Coral Reef Views: An Ashley Grant Mystery

By Vicki Delany

When paramedic Ashley Grant’s parents visit her in the Victoria and Albert Islands, her father, Frank, soon becomes bored with the beach vacation. When a plumbing emergency has him feeling useful again, he makes friends with Ashley’s neighbor Paul McIntosh. Then Paul disappears. Ashley isn’t worried; after all, he’s a single man on vacation. But Frank is determined to find out what happened to his friend, and he soon stumbles on the dark secrets of this Caribbean paradise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Jan 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781459823518

Vicki Delany

"It's a crime not to read Delany". London Free Press. Vicki Delany is one of Canada's most prolific crime writers. She writes everything from standalone novels of psychological suspense such as Scare the Light Away and Burden of Memory, to the Constable Molly Smith books, a traditional village/police procedural series set in the British Columbia Interior, including In the Shadow of the Glacier and Among the Departed, to a light-hearted historical series, Gold Digger and Gold Fever, set in the raucous heyday of the Klondike Gold Rush. In a starred review of Winter of Secrets, Publisher's Weekly said: She uses a bare-bones style, without literary flash, to achieve artistry as sturdy and restrained as a Shaker chair. And Library Journal gave Among the Departed a started review saying: "Her exceptional ability to create characters, both realistic and sometimes creepy, makes this another terrific addition to her outstanding body of work. Having taken early retirement from her job as a systems analyst in the high-pressure financial world, Vicki is settling down to the rural life in bucolic, Prince Edward County, Ontario where she rarely wears a watch.

Book preview

One

My father doesn’t do vacations well. It’s hard for him to relax. He’d rather be working in the garage, puttering about fixing things, or taking care of the garden. He also likes to help around the house. When he does that, my mother follows him, putting things back where they belong.

He didn’t want to retire. But when he realized he was being offered a retirement package instead of being laid off, he took the package.

He wanted to go to on a cross-continent RV trip, but my mother had always dreamed of a Caribbean beach vacation.

Mom won.

At the moment I’m living and working in a Caribbean tourist destination. So here they are in the Victoria and Albert Islands. Visiting me.

Mom’s loving it. The hot sun, the cool sand, the warm ocean. Relaxing in a lounge chair with a book on her lap and a cold drink by her side. Getting up now and again to splash in the waves or swim in the pool.

Dad’s bored.

He doesn’t read, and he doesn’t relax. He doesn’t like the food here much. He’s not fond of fish, or so he says. He seems to like fish when my mom cooks it at home.

I took a couple of days off work to spend some time with them. I wanted to show them around Grand Victoria Island, which I now call home.

That took about half a day. Then we stopped at Club Louisa, one of the nicest hotels on the island. Mom and I had conch fritters and margaritas under umbrellas on the patio restaurant and enjoyed a swim in the infinity pool.

Dad had a burger and a beer inside, where he could catch a football game on the big-screen TV.

The next day we went on a boat tour in the morning and snorkeled in the afternoon. Mom loved being out on the water. She also loved the attention of the handsome young tour guide who showed her how to breathe underwater. Dad talked to the captain about football. He checked the weather forecast on his phone and worried that the driveway at home wouldn’t get shoveled.

Tuesday I went back to work. I left Mom making breakfast and planning a morning on the beach followed by a walk to a beachside hotel for lunch. Dad was reading the weather report for Toronto again. Another two feet of snow tonight. I told you we shouldn’t have left, Donna. I don’t trust that guy you hired. I’ll have a heck of a mess to clean up.

He’ll do a fine job, dear. Mom flipped the bacon.

I gave her a kiss and headed out. I’d called my regular cabbie to come and pick me up. I’m lucky enough to live in a small vacation complex. While I waited I popped into the office to say good morning to Darlene, the day manager.

I found her slamming down the phone, her face twisted into a dark cloud. She is about my age and very attractive, with big dark eyes and perfect bone structure. Her hair is shaved down to the scalp on one side and tied into long braids on the other. The look suits her.

Problem? I asked.

Ashley, good morning. Sorry about that. She gave me a weak smile. Nothing I can’t handle. Actually, it is something I can’t handle, which is why I need a plumber. We’ve got a broken pipe somewhere in building two, and the ground-floor units are flooding. George and Philip are running around with buckets, but they’re having trouble keeping up. I’ve been trying everyone I know, but they all say they can’t come for hours yet.

You need a plumber? You’re in luck. My dad’s a plumber.

A spark of interest showed in her black eyes. He is?

Fully licensed and employed as such until he retired a couple of months ago. I’ll go get him.

The spark faded. I can’t ask him to work on his vacation, Darlene said.

Believe me, I said. He’ll thank you. My mother will thank you.

I don’t know that I can pay Canadian rates. Whatever they are.

Don’t worry about that. He’ll pay you to let him do it.

He’s not enjoying his vacation?

"When my mom said she wants to stay longer next time, I heard him mutter the word divorce."

We both looked up at the sound of a car horn. I waved to Henry, the taxi driver. I’ll get Dad and meet you at building two. He doesn’t have any of his tools, but he can make an assessment of what you need and maybe do a temporary fix.

Darlene leaped up from behind her desk. Unit twelve is the worst.

I went to the taxi and asked Henry to wait. He leaned back in his seat and pulled out his phone. I ran upstairs and explained the situation to Dad. He got to his feet so fast he almost knocked his chair over.

Aren’t you going to finish your breakfast? Mom asked.

It can wait, he replied, heading for the door.

If Darlene’s problem turned out to be nothing, I might have to go to some of the other hotels on the island and sabotage their plumbing.

Dad charged off to building two, a man on a mission. I headed for the cab and another day in the ambulance.

Two

My shift was busy. The near-drowning of a Japanese tourist who couldn’t swim but thought he’d dive into the deep end anyway. A fender bender caused by an American who rented a car but forgot we

Reviews for Coral Reef Views

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Living on a Caribbean island has its drawbacks apparently. Ashley Grant grew up in Canada but she is now living on a small Caribbean island working as a paramedic. She enjoys what she does and she loves where she lives. Then her parents come for a visit. Her mom is content to sit and read or go for walks on the beach but her dad, recently retired from his career as a plumber, isn't happy without a project. When the resort where Ashley lives has a plumbing crisis her dad is more than happy to help out. After sorting out the plumbing he meets another Canadian man about his age and shares a few beers with him. Ashley thinks this could be the way to keep her dad out of her hair but when the man doesn't show up for a planned lunch date with her dad he is worse than before. And when his body turns up on a remote beach her dad is sure he has been killed even though there is no sign other than that he drowned. Somewhat unwillingly Ashley gets drawn into helping her dad find out what the man was doing the day he died. Although she tries to deflect her dad's interest he is like a bulldog holding onto a leg and he won't let it go. Trouble in Paradise.

[candyh_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great quick read mystery. A man disappears and others work to find him. Unfortunately he is dead when he’s found. As facts emerge the mystery is quickly solved. I appreciate LibraryThing letting me read this book.

[ckgs_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rapid reads guarantees a few hours of entertainment with an engaging story with engaging characters. Ashley, while working on a Caribbean island as a paramedic, invites her parents to visit. Her mother enjoys relaxing by the pool. Her father on the other hand, has a chance encounter with a man who disappears. Believing that something has happened to his new friend, he wants his daughter and her cop friend to investigate.

[julyso · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rapids Reads collection from Orca books...This is a quick story about Ashley Grant and her parents, who come to visit her in the Caribbean where she works as a paramedic. He dad makes a friend and then becomes concerned when his new friend doesn’t show up for their plans. Her dad is determined to find out what happened to his friend and drags Ashley into it.I liked this book, it’s very quick, but very enjoyable!

[spencer28-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a heads-up, this is part of the Rapid Reads line from Orca Books, which are novellas rather than full-length novels. This is the type of book you keep around when reading time is limited. Ashley Grant is a Canadian paramedic who has relocated to the Caribbean islands. In this book, her parents are visiting, and her bored father starts nosing around after his new friend disappears. I found Coral Reef Views to be an engaging and fun read. Though this is book 3 in a series, it works well as a stand-alone and doesn't require you to start from the beginning of the series (I haven't read the preceding two books and had no difficulties jumping in).I received a copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers group.

[drebbles · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Ashley Grant’s parents come to visit her in the Caribbean, their vacation is anything but relaxing – her newly retired father is not one to sit and rest on the beach. So when his new friend Paul Saunders goes missing, Ashley’s father vows to find out what happened to him and Ashley reluctantly agrees to help. Ashley and her father needs to be careful though – they are dealing with dangerous people who aren’t afraid to kill if necessary.“Coral Reef Views” is the nicely done third book in Vicki Delany’s Ashley Grant cozy mystery series. This is a slight book (146 pages) and not the deepest mystery you’ll ever read (there is not, for example, a lot of suspects for you to try and figure out whodunit) but it is still a lot of fun to read. I love the Caribbean setting and Delany does an excellent job with it – making me feel (and wish!) that I was there as I was reading the book. The characters in the book are delightful and I like the addition of Ashley’s parents in this book, especially her father – I hope they appear in another book. All in all this is a fun book to read – a perfect escape from real life for an hour or two.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paramedic Ashley Grant’s parents have come from Canada to visit her in her new Caribbean island home. Retirement doesn’t seem to suit Ashley’s father, who seems at a loss without work to keep him busy. He perks up when he befriends a fellow tourist, only to be disappointed when the man fails to keep an appointment they made. When the man still hasn’t made an appearance a day or two later, Ashley’s father is convinced that something is wrong. His fear is confirmed when the man’s body washes up on the beach. It could have been an accidental drowning, but Ashley’s father isn’t so sure. He enlists Ashley’s aid to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.The Ashley Grant mysteries are part of Orca’s Rapid Reads series, with a primary audience of ESL students and low literacy adults. They’re something between a short story and a novella. With several series books to her credit now, Delany seems to have learned how to develop a credible plot with multiple suspects at a pace that suits both the mystery genre and the goal for the Rapid Reads series. The setting will appeal to readers who enjoy mysteries in exotic locations.This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

[cathyshelton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cute little book about Ashley Grant, a paramedic who lives in the Victoria and Albert Islands, whose parents come for a visit. While there her father makes friends with the neighbor, Paul, who mysteriously does. The authorities think Paul committed suicide, but Ashley's father is sure Paul was murdered. Along with Ashley's friend Alan Westbrook, an RCMP officer, set out to solve the mystery. A fast, entertaining book.

[koalamom_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Cute. Fast read. A vacation idea that isn't usually one on the top of my list. Ashley parents just retired and have come to visit her in Grand Victoria, a colony island of Canada. Mom is content to read on the beach, but Dad is getting bored with the leisure. He makes a friend and then finds he wants to solve a murder.

[dallenbaugh_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I finished this very short book in a couple of hours. It was a very slight book with a rather improbable plot and characters that were barely developed. It felt like the outline of a book that the author might have used to eventually write a longer book. Maybe I don't understand the purpose of "Rapid Read' books.