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A Miami Jones Case #3
High Lie
Miami Jones knows that South Florida has its fair share of sharks, and not all of them live in the ocean. When a young boy is dumped in the water off the coast, Miami goes looking for answers. What he finds is a world of crooked bookmakers, slick Las Vegas Casino moguls and a desperate band of brothers playing a forgotten sport. Forgotten by everyone except the person who wants the players dead.Miami takes Florida sliding down a sinkhole rather personally, so now he’ll stop at nothing to prevent the circling sharks from consuming his beloved home.There is darkness, even in the sunshine state.
308 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
1131 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Stewart
48 books122 followersA.J. Stewart has lived in so many places it feels like he has a home team in every game he sees. Which explains why his wife begins any sports telecast with "who are going for today?" A.J. and his family currently spend their time in Los Angeles and South Florida, but stay tuned, anything could happen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 11, 2015
This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me
High Lie was a very fast paced mystery which I found to be a very easy read. Miami Jones is a retired pro baseball player turned private PI with a vast number of friends/sidekicks. The book starts out with Lucas, Miami's Australian kick ass friend/sometimes third partner who helps out on the PI jobs along with Miami's real partner Ron before leaving to go back to managing his Marina job; saving a little boy from being drowning by some real bad guys. I found this beginning a little hard to take because the violence was fine but for these guys to go to such extremes to kill a young child over such a small amount of money seemed a too much for me.
However, the book gets going really fast as I stated in the beginning. The book is told in first person from Miami's point of view, but it felt more that Miami was telling a story than Miami actually being a part of the story for me. I am very visual and like to picture everything going on in a book but I never got a clear picture of even what everyone looked like, only a vague impression idea. I also felt like the book jumped from one thing to another without really explaining how they got there but as I read on I felt that it was the author's style or writing and I got use to it.
This book is actually one a series but you don't need to start at the beginning unless you're a person that needs to read in order you will be just fine starting here. This is a very well written book and I don't know if some of the things were supposed to be funny but I laughed out loud many times visualizing what was actually happening but I could not give a higher review because I knew from the beginning exactly who was involved, every time a new character was introduced that ended up being involved I knew right away they where involved and how. Am I just super smart? That would be great but nah, but I am a huge mystery buff and to know every step of the way who and how and not be surprised at all drops things down a notch for me. Also the why dropped it as well, this I did not figure out but it made no sense, yeah it was explained but it was just really far-fetched. The car destroying has to stop!
Despite me figuring out the bad guys this is a solid mystery and easy read that I really think people will enjoy, I look forward to reading another.
High Lie was a very fast paced mystery which I found to be a very easy read. Miami Jones is a retired pro baseball player turned private PI with a vast number of friends/sidekicks. The book starts out with Lucas, Miami's Australian kick ass friend/sometimes third partner who helps out on the PI jobs along with Miami's real partner Ron before leaving to go back to managing his Marina job; saving a little boy from being drowning by some real bad guys. I found this beginning a little hard to take because the violence was fine but for these guys to go to such extremes to kill a young child over such a small amount of money seemed a too much for me.
However, the book gets going really fast as I stated in the beginning. The book is told in first person from Miami's point of view, but it felt more that Miami was telling a story than Miami actually being a part of the story for me. I am very visual and like to picture everything going on in a book but I never got a clear picture of even what everyone looked like, only a vague impression idea. I also felt like the book jumped from one thing to another without really explaining how they got there but as I read on I felt that it was the author's style or writing and I got use to it.
This book is actually one a series but you don't need to start at the beginning unless you're a person that needs to read in order you will be just fine starting here. This is a very well written book and I don't know if some of the things were supposed to be funny but I laughed out loud many times visualizing what was actually happening but I could not give a higher review because I knew from the beginning exactly who was involved, every time a new character was introduced that ended up being involved I knew right away they where involved and how. Am I just super smart? That would be great but nah, but I am a huge mystery buff and to know every step of the way who and how and not be surprised at all drops things down a notch for me. Also the why dropped it as well, this I did not figure out but it made no sense, yeah it was explained but it was just really far-fetched. The car destroying has to stop!
Despite me figuring out the bad guys this is a solid mystery and easy read that I really think people will enjoy, I look forward to reading another.
April 12, 2015
When PI Miami Jones’ friend Lucas fishes a kid out of the water after he’s been tossed there by two roughnecks from a local gambling establishment, things get nasty. Miami learns that the kid, Desi, a young Cuban, was trying to earn money to get his father from Cuba to Florida, but was cheated. He, Lucas, and his sometimes girlfriend, Danielle, who happens to be a deputy sheriff, are determined to make things right for Desi. In the process of doing so, Miami finds himself immersed in the world of gambling, as toughs from all over face off for a chunk of the gambling revenue in south Florida.
High Lie by A. J. Stewart is the third in the Miami Jones Florida series, featuring former baseball player turned private eye Miami Jones. I received a free copy of this book for review.
Stewart, who writes in a style reminiscent of Elmore Leonard, paints a vivid and accurate picture of the world of legal gambling, especially the pari-mutuel scene involving jai alai (pronounced ‘high-lie’), and what can happen when money and the greed for money trump public interest. A cast of believable characters inhabiting a world so realistic you can smell the sweat of the jai alai players and hear the raucous cry of the Everglades water fowl.
This is a great weekend read that shouldn’t be missed. Stewart gets better with each book.
High Lie by A. J. Stewart is the third in the Miami Jones Florida series, featuring former baseball player turned private eye Miami Jones. I received a free copy of this book for review.
Stewart, who writes in a style reminiscent of Elmore Leonard, paints a vivid and accurate picture of the world of legal gambling, especially the pari-mutuel scene involving jai alai (pronounced ‘high-lie’), and what can happen when money and the greed for money trump public interest. A cast of believable characters inhabiting a world so realistic you can smell the sweat of the jai alai players and hear the raucous cry of the Everglades water fowl.
This is a great weekend read that shouldn’t be missed. Stewart gets better with each book.
December 16, 2014
A.J. Stewart really knows how to write some kick ahh characters, and you don't even see it coming. It is about a P.I. named Miami Jones, as well as good friends Lucas and Ron. His lady love, Danielle, is a deputy sheriff. She heads to Hotlanta for a law enforcement convention, long enough for Jones to be thinking of putting a ring on it....and having a bit of male bonding time over a bunch of huge thugs hired to "talk to him". Only, he gets to speak his peace first. That makes them a little sore. By the time Danielle gets back, he has solved his case just in time to meet her at the airport. There is no "buddy"macho tough talk. It is very refreshing that these guys could be all cocky and full of themselves, but they are pretty humble. Leave all that to the corrupt people all around them. The plot and storyline is fresh and exciting. You are never lacking in some honest excitement. I found this book to go by real fast, when it is impossible to put down. It is GOOD! *I was given a free copy of this book so that I may read and give my honest review.
December 4, 2018
Ya Gotta Love This Guy
Jones that is. Well, maybe Stewart. Maybe they are the same? In any event three stories so far that touch on reality but keep far enough away from it to be entertaining and not frightening. It's a talent! This title is more on point than the last book. (I had to look up what it meant on Wikipedia.) I learned more about Jai Alai than I ever knew and it seems close at least to factual. Fun story. Great characters. BAD bad-guys and GOOD good-guys. What more can you ask for? Thank you Mr. Stewart.
Jones that is. Well, maybe Stewart. Maybe they are the same? In any event three stories so far that touch on reality but keep far enough away from it to be entertaining and not frightening. It's a talent! This title is more on point than the last book. (I had to look up what it meant on Wikipedia.) I learned more about Jai Alai than I ever knew and it seems close at least to factual. Fun story. Great characters. BAD bad-guys and GOOD good-guys. What more can you ask for? Thank you Mr. Stewart.
September 14, 2023
Can't get enough of the whole crew!
Okay, two things that bug me: Almost every woman Miami deals with are too beautiful and sexy. That doesn't happen in the real world. And the other thing is that when someone asks a question, it's followed by "he or she SAID." I'm pretty sure the correct way to phrase it is "he or she ASKED." But anyway, I absolutely love the brilliantly witty comebacks, and the way Miami talks inside his head. I'm pressing on to the next in the series!
Okay, two things that bug me: Almost every woman Miami deals with are too beautiful and sexy. That doesn't happen in the real world. And the other thing is that when someone asks a question, it's followed by "he or she SAID." I'm pretty sure the correct way to phrase it is "he or she ASKED." But anyway, I absolutely love the brilliantly witty comebacks, and the way Miami talks inside his head. I'm pressing on to the next in the series!
