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King Daniel: Gasparilla King of the Pirates
This dynamic tale revolves around a Tampa blue-blood family, the Westcotts, whose lives are intricately woven into the traditions and mythical lore of the town's evocative holiday, Gasparilla. The story begins on a summer's evening in 1972. While the band plays amid the sizzling heat at the Tampa Yacht Club, pirates from the Krewe of Gaspar and their ladies eagerly await the arrival of their newly crowned king, Daniel Westcott. But to their dismay, Daniel never shows up. By the wee hours of the next morning, the townspeople are scratching their heads as members of the Westcott family deliberate whether or not to call the police. As the saga unfolds, Daniel has disappeared without a trace.
344 pages, Hardcover
Published July 21, 2017
5 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wolf Johnson
1 book18 followersAfter attending the University of Florida, Susan Wolf Johnson moved with her husband and young family to Tampa. There she followed her passion for writing and returned to college to pursue a degree in creative writing. To complete her undergraduate work, she studied at Yale and Columbia Universities, and the University of South Florida. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College. In her early writing years, her short stories and reviews appeared in The Mississippi Review, The Florida Review, The Sun, The Dallas Review, New Letters, and The Charlotte Poetry Review. As an adjunct professor, she taught creative writing and composition at the University of South Florida for fifteen years. The inspiration for her first novel, King Daniel, grew from a curiosity about Tampa's evocative holiday, Gasparilla. Think Mardi Gras with its beads, royalty, and a parade of floats. The story is set in Tampa in the 1970's and revolves around a blue-blood family whose lives are intricately woven into the festivities of this evocative holiday. When the novel begins, Daniel Westcott, the newly crowned king of Gasparilla has disappeared without a trace. Mystery abounds as the search for Tampa’s missing pirate king unfolds and dark family secrets are revealed.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2017
Goodreads win. review to come
This was a fun read. Loved the setting of Flordia. This book transported me into the world and legend the au th or created. This is a book I plan to read again this summer. Definitely a summer read.
This was a fun read. Loved the setting of Flordia. This book transported me into the world and legend the au th or created. This is a book I plan to read again this summer. Definitely a summer read.
March 30, 2017
A Fictional Gem
I loved this book! The mystery of the missing “King” and trying to piece together the secrets and sins of the various generations of the Westcott family, made this a page turner for me. The author does a wonderful job of drawing you into the lives of her characters and they stayed with me long after the book was done.
In the end, the subtle signs of the hope of healing and forgiveness for this family made King Daniel a fictional gem!
I would be very excited to read how the family’s lives move forward in a sequel.
I loved this book! The mystery of the missing “King” and trying to piece together the secrets and sins of the various generations of the Westcott family, made this a page turner for me. The author does a wonderful job of drawing you into the lives of her characters and they stayed with me long after the book was done.
In the end, the subtle signs of the hope of healing and forgiveness for this family made King Daniel a fictional gem!
I would be very excited to read how the family’s lives move forward in a sequel.
December 1, 2016
This is a fabulous story of family secrets set in Tampa, Florida, one that circles the events of a local tradition known as Gasparilla--a festival celebrating the legendary pirate Jose Gaspar. Amidst Krewes, royal courts, a parade, and a host of society gatherings and parties, the mysteries of the past return to haunt one family in this suspenseful page-turner. Loved this book!
April 13, 2018
Welcome to Tampa! The town’s annual festival of Gasparilla is ongoing. The band is playing, the heat is sizzling, the people are enjoying themselves and all are awaiting the arrival of the newly crowned king, Daniel Westcott. But Daniel never shows. The people are confused, and mildly concerned, but no one says anything. Daniel’s disappearance is a mystery, and his family debates whether to involve the police or not. The Westcott’s are a family of prestige, they fear what revealing Daniel missing will do them in the eyes of the people. Enter here Daniel’s granddaughter, Becca. Becca has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. She needs money. She’s counting on her grandfather to be there so that she can ask him for what she needs, but she learns that he’s missing. Her grandmother tries to play it down, but others around her let her know that it’s more than that he’s just “out.” He’s missing and secrets are soon to start coming to the surface when some mysterious diaries are left for Becca to find. As she reads them she learns more about the history of her family and those around them. As the mystery of her missing grandfather ebbs and flows like the tide, the truth will soon come to the surface, but it will bring tragedy with it.
