I've read most of T. Jefferson Parker's novels. He's been a favorite since Laguna Heat, his first novel, was published. He always writes about Southern California, where I live, and he always focuses in on some aspect of life here as only someone from here can do. Desperation Reef goes into the world of surfing, and illegal activities--shark finning, mainly--that causes felonies to take place. There's one of the best surfing action scenes I've ever read in a novel. Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC, which I recommend to Parker fans as well as to fans of surfing and mysteries.

Published by Forge Books on July 16, 2024

Jen Stonebreaker married a surfing fanatic and became one herself. Her husband John died while surfing a Big Wave at Mavericks. Jen had been towing his board into the waves on a jet ski. She blames herself for not doing more to save him, but there was really nothing more she could have done. Unless there was.

Casey and Brock were born almost nine months later. They are now in their early twenties. They are twins but, apart from their love of surfing, are very different men. Casey is religious in a conventional way. Brock started his own church and invented his own god. He calls the church and its god Breath of Life. Brock also founded the Go Dogs, a volunteer organization that helps people survive fires and other natural disasters.

Brock is opposed by a group of far-right activists who believe he is a heathen because he doesn’t share their intolerance. The threat of a violent confrontation between the groups provides a tense undercurrent to the story.

Casey believes in turning the other cheek. Brock volunteered to fight in Ukraine and believes in vengeance. Both believe in the possibility of bringing people together. Forgiveness and letting go of grievances are the novel’s dominant themes.

Casey catches blue fin tuna for his mother’s successful restaurant in Laguna. He makes an enemy of the Wu family when he takes a video of their illegal enterprise of cutting the fins from sharks before dumping the de-finned sharks back into the sea. He starts a small-scale war when he posts the video to his blog. This leads to the kidnapping of his dog, a ransom demand, Brock’s intervention, and threats against his family. Whether the Wu crime family will make good on those threats is one of the novel’s mysteries.

Casey is a decent person and a terrific surfer but only his mother tells him he’s smart until Bette Wu compliments his intelligence. Bette convinces him that she doesn’t share her family’s passion for crime. The fact that she’s hot sways Casey’s opinion of her, although his mother and brother retain their skepticism, as will the reader. Bette claims she wants to have Casey’s baby, but it will be difficult for anyone to trust Bette.

The Wu crime family plot is credible but unexciting. The subplot involving Brock’s encounters with far-right troublemakers is less believable but it adds action to the story. Characters have just enough personality to carry the story in between action scenes, although Casey's relationship with Bette Wu is unconvincing.

The novel’s competitive surfing scenes are its strength. Intense descriptions of riding 50-foot waves and struggling to escape the pounding water after a wipeout offer more thrills than the crime story or the clash between Brock and the rednecks. I don’t follow competitive surfing, but the novel obviously benefitted from careful research. Readers don't need to be surfing enthusiasts to enjoy the vicarious excitement of riding Big Waves.

RECOMMENDED

A couple of years ago, when I reviewed T. Jefferson Parker’s book A Thousand Steps, I wrote: “When I first read T. Jefferson Parker’s Laguna Heat back in 1985, I had recently moved to Santa Cruz and was ecstatic to be living in a small beach town again — because I grew up in South Orange County (specifically in and around Laguna Beach) and graduated high school in 1965. So I know the area well (at least the area as it was then, because overdevelopment has ruined most of the good things about the area). Anyway, I have read all of Parker’s books since then, loving many and being “meh” about a few…but I always like the ones set in Orange County, so I was extremely happy last year to receive a copy of A Thousand Steps.” I subsequently received a copy of his book The Rescue in exchange for an honest review, and this year I was once again fortunate to receive a copy of Parker’s book Desperation Reef, described as a “surf thriller.” Not sure what that is exactly, but give me a TJP mystery set in California surf towns, add in a multigenerational family story, and top it off with an important character who happens to be canine…and as Tim Walz has been saying recently, “I’M ALL IN!”

The story centers around the Stonebreaker family, whose lives revolve around surf and the ocean…and the lure of the biggest California surf event of all, Mavericks. Jen is a single mom of twin boys, who were born before they ever had a chance to know their father, who was killed in a horrible surfing accident. Jen has been focused on raising her boys, all the while dealing with her nearly overwhelming grief and guilt, because she was the person responsible for the tow line (huge waves require the surfers to be put in place be either a jet ski tow rope or a helicopter – Jen was driving the jet ski).

The twins, Casey and Brock, are very different. Casey works in the family restaurant, fishing for the “catch of the day.” His twin brother Brock is an activist who has a very strange rescue mission and spends a lot of time being angry. The action starts when Casey has an encounter with some criminals whose income seems to come primarily from illegal fishing activity, including “finning,” which involves cutting off the fins of the shark and then discarding the perfectly good rest of the fish. On top of that, the bad guys kidnap Casey’s beloved dog, and that is just beyond what Casey can tolerate. During all this, the family is preparing for the upcoming Mavericks craziness (which is right on the mark for those of us who live on the Central Coast).