December 7, 2018
Hate to see jai alai die...
I've never been to a performance but always hoped to... Also stunned to learn the Seminole own Hard Rock, but does explain the closure of the LV location.
Miami has stolen my heart and along with Charlie Crawford has me perusing the Palm Beaches for a macmansion.
I've never been to a performance but always hoped to... Also stunned to learn the Seminole own Hard Rock, but does explain the closure of the LV location.
Miami has stolen my heart and along with Charlie Crawford has me perusing the Palm Beaches for a macmansion.
August 15, 2020
Lucas a friend of Miami fishes a young Cuban kid out of the water. Thugs had held him up for a few hundred dollars and tossed him in. Finding it was money the kid saved to send to his papa. As usual Miami uncovers more when the jai alai team are being threatened and finding out why. Good fast action and ever dull with Miami around.
April 21, 2023
I appreciated the excellent writing and narration of the first two audiobooks in this series. My enjoyment continues, from the clever well paced plot to the well developed characters, particularly the knight errant and his cohorts. Love the south Florida setting that is almost a character in its own right.
May 24, 2024
jai alai in Connecticut
I enjoyed learning about the sport of Jai alai but wondered why Miami Jones, who was originally from Connecticut, made no mention of the sport being in Milford, CT from 1977 till 2001. It ended because of rumors of corruption. Maybe MJ isn't old enough to remember.
I enjoyed learning about the sport of Jai alai but wondered why Miami Jones, who was originally from Connecticut, made no mention of the sport being in Milford, CT from 1977 till 2001. It ended because of rumors of corruption. Maybe MJ isn't old enough to remember.
November 4, 2019
Another fast paced story in the Miami Jones Case series. I'm loving the Lucas character. He gets things done one way or another. Again, the best thing about this series is the characters. Very believable and well developed. On to the next one!
March 12, 2023
Book 3 in the series
Jones and his friends discover some bad guys trying to kill a young boy over a gambling debt and the story takes off from there with lots of twists and turns. A great read.
Jones and his friends discover some bad guys trying to kill a young boy over a gambling debt and the story takes off from there with lots of twists and turns. A great read.
July 13, 2023
Well, that was a fun one!
I think it's been said: Miami doesn't need to go looking for trouble, it comes looking for him! He's becoming quite the vigilante with the help of a few friends with special talents.
I think it's been said: Miami doesn't need to go looking for trouble, it comes looking for him! He's becoming quite the vigilante with the help of a few friends with special talents.
September 26, 2024
These are easy and fun
I am enjoying this series, it is fun and entertaining mostly due to the characters. Miami Jones is a witty narrator, love his take on Florida, natives and tourists. These books are as addictive as potato chips.
I am enjoying this series, it is fun and entertaining mostly due to the characters. Miami Jones is a witty narrator, love his take on Florida, natives and tourists. These books are as addictive as potato chips.
December 8, 2017
A fun series. Great writing, likable characters, enjoyable story.
January 21, 2019
Another great MJ story
I love the MJ series. He and his supporting cast of characters are entertaining and always get the bad guys.
I love the MJ series. He and his supporting cast of characters are entertaining and always get the bad guys.
March 13, 2019
I’m really getting into this series. The characters are likable and developing with each book. Recommend
June 7, 2019
Love Miami Jones!
His smart mouth, interesting friends and coworkers make for good reading. I Love that I'm not always seeing it coming.
His smart mouth, interesting friends and coworkers make for good reading. I Love that I'm not always seeing it coming.
July 18, 2019
High Lie
Good story. I really enjoy Miami Jones and all of his cohorts. Their camaraderie and their exciting adventures. Like the way the stories move along.
Good story. I really enjoy Miami Jones and all of his cohorts. Their camaraderie and their exciting adventures. Like the way the stories move along.
December 23, 2019
Love it!
I absolutely love the humor as well as the well written story line. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I absolutely love the humor as well as the well written story line. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
January 5, 2020
Miami Jones is winner.
Miami Jones is as smooth as a cool pina colada. Just the right amount of action and romance. Can't wait to read the series.
Miami Jones is as smooth as a cool pina colada. Just the right amount of action and romance. Can't wait to read the series.
