Wahoo Rhapsody

Atticus Fish #1

by Shaun Morey

Take one sea-loving captain, a drug-smuggling first mate, and a novice deckhand with a secret, and you have the motley crew of the Wahoo Rhapsody, a ramshackle fishing charter plying the Pacific’s waters off the coast of Cabo San Lucas. Captain Winston Weber makes an honest, if lean, living running fishing charters between Mexico and California, with no inkling of the fact that his first mate, Weevil Ott, is smuggling marijuana inside the yellowfin tuna stacked in the boat’s hold. But when Weevil decides to skim a small fortune for himself, goons under orders from the mysterious drug lord known only as “La Cucaracha” descend upon the Wahoo Rhapsody. What ensues is a madcap romp that will catapult readers from Cabo San Lucas to Tucson and San Diego, as Winston, Weevil, and an expat American lawyer by the name of Atticus Fish try to outrun La Cucaracha’s bloody reach. Fans of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard will relish this rollicking satirical adventure from award-winning writer Shaun Morey.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Novels, Crime

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2011

Reviews

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite authors. He was one of those lucky random finds. I took a book out of the library because it looked like it wouldn't be terrible, and it turned out to be hilarious, utterly insane, and well-plotted to boot. (I believe my first was LUCKY YOU, but I devoured every Hiaasen the library had so quickly they ended up blurred together.) I wanted to read WAHOO RHAPSODY, since the title alone gave away that Shaun Morey had at least some inspiration from Hiaasen. (Or Tim Dorsey, another terrific author. I recommend ORANGE CRUSH.)

Not to shock you, but Shaun Morey is no Carl Hiaasen.

WAHOO RHAPSODY is still a terrific book. The short chapters keep the action moving forward - and it's quality, ridiculous action. It all starts when Weevil, the first mate of the Wahoo Rhapsody, agrees to smuggle marijuana in the yellowfin tuna and then tries to steal a bale. Things go awry for the crew, the boat's silent partner, the cannery manager waiting for the shipment, and the drug lords themselves.

Now, Morey has a few things to learn. Big Joe, the toughest of the crew, is a terrific character in theory. But his exploits are entirely separate from the plot; he does nothing once rejoining with his comrades. His thread fizzled out instead of building to the finish. People meet with terrible mishaps, but some of those people are the good guys. Cartoonish violence is funny when it happens to the bad guys, not when it leaves the most sympathetic characters bandaged for the whole of the book.

But if Morey smooths out the rough edges he could be the Hiaasen of the West Coast. He captures the setting well, including quite a bit of untranslated Spanish. I had no issues with it and think most of it could be gleaned from context, but it was all Spanish I already knew. Thus, I thought it was a nice touch.

I enjoyed it and would've enjoyed it back when I first discovered Hiaasen in high school. Some violence and sex might make it inappropriate for younger teens.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tried to go somewhere, then it stopped, then tried again, then nothing, it was funny and quirky in parks and then tedious in others. The story sort of plodded on but ehh

[Sho · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no clue why i downloaded this. No idea at all - possibly related to "if you enjoyed[Leo Waterman] you will like this".

It was very chaotic. I don't like that much in my life, and can only handle it in limited quantities in novels. (and that is the reason for 2 stars)

Hugely irritated by the "I'm the lawyer who sued God" schtick that took ages to be revealed - it gave me the impression during the entirety of not knowing that i was, actually, reading the 2nd in a series not the first. On the other hand, i often like a later reveal - the writing and chopping about of scene (plus the absolutely unbelievable way the characters were beaten about and seriously injured and yet remain lively functioning people).

Also the way 2 characters just suddenly take up with women they have just met, and yet suddenly they are permanent partners as though they knew each other for ever? What? no.

And that is why i have, mid-review, reduced to 1 star. it's almost like those old TV ads "this is your novel, and this is your novel on drugs"

Oh well. No need to read any more.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than a fun beach read. However, I do highly recommend taking it with you on vacation this summer. Wahoo Rhapsody is a hilarious and intelligent absurdist adventure that is larger than any fish tale you've heard so far. It's the kind of book that will give you pointers on how to sue God and win. From the gut-splitting and brutally honest depiction of Cabo San Lucas (timeshare barkers included) to the chlorinated attraction in San Diego, Morey will have you chasing the characters while with each step connecting their six degrees of separation. The ending is a surprise and although it is right in front of you, the reader won't likely get a undo spoiler (unless you cheat) and read the ending first. Morey takes a pile of stereotypes and turns a tale so outrageous that it becomes insanely original. When do characters stop being cliche? When a writer knows just how to use them to their advantage, and Morey clear does!

