Desperation Reef, T. Jefferson Parker
Desperation Reef, T. Jefferson Parker
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Desperation Reef
A Novel

Author: T. Jefferson Parker

Narrator: Major Curda, Stephanie Németh-Parker

Unabridged: 10 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/16/2024


Synopsis

In this high-stakes thriller by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker, ("A marvel...hits the high-water mark for crime fiction every time out." —Gregg Hurwitz), a big wave surfer and her sons compete in the same contest that killed her husband many years before.

Jen Stonebreaker hasn't entered into a big-wave surfing competition since witnessing her husband's tragic death twenty-five years ago at the Monsters of the Mavericks. Now, Jen is ready to tackle those same Monsters with her twin sons Casey and Brock, who have become competitive surfers in a perilous sport.

When he’s not riding waves, modeling for surfing magazines, or posting viral content for his many fans, Casey Stonebreaker spends his days helping with the family restaurant — catching fish in the morning and bartending at night. Casey’s love for the ocean and his willingness to expose illegal poachers on his platforms puts him on a collision course with a crime syndicate eager to destroy anyone threatening their business.

Outspoken Brock Stonebreaker couldn’t be more different from his twin. The founder of Breath of Life, a church and rescue mission that assists with natural disasters that no one else will touch, Brock has lived an adventurous and sometimes violent life. Not everyone appreciates the work that Brock's Breath of Life mission accomplishes, and threats to destroy his mission—and his family—swirl around him.

As the big-wave contest draws closer, a huge, late fall swell is headed toward the Pacific coastline. Jen's fears gnaw at her—fear for herself, for her sons, for what this competition will mean for the rest of her life.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Forge.

About T. Jefferson Parker

T. Jefferson Parker is the author of numerous novels and short stories, the winner of three Edgar Awards (for Silent Joe, California Girl, and the short story "Skinhead Central"), and the recipient of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best mystery (Silent Joe). Before becoming a full-time novelist, he was an award-winning reporter. He lives in Fallbrook, California.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anne on May 31, 2024

I'm a huge fan of Parker's books and this one was a delight in so many ways! Jen and John got together as surfers in Newport Beach, married and had twins, Casey and Brock. But John was killed by a huge wave and Jen blames herself as she was piloting the wave runner that took him out to the massive s......more

Goodreads review by Theresa on May 30, 2024

I feel like I wasted a bit of my time with this one. So glad it was a listen while I clean read and not an actual read. Not trying to be rude. Just really didn’t care for the storyline, the characters, or the unnecessary politics. Not for me. Thank you netgalley for the AAC......more

Goodreads review by Scout on July 27, 2024

Years ago, while living in the Bay Area, I found TJP while wandering down the aisle in my local library and took a chance. Since then, I have read everything TJP has written starting with California Girl then Silent Joe...then backing up and starting his books from his first. He had the devil by the......more

Goodreads review by Michael on July 25, 2024

T. Jefferson Parker doesn't need my approval or my endorsement. He doesn't even need the pr a good review provides. I've gotten starred reviews in PW, been nominated for awards, and he and I even shared an agent once. But if I received one-hundredth, no, one-thousandth the accolades he's gotten I mi......more

Goodreads review by Mary on June 27, 2024

I loved this big-wave, big-drama, suspenseful read. Set in Southern California and starring a family of very intense surfers—a mom, her twin 24-year old sons, and the very large presence and legend their husband/dad left behind when he died during a surf competition 25 years ago. There’s a mob connec......more


Quotes

"Outstanding...though there's plenty of suspense, danger, and illicit activity on offer, the novel’s focus is squarely on the Stonebreaker clan, whose bonds and fractures prove utterly riveting in Parker’s hands. This ranks among the author’s best."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Fast-paced... recommended for fans of Parker’s previous works and those interested in California’s surf culture and in characters trying to move on after a painful personal loss."—Library Journal

Praise for The Rescue:

"For lovers of quality crime fiction; Parker never disappoints." —Library Journal (starred review)

"Stunning...Another fine effort from the talented Parker."—Booklist (starred review)

"The author is a quiet master who delivers all the action and emotion a reader might wish." —The Wall Street Journal

"T. Jefferson Parker is a marvel. I’ve been reading him with delight and admiration for years. The Rescue again shows that he hits the high water mark for crime fiction every time out. Graceful prose, nuanced characters, an emotional thread woven through each scene tying it to a propulsive plot. Whether he’s writing about cartels or PD, street dogs or reluctant heroines, he gets to the authentic and the compelling." —Gregg Hurwitz, the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Horse

“Parker’s The Rescue ain’t no street mutt of a book, but rather a Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show blue-ribbon, pure pedigree of a novel with claws sharpened and fangs bared. Fass!" —Craig Johnson, bestselling author of the Longmire mystery series