There are multiple threads to this book: the family drama, the surfing, the criminals, and the “romance” (?) between Casey and a female character I never did quite develop any positive feelings for…and, as is the case with Parker’s work set on the California coast, the setting is a character in itself. He really can write about the area in a way that resonates with any and all of us who are familiar with the areas around the surf meccas of Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Santa Cruz. (I’ve lived in all three, which might prejudice me in favor of his books, because I have such great memories of the area as it was back in the day before greed and overdevelopment completely took over. )

So there is a lot going on, and I pretty much enjoyed all the threads of the story, despite not warming up to Casey’s love interest. I was rooting for Jen (although I’m much less brave than she is) and since I was willing to suspend disbelief around the crimes committed, I still came away smiling. Four solid stars. Thanks to Tor Publishing/Forge Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author. I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook. The audio was narrated by Major Curda and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. They both did a fantastic job with the characters and story. Unfortunately, it was not for me. The story was told in third person and follows a family of surfers in Southern California. The narrative is interspersed with an article written by Jen Stonebreaker about her history with surfing and what happened to her late husband. She raised two sons, Casey and Brock.

Casey works in the family restaurant and fishes for the catch of the day. While I wanted to root for Casey with his good heart and optimism, it later becomes impossible due to his romantic entanglement with a character I just couldn’t support. Brock is an activist and runs a kind of rescue mission described using words that I found to be misappropriated, but I’m don’t want to spend any more time thinking about the etymology around that situation. Brock was angry at the world, disrespectful to his family and spent as much time in confrontations with trolls and petty criminals as he did helping people.

I was interested in the surfing aspects of the novel and the family’s history with it. However, I found the issues surrounding both sons and another storyline with a bunch of not so bright criminals trying to take over the family restaurant to be a disappointing distraction. Maybe if the book had focused more on Jen and her struggles with raising two boys amidst a complicated relationship with surfing and loss, I might have enjoyed it more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Forge Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

DNF'd at 20%. I'm not sure what exactly wasn't working for me, but this book was just not keeping my attention. It might be because it's somewhat of a multigenerational family story and I didn't find their situation or perspectives particularly interesting. I was hoping for more of an action-packed thriller - maybe I'll come back to this someday to get further, but for now it wasn't giving that to me from the start.

A family of surfers confronts giant waves and their personal demons at the Monsters of the Mavericks. Jen Stonebreaker lost her husband, John, 25 years ago in a tragic accident at the Mavericks. She hasn't surfed competitively since. Now she and her twin sons, Casey and Brock, are preparing to enter the competition.
Jen has never gotten over the guilt and grief of John's death. She has poured her life into running her seaside restaurant and caring for her two sons.

Casey and Brock are twins with strikingly different personalities. Both are world-class surfers, but the resemblance ends there. Casey is more of a typical laid-back surfer. He fishes for his Mom's restaurant in the morning and bartends there at night. In between he models and surfs. While fishing, Casey sees a group of pirates illegally finning sharks. He captures it on video and shares it to his social media and law enforcement. This kicks off a high-stakes confrontation with the pirates.

Brock is an unconventional do-gooder and preacher. He and his wife and his Go Dog organization run to the sites of hurricanes, floods and fires to provide aid and relief. He also has his own church and a compound that assists people who need help getting back on their feet. While Casey is more of a turn-the-other-cheek type, Brock is more likely to turn your cheek with his fists. He has drawn the ire of a local white supremacist group that doesn't like the color of the skin of those Brock chooses to help.

All three are training hard for the Mavericks. Casey and Brock for the love of the sport, and for Jen it is an effort to conquer the fear and guilt that has dogged her for 25 years. The story remains interesting throughout in Parker's hands and moves along quickly, spending time with each of the main characters. The surf scenes are exciting and feel realistic. All the individual plots come to a head at or around the Mavericks.

The story is never boring, but neither is it ever truly exciting. The family relationship and struggles are well done. The individual trials seemed a bit dry and none of the reveals were ever truly shocking. The treatment of the illegal fishers/pirates felt unrealistic, particularly in their interactions with Casey.

If you are a big fan of surfing, you are likely to enjoy this book. It is also a really interesting story of family dynamics. As a straight-up thriller, it is more of a miss.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

Desperation Reef is a good surfer thriller that follows a woman and her twin sons as they compete at the same location where her husband was tragically killed years ago. The story has some unexpected twists and keeps you wondering if the family can make it through the competition without losing anyone else. While engaging, the book didn't fully draw me in, but still makes for an entertaining read for fans of the genre.

A good surfer thriller. A woman and her twin sons compete in the same place that her husband was killed years ago. Can they do it without losing more family

This book was not for me. I couldn’t get interested in the plot or the characters. I have read and enjoyed books by this author before, but this book was different than others I have read. I will continue reading this author but this one was not for me. A generous 2* rating. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thank you so much to netgalley and tor for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I’m not into surfing and this one was just so much about that and I couldn’t get into it. I just couldn’t get into it or connect to the characters.

I hope others love this one.

Book Title: Desperation Reef
Author: T. Jefferson Parker
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group/Forge Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
My Rating: 3.3 Stars!
Pages: 320
Twenty-five years ago Jen Stonebreaker lost her husband John in a surfing competition Jen has stayed away from surfing competition until now. She and her twin sons Brock and Casey are going to compete in the competition where John was killed. Jen and her sons are hopeful of winning the $50,000 prize.

Although the boys both love surfing, their lives are very different.
Casey works in the family restaurant and is a part-time model for a surfing magazine.
On day he was filming and saw poachers illegally finning sharks. When he posts the video on social media, the illegal poachers are upset and out for revenge.

Brock is also a surfer but he spends most of his time with Breath of Life, a church and rescue mission he founded that helps with natural disasters. Brock has lived an adventurous and sometimes violent life. Not everyone appreciates his involvement and they are threats to destroy his mission—and his family.

T. Jefferson Parker is a hometown guy! He lived in Tustin (where I live) moved from LA when he was 5 years old and attended local schools as well as college. Then moved to nearby Laguna Beach and worked in Irvine. He now lives in Fallbrook in North San Diego County. Many of his stories are based in SoCal.
I have to admit not my fav but I will read his next story.
I was looking forward to his acknowledgements or Author’s Note and enjoyed that he told us about going to Newport Beach for his somewhat short wave-riding career.
I completely understand as a high school guidance counselor at a high school 12 miles away and often had students come
to school wet from their morning ride in the Newport Beach Surf!
Want to thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Forge Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 16, 2024.

This book cannot decide what it will be. A coming of age? A comeback story? And then suddenly there is a kidnapped dog and very stereotypical and quite offensive asian mafia in town who is trying to take over their restaurant? It's a mess and keeps getting worse. I also wonder if this is trying to be Christian fiction. It's failing on all accounts.

I'm a huge fan of Parker's books and this one was a delight in so many ways! Jen and John got together as surfers in Newport Beach, married and had twins, Casey and Brock. But John was killed by a huge wave and Jen blames herself as she was piloting the wave runner that took him out to the massive swell but was unable to save him when he crashed into the rocks. Now 25 years later, she writes a "blog" of sorts about surfing and what happened in those early days. She also owns The Barrel, a popular bar and restaurant her sons work at and both tourists and regulars rave about. But when a "turf" war begins, things run amok and tensions are high as violence escalates and we are never sure what the outcome may be. Parker captures the surfing culture, the migrant situation, as well as family loyalty and lies. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had me weeping at the end. This is Parker at his finest!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Jen Stonebreaker’s husband John was killed in a surfing competition twenty-five years ago and Jen hasn’t entered one since. Now she’s ready to compete in the very competition where he lost his life, alongside their twin sons, Brock and Casey.

Casey works in the family restaurant and is a part-time model along with being a professional surfer. He recently exposed some illegal poachers and they are seeking revenge.

Brock is also a big-time surfer but he spends most of his time with Breath of alice, a church and rescue mission he founded that helps with natural disasters. Not everyone appreciates the work he does and he has to keep an eye on his enemies.

As the surfing contest approaches, bad weather is on the way, so much is at risk for the Stonebreakers, on all fronts.

I did not love this book, but maybe if you really appreciate surfing. Or like this author, he has written a bunch of books, so I’m assuming he has some sort of following. I did not buy Casey’s relationship at all….she kidnapped and ransomed your beloved dog. That is really a dealbreaker. You don’t come back from that. The whole premise felt stilted and I just wasn’t a fan.

Both empowering and cautionary, T. Jefferson Parker’s high-stakes thriller examines how far we’ll go (1) to protect those we love, (2) to overcome fear, and (3) to deal with loss and recovery. Parker’s subplot shows readers the ripple effects of standing up for one’s beliefs.

I chose this book because I wanted to know why someone who had witnessed her husband’s death would want to compete in the same contest years later. To me, a non-risk taker, this seemed absurd.

Parker’s book spotlights big wave surfer, Jen Stonebreaker, and her twin sons, Brock and Casey, as they compete in Monsters of the Mavericks, the same contest that killed her husband many years ago.

I appreciated how the author opened up the world of surfing and showed readers what keeps these extreme sports enthusiasts racing to the water, surfboard in hand. I also appreciated how he invited readers into the Stonebreakers’ relationship from the beginning as it connects us to them and the trauma has a bigger impact. As I age, I notice that I have an increased self-preservation drive and I wondered if this was the same for Jen. As the late Fall swell headed for the Pacific coast and the date of the Mavericks neared, would she feel an increase in her anxiety and/or stress? Would her age play a factor? What about the mental impact? I had to find out what this competition would mean for Jen as well as her sons. Could she get closure?

I felt that the subplots and ‘antics’ of her sons at times overpowered Jen’s struggle. As I neared the end, I could see her renewed sense of emotional resilience despite being stripped of everything and experiencing profound loss. The sons’ actions played a part in savoring the sweet success. I closed the book wondering if the occasion arose, would I feel as strongly as Casey about speaking up for what’s right?

This was a deliciously intense and compelling read!

I was gifted this copy by Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.