Octopus Alibi: An Alex Rutledge Mystery (Alex Rutledge Mysteries Book 4)

In three previous novels, Tom Corcoran established himself as a shrewd observer of Key West's eccentricities and landscape. In Octopus Alibi , he delivers Alex Rutledge to labyrinths of the past, agendas of power, and greed that jumps generations. The suspected murder of a long-missing woman, the death of an elderly mentor, and the suicide of Key West's popular mayor are revealed a single April day. Rutledge, a freelance photographer with part-time forensic ties to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department and the KWPD, must accompany fishing guide and friend Sam Wheeler to identify a body in Broward County. Hours later, back on the island, a Key West detective coerces Alex into documenting Mayor Gomez's demise. Rutledge also learns he must administrate the estate of Naomi Douglas, the woman who encouraged his creative photography. Rutledge soon suspects that nothing is as it appears. The police choose not to see crimes. Only Rutledge senses foul play on the island, a linking of deaths, and the threat of more peril. Home-front troubles compound the dilemma. Teresa Barga, Alex's new housemate, is absorbed by the arrival in town of Whitney Randolph, a college friend with cash, wild stories, bent morals, and more alibis than an octopus has suckers. Randolph, it appears, has already slithered into the unfolding suspense, linking himself to scam victims and murder victims. Rutledge must ignore a relationship gone sour, then focus on wisps of clues to connect the past and present. Friends act out of character, officials become duplicitous, and threats of violence take Alex to the most dangerous confrontation of his life. Filled with edgy characters and insights to island existence, the tight plot of Octopus Alibi promises Tom Corcoran's most unforgettable tale of the hot, crazy tropics.

In three previous novels, Tom Corcoran established himself as a shrewd observer of Key West's eccentricities and landscape. In Octopus Alibi, he delivers Alex Rutledge to labyrinths of the past, agendas of power, and greed that jumps generations.

The suspected murder of a long-missing woman, the death of an elderly mentor, and the suicide of Key West's popular mayor are revealed a single April day. Rutledge, a freelance photographer with part-time forensic ties to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department and the KWPD, must accompany fishing guide and friend Sam Wheeler to identify a body in Broward County. Hours later, back on the island, a Key West detective coerces Alex into documenting Mayor Gomez's demise. Rutledge also learns he must administrate the estate of Naomi Douglas, the woman who encouraged his creative photography.

Rutledge soon suspects that nothing is as it appears. The police choose not to see crimes. Only Rutledge senses foul play on the island, a linking of deaths, and the threat of more peril.

Home-front troubles compound the dilemma. Teresa Barga, Alex's new housemate, is absorbed by the arrival in town of Whitney Randolph, a college friend with cash, wild stories, bent morals, and more alibis than an octopus has suckers. Randolph, it appears, has already slithered into the unfolding suspense, linking himself to scam victims and murder victims.

Rutledge must ignore a relationship gone sour, then focus on wisps of clues to connect the past and present. Friends act out of character, officials become duplicitous, and threats of violence take Alex to the most dangerous confrontation of his life.

Filled with edgy characters and insights to island existence, the tight plot of Octopus Alibi promises Tom Corcoran's most unforgettable tale of the hot, crazy tropics.

"The suspected murder of a long-missing woman, the death of an elderly mentor, and the suicide of Key West's popular mayor are revealed in a single April day. Alex Rutledge, a freelance photographer with part-time forensic ties to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department and the Key West Police Department, must accompany fishing guide and friend Sam Wheeler to identify a body in Broward County. Hours later, after Alex is back on the island, a Key West detective coerces him into documenting Mayor Gomez's demise. Alex also learns he must administrate the estate of Naomi Douglas, the woman who encouraged his creative photography." "Alex soon suspects that nothing is as it appears. The police choose not to see crimes. Only Rutledge senses foul play on the island, a link between the deaths, and the threat of more peril." "Home-front troubles compound the dilemma. Teresa Barga, Alex's new housemate, is absorbed by the arrival in town of Whitney Randolph, a college friend with cash, wild stories, bent morals, and more alibis than an octopus has suckers. Randolph, it apears, has already slithered into the unfolding suspense, linking himself to scam victims and murder victims." Alex must ignore a relationship gone sour, then focus on wisps of clues to connect the past and present. Friends act out of character, officials become duplicitous, and threats of violence take Alex to the most dangerous confrontation of his life. The murder of a long-missing woman, the death of a mentor, and the suicide of Key West's mayor are revealed on a warm April day. Alex Rutledge, a freelance photographer with ties to city and county law enforcement, first must help friend Sam Wheeler identify a body in Ft. Lauderdale. Hours later, in Key West, Rutledge documents the mayor's demise. He also is forced to confront the death of Naomi Douglas, who encouraged his creative photography. All this on the day before Alex's departure for a big-dollar photo job on Grand Cayman Island. Home-front troubles compound his dilemmas. Teresa Barga, his housemate, is absorbed by Whitney Randolph, an old college friend with cash, bent morals, and more alibis than an octopus has suckers. Randolph, he learns, has slithered into the suspense, linking himself to both scam and murder victims. The police see no crimes. Only Alex senses foul play. And when out-of-character friends, duplicitous officials, and violence take him to labyrinths of corruption, he is faced with the most dangerous encounter of his life. THE AIR INSIDE THE taxi could have fertilized a Glades County cane field.