Poco Bueno

by Chris Parks

POCO BUENO is the story of every man's fantasy - escaping the life-numbing prison of his nine-to-five existence. Stokes is a 31-year-old executive in the lucrative Texas oil business. His marriage to the boss's daughter is on the skids and his true love, an over-restored 70-foot Hatteras fishing yacht, has him panicking in debt. Following his heart, and the naked-truth of his fun-loving, boat captain sidekick, Jean Paul, the two fishing buddies throw caution to the wind on a quest for genuine adventure and meaning. Like the ever-churning margarita blender on board the boat, Poco Bueno is a crazy blend of thirty-something angst, bikini-clad willful women, testosterone-fueled antics, and off-the-charts fishing. Based on the very private, but oh-so-real, million-dollar Port O’Connor Offshore Invitational Fishing Tournament held off the coast of Texas, this book might very well be the next great American western, albeit a watery one! Yes, this is a novel about fishing - fishing in one of its most savage and primordial forms - but it is really a story about the ultimate inevitability of what life serves up and our ability to eat well at the feast.

Genres: Fiction

394 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2013

About the author

On the back cover of Poco Bueno the publisher wrote this for my biography:

Chris Parks lives in a parallel universe between the Gulf Coasts of Louisiana and Texas, and the mountains of Colorado. In one continuum he is a trial attorney, in the other a writer. In both he is a keen observer, a devoted family man, and an outdoor enthusiast. Poco Bueno is his first novel.

However, if you will take a quick look at the first entry in my blog on this Goodreads page there is a short essay I wrote titled, "Why I wrote Poco Bueno". It tells more about my background and is also posted on the book's website.

Reviews

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads win! Not my typical genre, but am so glad to win this first novel by Chris Parks. Thank you!

The protagonist, Stokes Summers, is a self made man who gets his law degree. After marrying his college sweetheart, he loses that self by going to work for her extremely rich family's oil business. Stokes proves himself to Big John, his father-in-law, both personally and in the office. Respected and treated like a son, the two of them share the love of all sports - hunting, but especially fishing.

His 6 year marriage is on the rocks but he still enters the million dollar Port O'Connor Offshore Invitational Fishing Tournament held off the coast of Texas annually. This is where the story begins.

What an incredible journey. The strength and courage it takes to to try to catch blue marlin is amazing. And Chris Parks captured it in this fast paced novel. It was an easy read (except for some of the technical fishing terms for me. But most any avid fisherman would understand it!) The camaraderie with the fishermen, altho somewhat sexist from the good ol' boys, was fun to watch.

Would liked to have seen more in the ending; as a romantic, I felt a little cheated.

Not quite 4 stars, but so close, I had to give it. Looking forward to more from this author.

[David Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my forty-second book that I have won and read from Goodreads. If you are a sports fishermen, or just love the outdoors and like fishing, the cover on the book makes you pick it up and want to read it. The story inside the cover makes you really glad that you are reading this.
Stokes is a executive in his wife's family run oil business. He is married to the boss`s daughter. His marriage is not going so well. Stokes bought from his father-in-law a 70 foot Hatteras fishing yacht, that he has stuck millions of dollars in to. He has asked his wife for a divorce. This divorce could cost him his job, and the boat that he truly love's.
He and his friends are entered into million dollar Port O'CONNOR Offshore International Fishing Tournament held off the coast of Texas.
Stokes and J.P. John Paul, and a couple of other buddies have to sneak out in the boat to start the fishing tournament because his quite wealthy mother in law and wife have a court order to seize the boat.
Chris Park's the author, makes you feel like you are on the boat, out in the ocean, fishing for marlin and trying to win the tournament. Mr. Park's book is a great read for any adult. You will find yourself caught up in the story and not wanting to put the book down.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poco Bueno was a fantastic read! I started reading this at my parents house as something to do. I am not a fisherman, so I wasn't expecting to love this book so much. The fishing scenes were full of tension and I loved the characters. I felt like I knew these people and I was right there with them. This book could easily make an awesome movie

[Micaela Aigner-jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a win from Goodreads! Thank you so much! The book was fun and factual, written by someone (Chris P.) who has obviously done some deep sea fishing(or some great research!)I would have rated it 5 stars but it lacked a intriguing plot. Just the same I enjoyed it!

[Mark Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really great. It has all the elements I love in a book. Humor, tension, and a great story. It really makes you think about your life and how you want to live it. I can't wait to see what Parks has in store for us next!!

[Donna Riegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a different kind of book then I usually read. It was slow reading and did not get exciting until three quarters through the book. If you enjoy deep sea fishing, this is the book for you.