Fred Waitzkin is an American novelist and writer for The New York Times, Sunday Magazine, New York and Esquire. His works include the books “Mortal Games,” “The Last Marlin” and “The Dream Merchant” but he is best known for his memoir “Searching for Bobby Fischer” about his son Josh Waitzkin, a chess prodigy. It was made into the 1993 Academy Award nominated movie of the same name. His new book “Deep Water Blues” is based on a true story about a Bahamian island that becomes a battleground for a savage private war. Illustrations courtesy of American artist John Mitchell.

“Deep Water Blues” takes place on the Bahamian island of Rum Cay, where Bobby Little, a charismatic character who is loved by many, uses his gifts to create businesses where rich tourists can live it up. He has many friends, but like anything else, his success elicits jealousy from others. The tranquility of this fisherman’s haven is spoiled when tragedy strikes. A boat transporting Haitian refugees crashes into the reef and capsizes, spilling everyone into the sea. Bobby and his friends try to help but end up burying most of them. The former paradise is now engulfed in gloom and horror and soon after, Bobby leaves for his annual European trip. He returns to find shoal covering the marina entrance, the beaches deserted and the small cemetery desecrated with bones sticking up through the sand. To top it off, someone has begun to develop the marina and undoing everything that Bobby had done. Dennis, his old friend, is responsible for all the changes and at first Bobby takes it lightheartedly but soon, he and Dennis lock horns and all hell breaks loose.

Fred Waitzkin successfully translates his love of the ocean, boats and fishing onto the written page in this delightful new book. By combining poetic prose “Stella’s dark blues were thickly textured like roiling ocean with intimations of agony rising from below like the cries of drowning sailors” and deep character development, readers get a front row seat to the majesty that is the beach life. His real boat, the Ebb Tide, makes an appearance, as do his friends, especially John Mitchell, whose drawings punctuate the storyline. The only downer is when some of Bobby’s dogs are poisoned but he eventually bounces back from that. The language is easy to understand and the story flows easily without any extraneous narration. With colorful characters and beautiful beach scenery, “Deep Water Blues” is the perfect summer beach read. It is a small book, only 140 pages, but its enchanting yet haunting story is recommended for fans who appreciate plot twists where good triumphs over evil.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.