Southern Heat
by David Burnsworth
I am excited to share this book with you today!!
Southern Heat
Setting – South Carolina
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Five Star; first edition (February 19, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1432828004
E-Book ASIN: B00IF9FAKS
Synopsis:
Gunshots echo down an antebellum Charleston alley. Brack Pelton, an ex-racecar driver and Afghanistan War veteran, witnesses the murder of his uncle, Reggie Sails. Darcy Wells, the pretty Palmetto Pulse reporter, investigates Reggie’s murder and targets Brack.
The sole heir of his uncle’s estate, Brack receives a rundown bar called the Pirate’s Cove, a rotting beach house, and one hundred acres of preserved and valuable wetland along the Ashley River. A member of Charleston’s wealthiest and oldest families offers Brack four million dollars for the land. All Brack wants is his uncle’s killer.
From the sandy beaches of Isle of Palms, through the nineteenth-century mansions lining the historic Battery, to the marshlands surrounding the county, Southern Heat is drenched in the humidity of the lowcountry.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am just amazed that this was David Burnsworth first novel. He credits several people for helping him polish it for publication but let me tell you this is an author to watch!
Action starts on page 1 when Brack Pelton finds his uncle shot in an alley and takes us to the best and worst parts of Charleston as he tries out who pulled the trigger and why. The story continues to be very fast paced and my Kindle’s pages were flying and then I ran out of power. I tried plugging it is to keep reading but the machine wouldn’t cooperate so I downloaded it to Mr. Dollycas’s Kindle so I could keep reading and stayed up reading until I reached the end.
His characters were so vividly written. From Brack to Brother Thomas, Mutt, Darcy, Detective Wilson and even a 50 pound mixed breed Dog named Shelby, I could picture them all in my mind and was totally engaged. The bad guys as well as the good were perfectly described and Burnsworth writes in such a way that the details just naturally flow without becoming too wordy. The plot flowed easily as well. A really great balance is achieved and that can be very difficult.
My favorite character was easily Brack. He has been through so much already in his life and even when he wants to give up he finds ways to keep going.
It is usually hard to give a debut novel 5 stars because as a reader I have set the bar high then for their next book, but this story is definitely worth a 5 stars. It has been more than a year since this book was released so I hope the author releases a new one very soon. I am anxiously waiting!!
About This Author
David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern Heat is his first mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their dog call South Carolina home.
Author Links:
https://www.facebook.com/BurnsworthDavid, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7229192.David_Burnsworth?from_search=true,
https://twitter.com/DavidBurnsworth
Be sure to visit the other stops on this tour!
Tour Participants
May 6 – A Blue Million Books – Interview
May 7 – readalot – Review
May 8 – Tea and A Book – Review, Guest Post
May 9 – Mystery Playground – Interview, E-Book Giveaway
May 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review
May 11 – fuonlyknew – Review, Print Giveaway
May 12 – Lori’s Reading Corner – Guest Post, Print Giveaway
May 13 – Omnimystery News – Guest Post
May 14 – View from the Birdhouse – Review
May 15 – Brooke Blogs – Review, E-Book Giveaway
Giveaways as shown
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Oh my goodness, I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK! :O)
Thanks! Let me know what you think when you do!
David
I loved it, too! Thanks for sharing.