Port Starbird: A Storm Ketchum Adventure (Storm Ketchum Adventures) Paperback – March 16, 2014

We have family and friends living in NC, some on the ICW. It’s always fun for me to read books set in places I’m familiar with. We live in SW Florida so we’ve experienced a couple of hurricanes, which I don’t recommend.I look forward to reading a book 2 now that the characters have mostly been developed. My husband is a diver and his Uncle who lives in NC, together have dived on one of the wrecks off the Coast of NC.What will Ketch & Jack get into next?

Not a deep book , unless you include scuba diving. ( haha )The characters pretty well developed and felt like people I would know and hang around with or go on a boat ride with.I am torn between saying the author gives too many mundane details of the main characters' daily life, and actually kind of liking that aspect.Some details of the real estate laws were boring me but pertinent to story I guess.And all those details about the characters absolutely ring true.I like the fact that they are not people I would never conceive of in my world , but everyday people with flaws and normal thinking & reactions to events.Other likeable things are the location and not only is my family familiar with most of the places mentioned in the book but I wrote to the author and he replied about it.He knows the area well.I recommend the book ; it was a brief light escape from my own life.Oh and though murder is involved it is not a typical slasher /gory type of thing. Hope that is not considered a spoiler.

My Disclaimer: I received this ebook free on BookBub. This is my honest review for which I am not receiving any compensation. All opinions are fully my own.~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat ReviewMy review:It was just 364 pages. Something I should have been able to read in half a day with no trouble. But here I was on the third day just barely finishing it off. This book was so full of information that the pace of the book was slowed down so that it flowed like the waves of the ocean. There'd be action and then there'd be something like the information Ketch gave when he took Jack for his walk on the beach. He looked at the different colors of the sand to see how long before the tide would be back in and the height of the periwinkles on the sawgrass. He also provides law information and other types of info depending on when and what he needs as the story goes on. He shares whatever he has to Google.Ketch is a really great character. He's smart, considerate, good looking, and lucky. He's got a new girlfriend, some good buddies, and a crime scene to keep him busy. He's a really interesting character but I decided he was just a touch naive about life. Pick up a copy of this fascinating book and see if you agree with me. I'll probably have to try another one of these to see how life goes on at Port Starbird after the storm.

Garrett Dennis has penned a beautiful book: part mystery, part suspense novel, part love story, and part ecology awareness book. Port Starbird is a tribute to the beauty and uniqueness of the Outer Banks. A fragile ecosystem that could easily disappear through our carelessness.Port Starbird is a novel that will make you laugh, get you a bit angry, and might even make you cry. I love the characters in this book. They are so real.The pacing is quite leisurely, and some might find it a bit slow -- but don't let that put you off or stop you from enjoying this wonderful book. I imagine the pacing matches that of the island life of the Outer Banks.You want to take a trip to some place unique? Then make Port Starbird your next virtual vacation. You just might find yourself lovin' the island life.Highly recommended.

Port Starbird (Storm Ketchum Adventures Book 1) is my fourth read from author Garrett Dennis. I've been buying Garrett Dennis books as far back as July of 2014, in fact, this is the July of 2014 book & never got around to reading one until An Olde Christmas Carol followed immediately by The Sad Blue Boat. Now that I've read a Storm Ketchum book I'll be looking to read more & since I own several more that will be no problem. Up next is Port of Refuge! I was given an Audible copy of this book in 2017 & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

This is one of the oddest books I've read. The detail is wonderful. You'll learn much about the Outer Banks history and terrain, but here's the strange part. Ketch has an ex wife and estranged child. That goes nowhere. He tracks people dumping toxic waste into the sound. He doesn't get spotted or have boat trouble, so that poohs out. A greedy developer wants his property to be part of a marina and threatens to have it condemned. Ketch hatches this plan to attach floats to the bottom is his house to float it in the sound when his property is taken. This book is devoid of violence but the description of North Carolina eminent domain laws chilled my very soul. Surely the North Carolina legislature isn't this corrupt, but I fear there's more truth than poetry to the tale. Worth the read.

So you retire to a not so touristy town in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, not ritzy, maybe a little run down, but friendly and the people like it that way. However, enter the developer seeking to buy out the marina and nearby properties and may have the pull to use "Eminent Domain" against those who resist. Not a fast paced book but the characters are interesting , many are decent though some have not so nice secrets and others are on the edge of the law and a few definitely on the other side. There is mystery, possibly murder, and definitely some criminal activity. There is also a determination to keep a pleasantly simple life with a little boating, fishing, sharing a beer with friends. Not a bad life to try and keep.

I enjoyed the book and it was easy reading. The characters were funny and you could easily imagine yourself with them just chilling. Not a complicated plot .

Enjoyable easy read, keep my attention all the way through

not my scene

good read

Storm Ketchum is retired and enjoying his tranquil lifestyle but it all comes to an end when a property developer threatens to take his house if he doesn't agree to sell. Overall, I found this book well written and well researched. The author's attention to detail is incredible - from property laws to flora and fauna, everything is explained. The novel is set in North Carolina and the place itself feels like a character in the book. As someone who loves the ocean, I enjoyed the descriptions of the water and the boats. The characters are complex, well developed and relatable, with a unique voice and a unique story. What made this book special for me is the main character's relationship with his dog Jack. Jack is truly a main character in his own right and the role he plays is as important as any other character's. Highly recommended!