But wait...I just said Morey makes great use of stereotypes, and he does with one tiny exception. It's not truly a flaw, in fact it plays into the absurdity littered throughout the story. I'd call it a mild irritant. The majority of females are stumbling, bumbling drunks who are looking for a good time and throw themselves at the first man whore they target. It's the ultimate exaggeration of the perception that women on vacation are easy with low standards. It's hard to argue with when this behavior can be viewed in mass at any southern vacation hot spot and resort. I get it, but the female stereotype was pushed forward with little concern whereas the other (male) stereotypical characters are provided greater background and development. I can't really say 'depth' because most are shallow.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Atticus Fish novel I've read and I don't think I'll read any more. It was fun and I know it was suppose to be fun, but it's so off the hook as far as real life; it's like a cartoon. A 7th grader or 8th grader would enjoy this (except for the sexual references). There was just too much going on and only two characters had any brains at all and of course, that was Atticus and Toozie. I would like to read about Atticus solving a crime with a more serious tone, without all the exteranious activity involved that was out of the realm of reality.

[Ty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost never give up on a book once started, but I only made it 1/3 of the way through this one before deleting it from the Kindle. I hoped that it would be similar enough to the works of Carl Hiaissen and Tim Dorsey to enjoy, but apparently if one wants whacky characters, convoluted plots and lots of fun in the sun, one should stick with the two masters of the art. Skip this one.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read quickly in one sitting. Do not think. Maybe, just maybe you will be able to suspend reality and enjoy the book. I couldn't get past all the inconsistencies - pigs in the backyard in the homes in downtown La Jolla- I just count get past that one and the bars/restaurants that do not exist.

[Angie Casavecchia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this book for weeks....can't finish it. Too boring. Blah.

[Rendier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt a bit forced and over the top.

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entertaining passages and ten-cent words can't save disjointed writing no matter how much you want to like the book. Story premise had possibilities galore but writing style gave me a headache.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly amusing, very predictable.

[Joshua Demello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wahoo Raphsody is a whirlwind of adventure and an easy read to boot. The story of a lawyer thay retires to mexico and the fishing boat he co-owns. The life of Atticus Fish is just so outrageous that it makes the story fun to read.

I wasnt into much of the environmental stuff as the author seemed to use his own opinions and leaned heavily on conjecture rather than fact (see mercury discussion). But I got over it because the story was just fun.

While the plot lines up nicely, the characters bavkgrounds are a bit too shallow. Enough to tell the story, maybe even want to know more, but some dont have the motivation or have their story arcs make sense (looking at you Big Joe).

I liked the idea of normal guys doing bad things then paying for it with cartoonish violence. Makes them more relatable. The bad guys get harsher punishments.

One thing that still gets me is who was the original La Cucaracha? The timing of the events just makes it too confusing to know if it was a one-time thing or an actual drug lord. Maybe we find out in other books?

Overall, the book is well written and makes you want to dive into more Atticus Fish stories to know more about him. He seems almost mythical but I want to know more background. Read it if you come across it, you will enjoy it.

[Deborah Whipp · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character successfully “sued God” through creative legal loopholes, changed his name to Atticus Fish, and hid himself away in Mexico to escape the nut jobs who would kill him for putting their religions on notice. One would think that having a less memorable name would make staying low key easier – along with not owning a popular bar – but, one would be wrong. Supporting characters sport names like Weevil, Big Joe, Toozie, La Cucaracha…. you get the idea. First mate Weevil is a cocaine snorting, drug smuggler who stuffs tuna with pot to pay off gambling debts (unbeknownst the boat’s captain or investor) and inadvertently kills two people during the course of the story – and he’s one of the good guys. Atticus divulges to Weevil that he’s buried millions of dollars in cash on the island where he lives, another great way to stay anonymous and hidden from the world. The entire plotline for Edwin Sparks, manager of a tuna factory that’s in on the drug smuggling, is so over the top it induced a headache. There is definitely an audience who would find this type of ridiculous, madcap adventure with questionable characters a fun read, but it was not for me.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a fun tale. This story has great characters, a fun and zany plot and masterful storytelling. The author does a great job of taking a number of unique storylines and interweaving them into a great story. The characters are tons of fun and each have their own quirks which add to their hilarity. The writing is great as well. This book reminds me so much of Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen, so if you’re a fan of those authors I highly recommend this book.

[Mike Harbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. The author tries to channel the story telling of Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Jimmy Buffett's fiction , but falls a little short. But don't let that stop you from reading the book. The main character of the series, Atticus Fish,is a saner and wealthier version of Hiaasen's Skink character - which is good. More of an homage than an imitation.

