OCEANSIDE

Nearly one hundred people died.

It could have been prevented.

OCEANSIDE is a work of fiction inspired by the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, FL, in June of 2021. This disaster thriller is a novel-in-parts featuring three stories that span the 40-year life of the building. All linked by the looming tragedy.

In the summer of 2021, in the dead of night, Lieutenant Dan Crawford and his team of firefighters race against time, responding to the harrowing collapse of the Oceanside Condominiums at 88th Street and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida. Then, we flashback to 1979, when Jack Brooks, a real estate developer from New York, relocates to Florida, where his success hinges on one crucial element—the construction of a new condominium called Oceanside. Then, we jump to the winter of 2018 to find Hannah and Bob, who have become “Snowbirds,” trading the cold and snow of Westchester for the sun and sand of Florida. Relishing their retirement, they delve into the real estate market and purchase their second home—a condominium that seems to meet all their criteria and just so happens to be located on 88th Street and Collins Avenue.

OCEANSIDE is Larry Terhaar’s debut novel. He is a recently retired real estate developer who has built a condominium complex and serves on the board of directors of a high-rise condominium in southern Florida. He is uniquely qualified to tell this multi-layered story, brimming with romance and captivating characters, that ultimately reveals the cause of this tragedy.

“OCEANSIDE is required reading for anyone considering retiring to the beach in Florida.” E.M.T.