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Deception in Savannah
Connie Barrera is ready to move on. She's the business partner and mistress of a married doctor who runs a weight loss clinic, but she wants out. He's not willing to buy her shares, so she resorts to extortion. The doctor has recently killed a pedestrian in a hit-and-run accident to which the only witness other than Connie is a street hustler with attention deficit disorder and a photographic memory.
Connie threatens to disclose the doctor's role in the accident, jeopardizing the thriving clinic. Unbeknownst to Connie, their major investor is the local drug kingpin who is confused by the antics of Connie and her alcohol-addled lawyer. The mobster decides that his empire is under attack by an unknown rival. His lethal attempts to eliminate the threat are frustrated by chance and the incompetence of his subordinates.
The police finally find the somewhat puzzled eyewitness who eventually recalls his clear but misplaced memory of the accident, and everyone's plans begin to unravel.
Deception in Savannah is a character-driven novel set in the colorful old city of Savannah, Georgia. The author lends a native's perspective on the city and its people to this tale of humor and intrigue.
Connie threatens to disclose the doctor's role in the accident, jeopardizing the thriving clinic. Unbeknownst to Connie, their major investor is the local drug kingpin who is confused by the antics of Connie and her alcohol-addled lawyer. The mobster decides that his empire is under attack by an unknown rival. His lethal attempts to eliminate the threat are frustrated by chance and the incompetence of his subordinates.
The police finally find the somewhat puzzled eyewitness who eventually recalls his clear but misplaced memory of the accident, and everyone's plans begin to unravel.
Deception in Savannah is a character-driven novel set in the colorful old city of Savannah, Georgia. The author lends a native's perspective on the city and its people to this tale of humor and intrigue.
314 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2010
About the author
C.L.R. Dougherty
58 books271 followersWelcome aboard!
Charles Dougherty is a lifelong sailor; he's lived what he writes. He and his wife have spent over 30 years sailing together. For 15 years, they lived aboard their boat full-time, cruising the East Coast and the islands. They spent most of that time exploring the Eastern Caribbean. Dougherty is well acquainted with the islands and their people. The characters and locations in his novels reflect his experience.
A storyteller before all else, Dougherty lets his characters speak for themselves. Pick up one of his thrillers and listen to the sound of adventure as you smell the salt air. Enjoy the views of distant horizons and meet some people you won't forget.
Dougherty has written over 25 books. His Bluewater Thrillers are set in the yachting world of the Caribbean and chronicle the adventures of two young women running a luxury charter yacht in a rough-and-tumble environment. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are also set in the Caribbean and feature some of the same characters from a slightly more romantic perspective. Besides the Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers, he wrote The Redemption of Becky Jones, a psycho-thriller, and The Lost Tourist Franchise, a short story about one of the characters from Deception in Savannah.
He has also written two non-fiction books. Life's a Ditch is the story of how he and his wife moved aboard their sailboat, Play Actor, and their adventures along the east coast of the U.S. Dungda de Islan' relates their experiences while cruising the Caribbean.
www.clrdougherty.com
Charles Dougherty is a lifelong sailor; he's lived what he writes. He and his wife have spent over 30 years sailing together. For 15 years, they lived aboard their boat full-time, cruising the East Coast and the islands. They spent most of that time exploring the Eastern Caribbean. Dougherty is well acquainted with the islands and their people. The characters and locations in his novels reflect his experience.
A storyteller before all else, Dougherty lets his characters speak for themselves. Pick up one of his thrillers and listen to the sound of adventure as you smell the salt air. Enjoy the views of distant horizons and meet some people you won't forget.
Dougherty has written over 25 books. His Bluewater Thrillers are set in the yachting world of the Caribbean and chronicle the adventures of two young women running a luxury charter yacht in a rough-and-tumble environment. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are also set in the Caribbean and feature some of the same characters from a slightly more romantic perspective. Besides the Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers, he wrote The Redemption of Becky Jones, a psycho-thriller, and The Lost Tourist Franchise, a short story about one of the characters from Deception in Savannah.
