Book Blurb:
Adrift in a sleepy coastal Massachusetts town, a man who ferries fugitives by day gets twisted up in a plot to pilfer diamonds in this Casablanca-infused heist novel.
Jack might be a polished, Harvard-educated lawyer on paper, but everyone in the down-at-the-heels, if picturesque, village of Onset, Massachusetts, knows his real job: moving people on the run from powerful enemies. The family business—co-managed with his father, a retired spy—is smooth sailing, as they fill up Onset’s holiday homes during the town’s long, drowsy off-season and help clients shed their identities in preparation for fresh starts.
But when Elena, Jack’s former flame—a dedicated hustler who’s no stranger to the fugitive life—makes an unexpected return to town, her arrival upends Jack’s routine existence. Elena, after all, doesn’t go anywhere without a scheme in mind, and it isn’t long before Jack finds himself enmeshed in her latest project: intercepting millions of dollars’ worth of raw diamonds before they’re shipped overseas.
Infusing a fast-paced plot with sharp wit and stylish prose, CrimeReads editor-in-chief Dwyer Murphy serves up an irresistible page-turner as full of heart as it is of drama.
My Review:
My choice for audiobook of the week is usually gleaned from recommendations or suggestions from my local library. I chose this one reading the blurb. That might have been a mistake.
Living vicariously through book descriptions of the East Coast, I also chose this one to get that Atlantic flavor in the village of Onset, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, there appears to be a reason for Onset, set offside of the bay from Cape Cod considerably more affluent. And the inhabitants of Onset—those year-round—often engage in shady occupations to pay the bills in the off-season. One of these inhabitants is Jack.
Jack has a side hustle—moving people considerably more interested in doing so quietly—privately. Slightly illegally. He works with his dad who helps to fill vacation cabins with those seeking new identities. Dear ole dad is a retired spy.
To round out the main characters, Elena, an old love interest pops up in his life again with a whole new hustle. It could be a little dangerous, but doesn’t she thrive on that?
While it could be said that Elena is interesting, most of the rest of the characters are not. Contrary to popular opinion, multi-tasking (as I’ve mentioned before) while listening to a rather boring audiobook is just an invitation to tune out boring parts. Tuning in and out doesn’t really work.
The narrative just doesn’t pick up the pace. It may be well-plotted but moves at a glacier pace. I did enjoy the descriptions of the area and the characterization of the village’s lack of inspiration, but so much is left out that it feels incomplete. Elena, looking for a way to intercept (and steal) rough diamonds, is laser-focused and excited. But she’ll have to light a fire under Jack. Not a lot of action, I wouldn’t classify as noir—it’s not that dark. Maybe a shade of gray. Meh.
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Noir Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0BL9Q67DD
Listening Length: 7 hrs 1 min
Narrator: Robert Petkoff
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Stolen Coast [Amazon]
Rosepoint Publishing: Three stars 
The Author: Dwyer Murphy is the author of An Honest Living, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection, and the editor-in-chief of CrimeReads, Literary Hub’s crime fiction vertical and the world’s most popular destination for thriller readers. He practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, where he was a litigator, and served as editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was previously an Emerging Writer Fellow at the Center for Fiction. –This text refers to the hardcover edition.
©2023 V Williams
Rosepoint Publishing 