Tropical Depression: A Novel of Suspense

by Jeffrey P. Lindsay

Tropical Depression is the debut novel in a series featuring Billy Knight, an ex-LAPD officer trying to get away from his past while coping with runaway marlin, out-of-control tourists and other variegated elements in Key West, Florida. But when an old friend from the force drops in, Knight finds himself drawn back into a violent world he thought he had left behind. In Billy Knight, author Jeffry P. Lindsay has created one of the potentially lasting figures in modern detective fiction. Like Robert B. Parker's Spenser, Billy Knight has a long and sometimes controversial history as a police officer. And like Spenser, Knight can't turn down an old friend whose life is at stake. Tropical Depression and Billy Knight will leave a major impression on lovers of the classic detective novel.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 1994

Reviews

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the title for Tropical Depression, then the cover, then the blurb and I was sold. I love exotic locations and thrills and I am always ready for some more. AND Jeffrey P Lindsay is the author of the Dexter Series. Have you read them? I have read the books and am a huge fan of the TV series.

We start out in the Florida Keys on a fishing charter. Sounds fantastic to me. The man who chartered the boat is from Rochester, New York and talked incessantly about the Buffalo Bills football team. I lived in Rochester and went to more than one of the Bills games. It’s like this book is talking to me. :-)

Jeffrey P Lindsay has a way with words and his descriptions of the characters make them come alive, almost as if they are standing in front of me.

I missed the first obvious twist that has Billy Knight leaving the Florida Keys and returning to Los Angeles, the last place he ever thought he would be. The aftermath of the LA riots, during the Rodney King troubles, was still going strong and deadly.

It is amazing that in the flick of your wrist or the snap of your finger, your life can change forever. And Billy’s had. Now, so had Roscoe’s, an LAPD paper pusher seeking Billy’s help.

Jeffrey does a great job describing our hot and humid weather. I can feel the sweat dripping down my face, off the ends of my hair and running down my back, making me feel like I’m in a sauna. I love that he mentioned going in and out of air conditioned buildings and the affect that has on the human body.

I enjoyed the writing, fun, snarky and witty, so descriptive I can smell the salt water and hear the cursing of the unhappy fisherman. Thank goodness I don’t smell the jail cell and feel the guys huge fists punching me in the face. lol

I didn’t see the change in direction of the story. I think because I was enjoying Jeffrey’s colorful tale of the unhappy fisherman. I went from laughter to WTF!

Murder, conspiracy, white power, race riots, corruption, conspiracies…do you believe in conspiracies and secret agendas? I do. Why not? Is it so far fetched, with the arrogance and the “all mine and I can do what I want” attitude in today’s elite? Or has it always been there?

Could this give him a reason, a cause, a second chance to live, instead of just exist?

A lot about Tropical Depression was familiar, some conspiracy with murder, driven by hatred, and Jeffrey P Lindsay kept me involved as I tried to figure out who was the driving force behind it.

A bit of a surprise at the end and the last 7% cranked up the suspense level and held it until the end of Tropical Depression. I wavered between a 3 or a 4, but the locale, all the things I was familiar with and brought back memories, the thrills, and the icing on the cake, the ending, made the difference. A 4 it is.

I received Tropical Depression by Jeffrey Lindsay in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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[Phillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm thinking, not a bad book for a first time writer, considering what the author went on to write eventually. I did look up his next three books and they did not get good reviews so I will not be reading them. But as for this book I put myself back into the early 90's to follow the story line. The book did hold my attention. The story line was good but you could see the first time writers addiction to trying to use to many words to describe his thought, too much of the creative sentences to make the book cool. Besides the story line being a good one, he managed to keep the story going as the main character, Billy Knight, worked his way through trying to find out why his friends was killed. Billy didn't do any heroics that would make the book seem unreal, or any get any brilliant ideas that solved the case. It was him following clues and getting himself put in a position where the killer saw him as a threat and wanted to do something about it.So basically the book was pretty good.

[Pam]

04/17/08 purchased used from amazon

[Carol Wagers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic crime novel: the jaded cop, vicious murders, I'm loving it. Good writing for this genre.

[Missmath144 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, but I was disappointed because I thought it was the same Jeff Lindsay who wrote the Dexter books. Apparantly Jeffry P. Lindsay is not the same.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, fast moving, debut novel; I look forward to the next one.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel is a well crafted police procedural. There is enough action to make it a real page turner.