It ain't great literature, but it's a fun and entertaining book.

[Paul J. Milazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and Funny

This story is so engaging and such a fast read. It's easy to imagine you are "there" and experiencing close at hand the goings-on of the characters. There is so much humor in the unpredictable actions of many of them. It is written in a light tone, without sacrificing any excitement.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly fun.

[Carol El Hawary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book to begin with, but it turned out to be a fun read with a really engaging main character.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually laughed out loud a few times

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was funny and exciting in equal measure the characters were ridiculous in their actions but definitely made the story work.
I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Doris Ayres · Rating 5 out of 5]

great new series

Atticus Fish leads an interesting life in Baja Mexico! Can’t wait to read more of his adventures! Try reading it and see what you think!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mix a little Hiassen (still the gold standard of the genre), Moore, Hallinan, and Dorsey, move the location to the west (Baja, Cabo) and you've got Shaun Morey.
Very entertaining and fun to read. Looking forward to more Atticus Fish.

[Sky Thibedeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

The `Wahoo Rhapsody' is a Tuna fishing boat operating between Baja and San Diego. Unbeknownst to Captain Winston Weber, his crewman Weevil Ott has been transporting drugs inside of frozen tuna carcasses for the Mexican Drug Lord known as `la Cucaracha'. Trouble ensues as Weevil decides to keep a bale of dope for himself and reports it `missing'.

The drug lord is not pleased and soon comes after his dope and the crew of the Wahoo Rhapsody. The book is about Captain Winston and his crew attempt to escape the Drug Lord and his henchmen.

The book has many well expounded and unusual characters. Atticus Fish is an attorney who is the silent partner of the Captain and has millions in cash he received in settlement by suing God. Atticus sued the major religions in a class action over insurance claims denied for `Acts of God' and they all settled out of court.

Edwin is the manager of a Tuna Cannery in San Diego who gets the marijuana out of the dead fish and distributes it to the Drug Lord's US henchmen. He smokes nasty cherry flavored cigars and devises his own plan to steal La Cucaracha's money and disappear in the Alaskan wilderness. All of Edwin's plans go spectacularly wrong.

Federal prosecutor Rent Barnhouse is hot on La Cucaracha's trail and sees the drug lord as his ticket to the Governor's mansion. The fact that the poor coyote smuggler he has arrested may be innocent does not deter him as he has the lovely Octavia to testify for him and looks forward to coaching her in private.

Toozie Mcgill is Fish's private investigator. He sends her to search for the Rhapsody and her crew and finds herself caught up in Barnhouse's investigation. She finds evidence that the real la Cucaracha is still at large and her investigation causes many plot threads to come together.

These and a host of minor equally quirky minor characters keep this funny well paced mystery going. I'm sure at the end you'll be enjoying the trip to Baja with' Wahoo Rhapsody'.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Morey’s latest novel, we find Atticus Fish, a retired high profile lawyer who took on organized religion and won, living his life at a leisurely pace in Baja California. Atticus finds himself in the midst of a drug smuggling ring. Seems one of the crew working on his fishing charter boat, the Wahoo Rhapsody, has been smuggling drugs to pay off a hefty gambling debt. The Captain Winston Weber, who incidentally saved Fish’s life is unaware of the crew members betrayal, but is included as a target of the drug lord La Cucaracha—yes just like the song—along with the two other crew members on the boat.

When Atticus Fish becomes aware of the hijacking of his boat, his missing friend and crew, he enlists the help of Skegs, a friend and salesman of bootleg tequila and sister-in-law Toozie, a private investigator to find his friend, the boat and the drug lord responsible.

They race to clear their names with the drug lord before they are killed as collateral in lieu of the drugs. As Toozie works a lead in connection with the drug lord, she realizes Barnhouse—a crooked federal prosecutor with the hope of becoming Governor—has jumped on the arrest of La Cucaracha to use the publicity and gain election into office. Problem is the man who has been arrested is not La Cucaracha and the real drug lord is threatening Barnhouse to release the man.

What a fun read! I found myself unable to put the book down once I picked it up finishing it in two sittings. Morey wows the reader with sub-plots tying the characters together in this caper. He keeps us guessing until the end throwing in a final twist the reader won’t expect.
Reviewed by Jodi Hanson for Suspense Magazine

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

In what will surely become a series, author Shaun Morey has written a fun first novel in Wahoo Rhapsody, full of many memorable characters, outrageous situations, and funny dialogue. The setting is Cabo San Lucas, off the coast of Mexico. The main character is the eccentric Atticus Fish, a filthy-rich American expatriate who owns a fishing boat left in the capable hands of old friend Captain Winston (who once saved Atticus's life). Unfortunately, the first mate (Weevil) decides he wants to secretly run marijuana for a Mexican drug lord. As if that's not bad enough, he then decides to rip off said drug dealer. Having a bumbling grad student on the crew isn't helping matters for Weevil, either. There are too many characters and plot lines to list here, but the chapters are short, the story barrels along at a fast pace, all the plots are entwined, and everything comes together for the big finale.