February 14, 2021
An interesting look at what the Jai Alai heyday was like. I'm ready for Miami to propose to Danielle, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2022
A great listen in the car. I love the dialog....fast paced with a flavor for the 40's detective characters in movies.
December 9, 2022
Pretty good story but seemed rushed at the end. Maybe not. Love the humor and action.
March 17, 2024
Entertaining. Like his other books, I learned something new about a sport.
March 25, 2024
An interesting tale
This mystery was most intriguing, since I had never heard of jai alai. I found it to be educational as well as entertaining.
This mystery was most intriguing, since I had never heard of jai alai. I found it to be educational as well as entertaining.
August 11, 2022
I’m finally starting to warm up to this series about a private investigator in southern Florida. Miami Jones is his name, and along with a series of peripheral characters, solve mysteries with a little bit of quirkiness, but not quite as far gone as the Tim Dorsey novels.
High Lie is a play on words. Part of this mystery involves the sport Jai Alai, which was once tremendously popular in the south Florida area but has been waning since its heyday in the 1980s. Miami Jones, a former baseball player turned private investigator, is called in by a friend, Lucas, who just saved a boy from drowning who was tossed in the water by a couple of goons. Why would someone want to kill a young boy? Lucas is feeling particularly protective and wants Miami to help him find out so the boy doesn’t end up dead.
Miami follows the clues and ends up immersed in the world of Jai Alai and gambling. Once tremendously popular, it’s now a dying sport hanging on by a thread. Miami meets some of the players still involved in the sport who have a love for it much like Miami’s own for his former sport of baseball. They are all in the middle of a power struggle for gambling revenue, and the next targets seem to be the Jai Alai players themselves.
To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
High Lie is a play on words. Part of this mystery involves the sport Jai Alai, which was once tremendously popular in the south Florida area but has been waning since its heyday in the 1980s. Miami Jones, a former baseball player turned private investigator, is called in by a friend, Lucas, who just saved a boy from drowning who was tossed in the water by a couple of goons. Why would someone want to kill a young boy? Lucas is feeling particularly protective and wants Miami to help him find out so the boy doesn’t end up dead.
Miami follows the clues and ends up immersed in the world of Jai Alai and gambling. Once tremendously popular, it’s now a dying sport hanging on by a thread. Miami meets some of the players still involved in the sport who have a love for it much like Miami’s own for his former sport of baseball. They are all in the middle of a power struggle for gambling revenue, and the next targets seem to be the Jai Alai players themselves.
To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
March 13, 2015
Saving a boy and gaming community to a family from Cuba
See how MJ's friend fishing a young boy out of the ocean after being dumped in by two gaming thugs for failure to pay up on a bet to reuniting him with his family. Read how big time casino community tries to move into Indian territory of West Palm Florida and threatens the small and somewhat dying game of Jai Alai. Follow these two P.I.s and the one friend as they find out who all the top dogs are and how they take them down to uniting the young boy Desi with his entire family by bringing them all over from Cuba.
See how MJ's friend fishing a young boy out of the ocean after being dumped in by two gaming thugs for failure to pay up on a bet to reuniting him with his family. Read how big time casino community tries to move into Indian territory of West Palm Florida and threatens the small and somewhat dying game of Jai Alai. Follow these two P.I.s and the one friend as they find out who all the top dogs are and how they take them down to uniting the young boy Desi with his entire family by bringing them all over from Cuba.
May 14, 2023
Enjoyable and pleasant read with a narrator whose voice is made for this kind of romp. And there’s a light romantic involvement to round out the maturity level without offending personal tastes and common morality.
05-08-23 audio version
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Interesting Florida private eye mystery, lite cussing. Fans of Myron Bolitar will like this series. 3-stars © 2014 text
05-08-23 audio version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interesting Florida private eye mystery, lite cussing. Fans of Myron Bolitar will like this series. 3-stars © 2014 text
April 14, 2015
The mystery is fun, but the writing is really utilitarian (and not entirely proofread). It would be squarely in 3-star territory were it not for the main character. Instead of the standard mystery-story Private Eye (who tend to be tortured, cynical, philandering drug addicts), Miami Jones is a genuine, likable, positive person. He has healthy relationships with people he enjoys, and a positive, healthy outlook on pretty much everything. This one change makes all the difference for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews