Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues

by Robert Fate

Kristin Van Dijk is a PI in the Fort Worth Dallas area, and she has been partners with Otis Millett for a little over two years now. Their current assignment is to locate and return seventeen-year-old Texas oil heiress, Sherry Beasley. Sherry has run away numerous times in the past, but this time she’s been abducted by a madman, Bobby Jack Vahaska.

Sherry is just days away from turning eighteen and about to inherit millions of dollars. Her father has added a rather unusual clause to his will; it reads that if Sherry dies, becomes mentally or physically incapacitated, or disappears before reaching the age of eighteen, the biggest chunk of her daddy's money goes to a radio evangelist rather than the family. That explains the family’s over-protectiveness of Sherry and her never-ending need to run away.

The case starts out in a straightforward manner, but this time the job turns ugly fast. In just a few days Kristin witnesses the murder of two gangsters, accidentally comes into possession of lots and lots of money that doesn't belong to her, and gets involved in several nasty altercations with Vahaska's thugs, some of whom end up dead--the victims of tragic accidents. And still, the poor little rich girl is nowhere to be found.

Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues is a well written mystery novel with an intriguing and complex plot that will keep you anxiously turning the pages to see what happens next. With well-developed and interesting characters Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues is an enjoyable book.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the very young Kristin and the older Otis and found it truly touching. I’m looking forward to meeting Kristin and Otis in their next appearance, at the release of Robert Fate’s upcoming book, Baby Shark’s Panhandle Caravan.