He has also written two non-fiction books. Life's a Ditch is the story of how he and his wife moved aboard their sailboat, Play Actor, and their adventures along the east coast of the U.S. Dungda de Islan' relates their experiences while cruising the Caribbean.
www.clrdougherty.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 13, 2012
A madcap adventure worthy of Mark Twain
You might say I’m hooked on novels written by Charles Dougherty. You’d be right. After reading the first two novels of Dougherty’s “Bluewater” mystery series, I bought this earlier novel. It’s a treasure of comedy and intrigue. Readers meet wild characters like Ski Cat, Dopey, and Fat Tony, seedy mob guys who take their victims “shrimping” to dispose of the bodies. We also meet would-be entrepreneurs like Billy, who charges rich people to trap his own “trained” raccoons, and Donald, who tries to portray the flaming-haired ghost of Black Caesar for tourists. These are just a few of the zany characters described in the book.
As I read the complicated tale of corruption, blackmail, and murder, I wondered if Mark Twain was reincarnated into the person of Charles Dougherty. His clever cast of misfits stumble through murder and mayhem until pieces of a criminal jigsaw puzzle fall into place for Joe, the local cop investigating a hit and run. The author obviously knows Savannah. He helps outsiders glimpse the history and charm of the city, while taking us on a madcap adventure. If Mark Twain lived in modern Savannah, he’d be hard pressed to write a funnier novel. Get hooked on Dougherty’s novels by buying this one today.
You might say I’m hooked on novels written by Charles Dougherty. You’d be right. After reading the first two novels of Dougherty’s “Bluewater” mystery series, I bought this earlier novel. It’s a treasure of comedy and intrigue. Readers meet wild characters like Ski Cat, Dopey, and Fat Tony, seedy mob guys who take their victims “shrimping” to dispose of the bodies. We also meet would-be entrepreneurs like Billy, who charges rich people to trap his own “trained” raccoons, and Donald, who tries to portray the flaming-haired ghost of Black Caesar for tourists. These are just a few of the zany characters described in the book.
As I read the complicated tale of corruption, blackmail, and murder, I wondered if Mark Twain was reincarnated into the person of Charles Dougherty. His clever cast of misfits stumble through murder and mayhem until pieces of a criminal jigsaw puzzle fall into place for Joe, the local cop investigating a hit and run. The author obviously knows Savannah. He helps outsiders glimpse the history and charm of the city, while taking us on a madcap adventure. If Mark Twain lived in modern Savannah, he’d be hard pressed to write a funnier novel. Get hooked on Dougherty’s novels by buying this one today.
October 29, 2012
Mr. Dougherty has a way with characters, and his characters have a way of finding themselves in some awkward, and deadly, situations! I thoroughly enjoyed DECEPTION IN SAVANNAH. It's great story about a night of drinking gone bad - and the hysterical consequences that ensue as everybody makes bad assumptions about 'who done it' and how to fix it.
Donald is my favorite character - totally kooky and completely loveable. A believer in the free enterprise system, as long as it doesn't involve work, Donald happens to witness the aftermath of a hit and run accident. Thanks to the awkward way his brain works - and the fact that he doesn't want his mother to know he's been drinking - Donald keeps mum. This allows the deadly driver (Rick) to escape, until the woman with him, his long time mistress Connie, figures out that he's cheating on her with a young socialite and discovers that their dodgy health clinic is a money-laundering front for the mob. From here, the plot thickens and it's bad news for all concerned!
A great mystery that'll have you laughing and loving Savannah.
Donald is my favorite character - totally kooky and completely loveable. A believer in the free enterprise system, as long as it doesn't involve work, Donald happens to witness the aftermath of a hit and run accident. Thanks to the awkward way his brain works - and the fact that he doesn't want his mother to know he's been drinking - Donald keeps mum. This allows the deadly driver (Rick) to escape, until the woman with him, his long time mistress Connie, figures out that he's cheating on her with a young socialite and discovers that their dodgy health clinic is a money-laundering front for the mob. From here, the plot thickens and it's bad news for all concerned!