King Daniel: Gasparilla King of the Pirates by Susan Wolf Johnson is an engaging historical fiction novel. This is the first book by this author that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The secrets and mysteries surrounding this family are very engaging and interesting. They are blue-blood family, but all is not well with them. The mystery of Daniel’s disappearance drives the story, but it is not the sole focus of the story either. I like that the story branches off here and there but that it all comes back to the main story. The story focuses a lot on Becca as well, since she is the one who is given the diaries. Becca and Natalie are two interesting characters. Natalie keeps secrets, but the things that she does she believes is for the best for her family. You can tell that something is broken in Natalie. It could be age, but I get the sense that she has been through things in her own life that have dynamically changed her. It seems to be a price the female characters pay since they are all similar in this fact. The dynamics of the various characters is engaging and will keep you engaged in the story.
There really isn’t anything that I don’t like about this book. While this story isn’t about pirates pirates (corsairs, looting, and sailing the high seas) this book is a good read. There are pirates, but they are drug runners mostly. I like that the author incorporates the war and the draft into this book as well. I will admit that there are some spelling errors and some grammatical errors here and there in this book, but none of them are so bad that they distract from the overall storyline.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The storyline flows really well, which I like. I was worried that it might stutter here and there, but the author does a fantastic job making the story flow seamlessly from one scene to another. You will feel like you are following along with the characters watching them as they go through the trials and situations that they each face. There are a few twists and some subtle surprises. I think that those who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this book. It is insightful, engaging and even education with the author taking time to tell us about this interesting holiday celebrated by these people.
King Daniel: Gasparilla King of the Pirates by Susan Wolf Johnson is an engaging historical fiction novel. This is the first book by this author that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The secrets and mysteries surrounding this family are very engaging and interesting. They are blue-blood family, but all is not well with them. The mystery of Daniel’s disappearance drives the story, but it is not the sole focus of the story either. I like that the story branches off here and there but that it all comes back to the main story. The story focuses a lot on Becca as well, since she is the one who is given the diaries. Becca and Natalie are two interesting characters. Natalie keeps secrets, but the things that she does she believes is for the best for her family. You can tell that something is broken in Natalie. It could be age, but I get the sense that she has been through things in her own life that have dynamically changed her. It seems to be a price the female characters pay since they are all similar in this fact. The dynamics of the various characters is engaging and will keep you engaged in the story.
There really isn’t anything that I don’t like about this book. While this story isn’t about pirates pirates (corsairs, looting, and sailing the high seas) this book is a good read. There are pirates, but they are drug runners mostly. I like that the author incorporates the war and the draft into this book as well. I will admit that there are some spelling errors and some grammatical errors here and there in this book, but none of them are so bad that they distract from the overall storyline.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The storyline flows really well, which I like. I was worried that it might stutter here and there, but the author does a fantastic job making the story flow seamlessly from one scene to another. You will feel like you are following along with the characters watching them as they go through the trials and situations that they each face. There are a few twists and some subtle surprises. I think that those who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this book. It is insightful, engaging and even education with the author taking time to tell us about this interesting holiday celebrated by these people.
October 19, 2017
King Daniel: Gasparilla King of the Pirates by Susan Wolf Johnson won a (2017) CIPA EVVY Merit Award in historical fiction. My own book, Hopatcong Vision Quest was also a winner, which is how I found this novel. It's a wonderful read, with a complex plot centered on multiple generations of the Westcott family, a wealthy family in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. This is the type of book I love to read on my Kindle, because I can easily search back to where characters were first introduced. Johnson provides a copy of the Wetcott Family Tree in the front of the book, which also helped me keep track.
