Tilt-a-Whirl

John Ceepak, Book 1

By: Chris Grabenstein

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

There isn't much fun in the sun when a billionaire real-estate tycoon is found murdered on the Tilt-a-Whirl at a seedy seaside amusement park in the otherwise quiet summer tourist town of Sea Haven.

John Ceepak, a former MP just back from Iraq, has just joined the Sea Haven police department. The job offer came from an old Army buddy who hoped to give Ceepak at least a summer's worth of rest and relaxation to help him forget the horrors of war. Instead, Ceepak will head up the murder investigation. He is partnered with Danny Boyle, a 24-year-old part-time summer cop who doesn't carry a gun and only works with the police by day so he has enough pocket money left over to play with his beach buddies at night.

In the first novel in a new series written in the spirit of Carl Hiaasen's work, the Tilt-a-Whirl murder pushes Ceepak's deep sense of honor and integrity to the limits, as unexpected twists and turns keep the truth spinning wildly in every direction.

©2006 Chris Grabenstein (P)2007 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Anthony Award, Best First Mystery, 2006

• 2006 Anthony Award, Best First Novel

"A fast-paced thrill ride with lots of twists and turns and good writing from start to finish." (James Patterson)
"From page 1, this debut stands out as refreshingly different....an absolute triumph." ( Booklist)

Fun Book - Excellent Narrator

This is a fun book. Like someone said, not great literature - but I found it to be a good read. The narrator did an excellent job of speaking for the "rookie, kind of" cop. There was an element of suspense and yet, the author did a good job of using humor. I giggled out loud more than once. I agree with whoever said it sort of has a bit of the flavor of Carl Hiaasen's novels. I look forward to listening to the whole series, but will look for sales.

a rather sordid story in a 'teeny wrapper'

this is my first chris grabenstein book and I found it ultimately very disappointing - despite the glowing reviews of all his books. I found the first person narration by someone who must be over 21 (he drinks) but sounds like a 16 year old a bit annoying and wholly unsuitable for the subject matter. At first i hoped it would grow on me, but in the end I was taken aback by how this this rather sordid story was told by a seemingly young and naive person. One reviewer suggested that this series was aimed at teenagers (based probably on the narration) but the contend of this story is certainly not suitable for a younger audience. All in all I was very disappointed and certainly will not listen to any other stories in this series.

Intriguing Murder Mystery

The crime and the characters have many interesting layers. Great narrator. He conveys the characters different personalities perfectly.

This isn't my usual genre, but it kept me interested the whole time. I might need to check out the next book in the series as well.

Entertaining And A Delightful Distraction

Wonderful distraction from a world going mad. Definitely recommend this book and the series. Read it.

Excellent plot

really enjoyed, could have done without the profanity because it is really a good book.