Brunswick coast becomes setting for writer's latest adventure novel
A retired defense contractor, Bob Adamov is based in Wooster, Ohio, but he frequently calls on the Brunswick beaches. He's set his latest adventure novel, "Holden's Promise," in and around Brunswick County.
Our story opens during the Civil War, as the blockade runner Myrtle sinks with all hands in the midst of what we'd call a Category 3 hurricane.
Cut to the present. Emerson Moore, ace Washington Post investigative reporter, heads for Shallotte to hang out with an old friend. His ribs are still mending from his last adventure in Louisiana -- Adamov has a whole series of these novels -- and he's looking forward for a couple of weeks of rest and recreation.
Pretty soon, though, Emerson finds himself in the middle of a feud between two retired shrimp-boat captains at Holden Beach. One of them, an especially salty character, is known for spending nights mysteriously trawling along the Shallotte River.
Meanwhile, a mysterious boat, crewed by some rough characters, has been cruising up and down the coast, as if it were running a grid. The captain yells at any locals who come close, and he's been known to shoot down drones.
The term "investigative reporter" gets thrown around too loosely, but Emerson does find some chops. He soon finds out that the no-good skipper has a history of looting archaeological sites and stealing artifacts. Plus, weird things have been happening at the normally staid South Carolina state archives. Files have been stolen, one researcher has died in a suspicious traffic accident and another official has vanished entirely. Something's up.
Then a burned corpse turns up in Southport, and a teenaged waitress from a local fish house suddenly vanishes. Emerson and his friends have to put the pieces of the puzzle together fast.
If there's an opposite to chick lit, "Holden's Promise" is it. Oh, there's a romance or two, nothing past PG, but more often things go splash or pow, and the characters are too busy doing stuff to spend much time talking about their feelings.
This will likely suit the tastes of fans of Clive Cussler or Robb White -- not surprising, since Adamov says Cussler is one of his favorite writers.
Book review
Holden's Promise
By Bob Adamov
Wooster, Ohio: Packard Island Publishing, $20 paperback
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 'Holden's Promise' an adventure novel set in Brunswick County, NC