The Westcott's have their secrets. Discovering what they are makes for a fascinating plot. We have the younger generation represented primarily by Becca, who is trying to break free of the family tradition with a New York singing career, but encounters multiple problems, including a club owner whose interests are not focused on Becca's voice. Her problems are enough to send her back to the Tampa area for help. There's also Becca's grandfather, Daniel, the title character, whose problems are on an entirely different level than hers. Much of this story is about where Daniel is and the character flaws that put him there.
In addition to an intriguing story, the novel provides an introduction to aspects of the Tampa culture I knew nothing about. The region has a children's festival, a music festival, a film festival, an art festival and more, all, as stated on the visit Tampa Bay website: “Named for legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the 18th and early 19th centuries.” Knowing this makes the story of Daniel's election as “Gasparilla King of the Pirates” even more important.
King Daniel is another great read!
Steve Lindahl author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul
The Westcott's have their secrets. Discovering what they are makes for a fascinating plot. We have the younger generation represented primarily by Becca, who is trying to break free of the family tradition with a New York singing career, but encounters multiple problems, including a club owner whose interests are not focused on Becca's voice. Her problems are enough to send her back to the Tampa area for help. There's also Becca's grandfather, Daniel, the title character, whose problems are on an entirely different level than hers. Much of this story is about where Daniel is and the character flaws that put him there.
In addition to an intriguing story, the novel provides an introduction to aspects of the Tampa culture I knew nothing about. The region has a children's festival, a music festival, a film festival, an art festival and more, all, as stated on the visit Tampa Bay website: “Named for legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the 18th and early 19th centuries.” Knowing this makes the story of Daniel's election as “Gasparilla King of the Pirates” even more important.
King Daniel is another great read!
Steve Lindahl author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul
October 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book by Susan Wolf Johnson. It is the story of a Tampa blue blood family and it covers generations. Secrets follow this Westcott family from the 1900's on, and we learn about how things have been covered up all the way off.
The annual Gasparilla celebration is a tradition that goes way back, and this year Daniel is crowned Gasparilla King, which is a big deal. The whole town closes up for the day and all the citizens get together, they crown a King and Queen, and then the band plays at the Tampa Yacht Club despite the blazing heat.
This year the pirates and their ladies eagerly await Daniel's arrival, but he does not show up. and by the next day the people know something is not right-Daniel is nowhere to be found. On top of this, his ship is gone from the harbor.
While all this is going on other members of the same family, are going through their own problems and we see that buried in the secrets of this family is something so terrible, and has not been brought out into the light, secrets that have ruined his daughter's existence from the age of 13.
When his daughter's children come back to the house, they are all adults and 2 diaries are found on the porch that has the power to destroy the Westcott Family, their good name and standing.
The plot is so good, I loved all of the characters and I would love to read a sequel of this book. The book is well written, all of the characters play their own important part, and I loved reading about generations in the same family. The end of the book is really good.
I gave this book 5 stars and am going to be more by this author.
The annual Gasparilla celebration is a tradition that goes way back, and this year Daniel is crowned Gasparilla King, which is a big deal. The whole town closes up for the day and all the citizens get together, they crown a King and Queen, and then the band plays at the Tampa Yacht Club despite the blazing heat.
This year the pirates and their ladies eagerly await Daniel's arrival, but he does not show up. and by the next day the people know something is not right-Daniel is nowhere to be found. On top of this, his ship is gone from the harbor.
While all this is going on other members of the same family, are going through their own problems and we see that buried in the secrets of this family is something so terrible, and has not been brought out into the light, secrets that have ruined his daughter's existence from the age of 13.
When his daughter's children come back to the house, they are all adults and 2 diaries are found on the porch that has the power to destroy the Westcott Family, their good name and standing.
The plot is so good, I loved all of the characters and I would love to read a sequel of this book. The book is well written, all of the characters play their own important part, and I loved reading about generations in the same family. The end of the book is really good.
I gave this book 5 stars and am going to be more by this author.