Other reviewers have compared Morey to Carl Hiaasen, and I agree, but fans of Tim Dorsey, Christopher Moore, Bill Fitzhugh should also give this novel a look. AmazonEncore (the program that identifies exceptional yet overlooked books and works with the authors to re-introduce their books to readers) has made a wise decision publishing this novel, as it looks like they can have a successful series on their hands. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one, and Morey has created a great pool of characters to draw from as needed.

[Mikella Etchegoyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely not something I would have picked up to read if I saw it on a shelf in a book store. That being said, I still rather loved it by the time I finished reading it. It helped that I was able to meet the author when he came to discuss the work with my creative writing class that I assigned the book to read. I was able to hear his thoughts on writing the novel and his inspiration (as well as do a psuedo-workshop on the first chapters of the sequel). It rounded out my experience with the novel nicely. I have never been fishing, I know nothing about fishing, I have never done drugs, I know nothing about drug smuggling, I have never been to Mexico, and I know nothing about Cabo or Baja or any of the other locations in the novel (save San Diego, I've been there). Yet, after reading this novel, I feel like I know everything there is to know about all of these things. That doesn't mean I'm likely to go deep sea tuna fishing or try to steal from a drug lord named after an song about an insect, but I feel like I could. The book satires a great deal of things from drug smugglers to attorneys. It's humorous and it's an enjoyably quick read.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget Florida. The fun this summer is on the Sea of Cortez aboard the Wahoo Rhapsody. Captain Winston Weber has no idea what’s afoot aboard his own tuna boat until an angry drug dealer wreaks havoc and he’s left for dead. He makes it ashore and gathers his warring deckhands, Weevil Ott and Willie Pike, even though one of them is responsible for the fiasco. They hook up with his ungodly wealthy ex-attorney friend, Atticus Fish, and hatch a plan to escape the clutches of La Cucaracha.

Meanwhile, back in San Diego, Edwin Sparks is tired of his job at Topwater Tuna and his tightfisted, filthy rich boss. The inventor of “Salisbury tuna,” Edwin hatches a new plot to escape wage slavery, as well as the clutches of La Cucaracha’s henchman, Memo. Naturally, everyone is on a collision course, and somebody’s going down.

This was a highly entertaining crime novel, and its Baja California locale was innovative and fun. Its style was reminiscent of Dorsey or Hiaasen, but the voice is fresh. I liked the interwoven plot lines, thought he climax needed just a bit more zing. In all, though, this was a highly entertaining crime caper from a writer to watch.

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wahoo Rhapsody is a fishing charter boat which sails of the coast of Mexico and Southern California and has been bought by Atticus Fish for his good friend, Captain Winston. Fish was an eminent lawyer who won the highest lawsuit ever…against God! He ‘disappeared’ down to Southern California to escape the religious fanatics who were out to kill him and is now an expatriate, mega rich and taking life easy on his own island running a Cantina….or so he thinks.

The boat is being used to smuggle drugs, inside the tuna no less, without the knowledge of the captain. The first mate, appropriately named Weevil, decides to snag some of the booty for himself and starts a whole chain of events that unfold at a cracking pace.

So, we have a drug lord and his henchmen, a shady lawyer, an arsonist, lots about fishing and an intriguing plot. Action and adventure abound with some loud out loud moments due in no small part to Weevil's ‘voice’. It’s a crazy and quirky ride.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine addition to the kind of comic adventure novel that writers like Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey have made famous, with a West Coast twist.

Morey captures Baja California beautifully, both revealing its majestic natural beauty and the absurd effects of tourism on the region. The cast of characters is filled with compelling oddballs that constantly find themselves in trouble. They should have known they would get in trouble when the decided to mix pot and fish.

My only criticism (and ultimately its a compliment to the character) is that the lead character Atticus Fish should be in the story more. At times it feels like the supporting character take over. But if that's my main gripe, then hopefully Morey will have the next book in the series out soon so I can catch more Fish.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I bought the book purely because of the title
and the fact that it takes place in Baja California. It certainly
wasn't a great book but it was kind of fun. Drug smugglers onboard
a fishing boat, smuggling marijuana inside frozen tuna (ewww), a
few drunken gringo tourists to give you a chuckle, but overall just
soo soo.