Palm Beach Nasty

By Tom Turner

Burned out New York homicide cop, Charlie Crawford, goes south to take it slow and ends up in steamy Palm Beach, Florida. But after six months of pink and green collar crime, he's bored out of his mind and desperate for a face-down stiff with a little rigor setting in. Palm Beach has plenty of glitz, glam and hedonism, but murder - not a one in the last ten years.Finally one Halloween night, Crawford is first on the scene and finds a twenty-year-old male swinging from a stately banyan tree. This sets in motion colliding plots involving a billionaire with a thing for young girls, a far-reaching art scam with Crawford's girlfriend playing a starring role, and a ruthless hustler passing himself off as the long lost son of one of the richest men in town. Add to the mix a sultry real estate broker who knows where all the bodies are buried, a gorgeous forensic cop usually one step ahead of Crawford, a Mutt and Jeff combo of stone cold killers and you've got Palm Beach Nasty. Fast-moving, funny, slightly off kilter and everything you ever wanted to know about the most scandalous town in America and its larger-than-life citizens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Permanent Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781579624118

Tom Turner

Tom Turner grew up in rural Ohio, leaving as a young man to attend West Point. After military service, he spent many years working in corporate America in senior management positions. He has been married for nearly 50 years, with three children and three grandchildren, and has lived in North Carolina for almost 40 years. He likes golf, writing, selling real estate, and date nights with his wife.

Reviews for Palm Beach Nasty

[annbury_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This thriller starts out strong, with a convincingly drawn setting and interesting central characters. But it turns very violent pretty soon, both in terms of murder and in terms of sex. And when the lead cop put a female colleague in a situation of extreme risk, I starting skipping big chunks. One reviewer said a later entry in the series wasn't nearly as dark as this one: I might give it a try, since the atmosphere is well done.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quick enjoyable read. First book of the series and I really enjoyed the characters. And I loved, loved, loved Ott!! I'll read the next one in the series for Ott alone. Never confusing. Never too convoluted. Didn't take itself too seriously. Just a good, fun mystery.

[Tom Turner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! After one page, I was hooked! Kept reading the book in the subway, during work hours, and whenever I could find a moment. The plot was intriguing without being too complicated, and I wanted to keep learning more about the characters as I read. Can't wait for the next in the series!

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thirty-six year old Charlie Crawford has left the murderous streets of New York for Palm Beach’s glorious sunshine and relaxation. But he’s a cop, and, much to his surprise, he finds he rather misses the excitement of unexpected deaths. Still, as Palm Beach Nasty begins, that excitement is heading to meet him, and Charlie will soon chase serious bad guys again.I wasn’t sure what to make of the title of this book, but soon I didn’t care. The story’s far too intricate to be nasty. And the bad guys don’t wear badges to tell you who they are. Instead the reader follows along with the protagonist, guessing, wondering, believing; catching a would-be friend out the corner of an eye and realizing something’s changed. In a small town, nobody quite knows everything. And secrets might turn out to be more than lies.The atmosphere’s convincing. The characters, rich and poor, strike just the right tone. Charlie Crawford’s past and future tear at his present, and there’s a pleasing good humor, even to a bar fight, that promises depth as well as resolution.Palm Beach Nasty lives up to that deep promise. The brooding’s kept to a minimum, the atmosphere’s light as well as dark, deep memories bubble to the surface rather than dragging the reader down, and the whole is a thoroughly good read, a literary mystery that’s more than the sum of its parts. By the end, I’m glad to know there’ll be another Palm Beach novel, and the title sounds just right.Disclosure: I received a free preview edition from the publisher and I offer my honest review.