A great mystery that'll have you laughing and loving Savannah.
February 25, 2013
This was one of the best stories I have ever read!!! This is my kind of story!!! I loved it!!! The cast of characters - you have the too funny, too wicked, too clever and the too stupid. "Deception in Savannah" is a fantastic hilarious mystery/comedy. It's also a good reminder for the men to not cheat on their mistresses. LOLOLOLOL
If ya wanna have a good time, YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS STORY!!! You'll smile nearly the whole time, laugh most of the time and get a little nervous some of the time, but you WILL have a GREAT TIME!!!
Trained raccoon trapping...
Oh and you'll get a good feel of what it's like to live in Savannah.
:-D
If ya wanna have a good time, YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS STORY!!! You'll smile nearly the whole time, laugh most of the time and get a little nervous some of the time, but you WILL have a GREAT TIME!!!
Trained raccoon trapping...
Oh and you'll get a good feel of what it's like to live in Savannah.
:-D
March 28, 2013
This story has crime, mistresses, humor, mob bosses, deception and intrigue all set in beautiful Savannah. The characters are tourist who come because of the book, It was written on the ghost of old Savannah. Then there's the Northeners who want to live there because of the land. Then there's those whom lived there all their lives trying to keep their beautiful Savannah culture alive. Come read how the town people try to do that. This story is well written and I would recommend this author and all 8 of his reads. Thank you Charles for sharing your talent with us. Amazon.com is where you can get Charles books.
July 24, 2012
Fun, Easy Read
Savannah is a beautiful town that has held onto its southern roots despite the invasion of Northerners who have retired to the area for the mild winters. Dougherty captures the essence of the invisible line between locals and transplants in a funny story of murder, corruption, and greed. I enjoyed delving into the lives of the eclectic characters ranging from entrepreneur Donald to crime boss Sam and all the good folks in between. Sam’s paranoia made me laugh out loud several times. I look forward to reading more of Dougherty’s books.
Savannah is a beautiful town that has held onto its southern roots despite the invasion of Northerners who have retired to the area for the mild winters. Dougherty captures the essence of the invisible line between locals and transplants in a funny story of murder, corruption, and greed. I enjoyed delving into the lives of the eclectic characters ranging from entrepreneur Donald to crime boss Sam and all the good folks in between. Sam’s paranoia made me laugh out loud several times. I look forward to reading more of Dougherty’s books.
March 23, 2014
A wonderful collection of quirky characters that are wonderfully drawn to life. Not since a Confederacy of Dunces have I read a book that so well brought to life the odd characters of a southern city. A homeless man sets himself on fire pretending to be a ghost hoping for tourist tips. A business trapping trained raccoon's to get money from northern newcomers settling in the warm south, a diet clinic specializing in vanity diets matching their clients fashion sense and skin tone. mix in some mobsters a little money laundering and blackmail and you have a cocktail sweeter then a mint julep. My only quibble is that the female characters were not as interesting or as well fleshed out. but it's a small quibble the book is a totally fun read.
May 13, 2025
This book has it all. Mystery, intrigue, the mob, murder, deciet,and excitement, all wrapped up in a big bag of humor. The author clearly knows how to write a serious mystery, but it is a nice change to see that he can also write humor along with the best of them.
I had already met one of the main characters, Connie Barerra, in Blue Water Ice, and it was really nice to read the details of her back story. So much so, that upon finishing this book, I immediately started re-reading Blue Water Ice, to get the proper perpsective on both books.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book with the highest of kudos.
I had already met one of the main characters, Connie Barerra, in Blue Water Ice, and it was really nice to read the details of her back story. So much so, that upon finishing this book, I immediately started re-reading Blue Water Ice, to get the proper perpsective on both books.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book with the highest of kudos.
April 12, 2014
I liked this story. I think because Savannah is one of my favorite places to visit. Was not aware that there is/was so much crime there. Hopefully it has moved on to someplace else. I liked the characters and their connection to Savannah. My only issue was that there were so many plots left hanging. Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews