Backwater Diva

Kurt Hunter Mysteries #9

by Steven Becker

A pop icon is found dead aboard a lavish yacht that happens to be anchored in Biscayne National Park.

Murder knows no boundaries, and with the yacht in his jurisdiction, Special Agent Kurt Hunter becomes entangled in a world he knows nothing about. While Kurt is no stranger to high-profile cases, he’s not looking for the spotlight or notoriety-he’s had both with disastrous results. Hounded by the media, promoters, and an Internal Affairs investigator, Kurt is forced to face his own inner demons to solve the case.

From the glamorous Intracoastal Waterway of Miami to the natural beauty of Biscayne National Park, this new mystery from bestselling author Steven Becker reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly of South Florida.

Genres: Mystery

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot and characters with a pleasant narration. 3-1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🔅

[Tom Thornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this to begin with but the actual mystery is of such a weak standard that a terminal decline set in and it never recovered. I appreciate that this is a series, and character depth/information is probably given throughout but from a standing-start, the Kurt Hunter character did nothing to earn my respect or trust. It's just this mediocre detective who doesn't have to do much. The first/obvious solution is always the right one. For example, the way they just found the knife by diving into a huge ocean and happening to come across it right away. Or the way in which every serious event is caught on CCTV and all he has to do is watch the film. Also the murder victim is really only just a name, to which it becomes hard to care about the justice of the case. Authors like Ragnar Jonasson and Jane Harper do a great job at making victims three-dimensional to make the reader care about the outcome. The opposite is true here. I didn't hate it, I liked the concise and efficient storytelling but there's a good reason why this series isn't particularly successful - it's just not very good.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

My experience reading Backwater Diva as a continuation of the Kurt Hunter Mystery series has been great. This is the ninth book in the Kurt Hunter series about a park ranger in Biscayne Bay National Park. This time Kurt is not the person who finds the body within the park. He is called to the murder scene on a luxury yacht moored within the park boundaries. A pop celebrity mysteriously was found dead on the yacht. This story revolves around the yacht captain, her husband, a celebrity photographer, her security chief, and a backup who would take over the show and tour. The plot has several twists and turns as the focus switches back and forth among the suspects. The language used is technical because of the crime scene forensic language used and the characterization used is blame because one person blames another for the possible murder. Perfect for people who enjoy a good murder mystery book, especially those who like tropical murder mysteries. Not intended for younger audiences.

[Bonnie Varnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting page-turner, and deeper character development with each book!

Once again, Becker shows off his prowess as an author in Backwater Diva! As the story develops, so do the intricate layers of the characters. If you have followed this series from the beginning, you can see how the players have evolved, especially the quirky Kurt Hunter and wife Justine. As evidenced in previous books, the plot follows methodical and logical patterns, not unlike those of the main character's investigative mindset. Even though you might guess who-done-it, the events leading to the capture are funny, scary, and downright nail-biting at times! And a good time will be had by all who venture to read this well written novel. Well done!

[William Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backwater Diva: A good adventure story.

This book by Steven Becker continues the series of Kurt Hunter, Special Agent of the Biscane Bay National Park adjacent to Miami, Florida. Kurt Hunter is not a very good detective but by his fast action and with the help of many others he gets the bad guy captured. The book has a lot of on the water action and is a good read but it has a lot of details, for example about tying up his boat , that seem like the author is word loading the word count in the book.

[Sandy T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this murder mystery. Karl Hunter just wants to do his job without worrying about the media and the higher up political motives but since the victim is a successful media darling no such luck exists for him on this case. Being a boater person, a national park fan, and familiar with the Keys and Miamis I liked this setting and Hunter's job. I thought the story moved along well, several people of interests and several mysteries to solve. I listened to the audible book. The narrator was good not excellent but not terrible.

[Jim Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent high profile murder investigation with a good storyline and realistic main characters. Very well written with plenty of action and suspense. Florida provides an excellent location for this very enjoyable story. Highly recommended book and series by an excellent author. Bring on the next Kurt Hunter adventure.

[Terrill D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Win In The Backwater Series”

I’ve been a fan of this series since the first published book years ago and “Backwater Diva” just ads more strs to the series.

Looking forward to book 10.

I highly recommend this book, but I highly recommend reading them in publication order. You will enjoy the the reading experience a great deal more.

[Henry Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The adventure continues!

Another great read w/ a good mystery, lovable characters & adventure that makes the book fly by. Surely though, after his successes & promotions they could at least give Agent Hunter a better boat!

[Kathy Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hashtags?

Kurt Hunter's lack of perfection makes him my kind of hero. Kudos to him for taking his fear of the media and turning them and numerous social platforms into beneficial allies! Having Justine in his corner proves he is one smart guy!

[Paula Coffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Steven Becker's style of writing. It is obvious that he researches his material and he isn't stuck in presenting the same storyline with each of his books. There is adventure, mystery, and police activity within the pages of this book. I recommend this book.

[G.Richard Mccafferty]

Another book that rates high

Once again I am not disappointed great story that keeps you guessing it left no time to place the book down every chapter turns your thoughts to who is guilty of innocent thanks from costa Rica for a time to relax Pur a vida stay safe out there....

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series to read. The characters are interesting and realistic. The location make the plot line more interesting and the writing style makes it easy to just cruise along through the story. The series is well written and each book never disappoints.

[Rick Farlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHIRP AUDIOBOOK

Good narration, but I wasn’t crazy about the storyline. A murder mystery that saw limited action. However, the background story on the salt water and fishing experience was excellent.

[Karen Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

In true Steven Becker style, this book is well written, has the usual cast of characters trying to first determine if the death was accidental or a murder, and a goodly selection of possible perpetrators. The books in the Kurt Hunter series are always attention getting and extremely hard to put down

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Marie Coats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story

I really liked this story and have read the book before this and Becker’s. New series 1st Book. The only negative is the extremely long narrative descriptions.

[Keith Clarence Greenwood Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becker at his best

If you're a follower of Agent Hunter from California to Florida reading this effort will keep you interested and primed for his next adventure -30-

[Gerry Geddings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Kurt Hunter stories and I felt this one was worth a read but not among the best. Still a fan of the author, Kurt Becker.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, but not his best. A lot of back and forth to the same location. Lots of references to characters found in previous books fills space between docking, leaving port and more docking.

[Dawn]

I love this series

I don't review each book. I like them all. I can't wait to start the next one. Read them all!

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting! One of the better stories in the series.

[Tena · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay! Just tooo much water and fishing information

[Pam Jackson-gorsline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex

This story sure took a turn for the worse. So much going on I got lost in the keys and had to back up and reread. Lots of twists and turns. New faces and names.

[Laura Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast entertaining read

This was an enjoyable and entertaining mystery. It is refreshing to see Kurt's character starting to grow career wise and for Justine to loosen up some too.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter is always an exciting read

If you like good clean Detective work this is for you. While Hunter is a little backward he manages to get the job done.