Brendan DuBois

Terminal Surf by Brendan DuBois is a very highly recommended investigative thriller and the twelfth book in the Lewis Cole series. This is an excellent addition to an outstanding series!

After Lewis Cole discovers a drowned migrant woman and her child outside his home, he suddenly finds himself in the midst of a highly emotional controversy involving a human smuggling operation on the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine. The Department of Homeland Security is on a nearby beach where other bodies have washed ashore and quickly take control of the scene away from Detective Sgt. Diane Woods. Reporter and girlfriend Paula Woods does manage to take a few pictures for a story. Suddenly Tyler Beach becomes the focal point for activists from both sides of the immigration issue and a well know reporter tries to take advantage of the high emotions.

DuBois treads into choppy waters with this highly topical plot focused on human smuggling and does an exceptional job of looking at all sides of the issue without lecturing the reader. I've been known to caution authors to keep their personal political/social views to themselves as it diminishes and dates the novel but no such note is needed here. The focus of the plot is to uncover who is doing the smuggling and is responsible for the deaths. The investigation Lewis undertakes is interesting and there were several surprising twists along the way.

At this point in the series, Lewis is a well-developed character and has a complicated background that those following the series will know. Terminal Surf can be read as a stand-alone novel but knowing all the backstory of Lewis, Diane, Felix, and Paula makes the current novel a richer reading experience. Thanks to Severn River Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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Hard Aground by Brendan DuBois is the highly recommended eleventh novel in the Lewis Cole series. In this outing Lewis finds himself "hard aground" as he recovers from major surgery.

Due to an experience when he was in the Department of Defense, Lewis Cole has to check his body for tumors. At the end of the last novel in the series, Storm Cell, a tumor was found. In Hard Aground Lewis is home bound as he recovers. This doesn't stop the action and suspense from coming to Cole. He is hearing someone entering his house at night, but there is no evidence of it. Then he has this couple who claim to be historical/genealogy researchers repeatedly coming to his door. The biggest news is that antiques dealer and a local historian Maggie Tyler Branch was murdered and it may be tied to the opioid epidemic.

There is more action than one would expect in a novel where the main character is home bound, recovering from major surgery and having to deal with draining the wounds. It is always good to see long time characters Felix Tinios, Paula Woods, and Det. Sgt. Diane Woods back. They are all also helping nurse Cole in his recovery. Hard Aground has a Rear Window quality to it. Our main character is very limited in what he can do, but his mind is still active and he can piece information and clues together.

This is a more subdued novel compared to others in the series. There are still several mysteries presented that will come to satisfying resolutions.I really love this whole series. Thanks to Severn River Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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