April 13, 2018
This twisted mystery will leave your head spinning, but something about it kept me reading all the way through it: Mostly to find out what really happened the patriarch of the family, Daniel, and I had to unravel all of the family secrets, of which there are many. The mysterious disappearance of Becca's grandfather, Daniel is the catalyst that brings her home to the old family dwelling from her life in another town. Newly split from her unfaithful boyfriend, she is pregnant and really doesn't want to be back with her crazy, complicated family. When no one can tell her what happened, she comes across two family diaries that tell the history of the clan back for decades. So the troubled past of the family comes to the forefront of all that's going on, and it's an avalanche.
There's Becca's grandmother, Natalie, who keeps seeing Daniel in the gardens and throughout the house, though no one else sees him. There's Becca's mother Julia whose mind is unhinged, who stays a prisoner in her room. The brother Kurt, who the mother has nothing to do with him. It's a compelling family, with a mysterious past that intersects with the present. I recommend this book. It's a mystery that becomes a testimony of a family history, with much to discover.
There's Becca's grandmother, Natalie, who keeps seeing Daniel in the gardens and throughout the house, though no one else sees him. There's Becca's mother Julia whose mind is unhinged, who stays a prisoner in her room. The brother Kurt, who the mother has nothing to do with him. It's a compelling family, with a mysterious past that intersects with the present. I recommend this book. It's a mystery that becomes a testimony of a family history, with much to discover.
May 17, 2020
The Westcotts of Tampa are the blue bloods of the area, tracing their backgrounds to the beginning of the city ad the mythical lore of the Krewe of Gaspar. It's 1962, and patriarch Daniel is to be king of the Krewe of Gasparilla. The pirates and their ladies await his arrival but he never arrives. Two days later, the family are debating whether to report him missing to the police. One by one, his wandering grandchildren are being called home to find out what happened.
Throughout the story, the romance and the mysticism are threaded throughout the decay of a family and how what has happened does affect what does happen. I felt outraged, saddened, and triumphant for the Westcotts. Yet, family secrets were hidden and remained so, but yet the family began steps of healing, each in his or her own way--Grandma Nattie, Julia his daughter, Becca the granddaughter, Kurt the grandson, and a person who always knew he was a Westcotts although they never did.
The 1970s were a time that some things remained hidden and tough decisions were made, regardless of cost. That is the part that saddened me because change truly had not occurred first.
Throughout the story, the romance and the mysticism are threaded throughout the decay of a family and how what has happened does affect what does happen. I felt outraged, saddened, and triumphant for the Westcotts. Yet, family secrets were hidden and remained so, but yet the family began steps of healing, each in his or her own way--Grandma Nattie, Julia his daughter, Becca the granddaughter, Kurt the grandson, and a person who always knew he was a Westcotts although they never did.
The 1970s were a time that some things remained hidden and tough decisions were made, regardless of cost. That is the part that saddened me because change truly had not occurred first.
March 1, 2020
I must admit - I don't normally read this style book ! But WOW I am thrilled that I read this one. What a fantastic read... I loved the characters, the plot..honestly kept me engrossed thru they entire book! I so highly recommend this book to everyone. You certainly will not be disappointed... I cannot wait to see what her next book will be! Thank You Susan Wolf Johnson for a whole new reading experienced! Wonderful journey!!
June 18, 2018
He is king and he is due so the town parties while waiting but time goes by without him appearing. Everyone gets worried but they carry on. Where did he go? Who has taken him? Can they find him? See if they can
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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April 16, 2020This book was written by a woman who was one of my best friends in high school. She has an incredible talent to create images and feelings through the use of words. The story line has lots of twists and turns which will hold your attention to the very end.
May 19, 2020
A thrilling and charismatic story of old cultures and new thoughts. Beautifully tragic characters who wind through the family drama and trauma only to hope for finding themselves and others some kind of redemption. I truly enjoyed this story as well as the beautiful cover.
June 10, 2019
I wanted to read this book as I had lived in Tampa and
celebrated Gasparilla Day.
It is a great read.
The book is about lies and deception that goes on behind closed doors.
celebrated Gasparilla Day.
It is a great read.
The book is about lies and deception that goes on behind closed doors.
December 11, 2017
Cracking book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews