be murder.

Forced to shoot a fellow police officer, CW McCoy surrenders her gun, her badge and her confidence to take refuge in Southwest Florida. There, in the wealthy tourist mecca of Spanish Point, CW sells luxury real estate and cares for her ailing grandfather.

But even in paradise, violence finds her like a divining rod.

Declared dead by the courts, Bobby Lee Darby bursts into CW's office to demand the family friend clear his name in a scheme to bilk millions from investors. When CW refuses, the fugitive financier kidnaps Pap to ensure her cooperation, triggering a chain of burglary, assault and murder that convinces local police that the former cop has gone rogue.

Racing to find Darby, CW must confront her violent past, risky affairs and love-hate relationship with Southwest Florida before those personal demons turn her new-found paradise into hell on earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996498708
Publisher:	Jeff Widmer
Publication date:	07/15/2015
Series:	Cw McCoy Novel , #1
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Jeff Widmer is the author of the CW McCoy and the Brinker series of crime novels and well as numerous works of non-fiction. A former journalist, advertising executive and nationally syndicated reviewer, his work has appeared in publications ranging from Advertising Age to US Airways magazine to National Geographic World. You can visit his website at http://jeffwidmer.com and his Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/author/jeffwidmer.

Editorial Reviews

2015-09-09
Hard-boiled ex-cop Candace "CW" McCoy tries to keep her cool as she solves a case of embezzlement, kidnapping, and murder in the Florida heat. Widmer (The Spirit of Swiftwater, 1998) makes his first foray into fiction with this introduction of CW McCoy. A former cop, CW—don't call her Candy—left the force after a disastrous shooting gone awry and the end of her marriage. She moved to the beach town of Spanish Point, Florida, and has started a second career as a realtor. However, her attempts at a quieter life are shaken up by the appearance of Bobby Lee Darby, a fugitive hedge fund manager who has faked his own death after bilking his investors out of millions. Darby claims his innocence and asks CW to help him prove it, but when she balks, he kidnaps her ailing grandfather and forces her hand. Now, she must face her worst fears and dive back into the investigative business, relying on old friends to help her find her grandfather and solve the case as it grows more and more complicated—and deadly. Widmer has a great sense of place; he easily brings the town of Spanish Point and its colorful cast of characters to life. CW is a great character—a noir detective trying to outrun her own past, suffering no fools along the way. She also has a few potential love interests that pop up, men who truly seem to admire her impulsive toughness. Some of the dialogue is a little contrived, though, as CW says too many lines like "My Nana used to tell me I had a mouth" that seem straight out of a Bogart movie. Also, at the novel's end, a few too many loose ends of CW's personal story remain untied, though that leaves room for more volumes in the series. Hopefully there's a bit more resolution in store. An entertaining mystery romp.

Kirkus Reviews