4 out of 4 stars
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What a fantastic start to a new mystery series! "Free Fish Friday" by Lee Stone is the first book in the Slacker Mills Mysteries. It follows Slacker Mills, an acclaimed fisherman, as he attempts to solve the death of his best friend, Jerry. The story is penned in the first point of view, thus exposing the protagonist's inner thoughts and endearing him to the reader.
After wandering from port to port, 37-year-old Slacker finds himself in quaint Key West, Florida, where he believes he had found his niche. Landing his first land job ever (managing a motel no less) gives him the freedom to do what he loves doing best: fishing! In fact, there is only one other thing he values more: unlimited freedom! Untied by worldly possessions, or clingy relationship, he is a happy camper. Being regarded as the best saltwater angler around and as a ladies' man and rightly so, nonetheless he is very popular in the community due to his charm and good nature. He avoids entanglements or commitments, and is considered a good catch by the vacationing ladies. When the mysterious Jerry Porter comes to town aboard his yacht, the two men become best friends and are inseparable. They fish together daily and Jerry tries to mold his friend according to his views, with a great success I might add. Slacker likes to release most of the fish he catches, but some end up as trophies on the walls of the famous Rusty Hook tavern, his favorite hangout, or as a food during the Free Fish Friday's affairs where fish are free, courtesy of Slacker, and booze abounds.
When the naked body of Jerry Porter is found on the Marina, the friendly and laid back community is shocked. The plot thickens as some curious tidbits suddenly pop up, and tongues start wagging when Slacker becomes the prime suspect in the death of his friend. Slacker suddenly finds himself in the eye of the storm and less popular. Old friends start looking askance at him and giving him the cold shoulder and it is up to him to clear up his name.
The author makes the characters jump out of the page and brings the story to life. When Slicker went fishing, I was transported to sea with him and could feel the excitement of angling. For a time, I felt like I was transported to Key West. Most of the characters are round, fun, fresh and a bit on the eccentric side, even the secondary ones. Harry Mills (aka Slacker) is an unusual protagonist, to say the least, and one I grew to care about as the story unfurled. At first he seemed self-indulgent, egocentric and well, a slicker like his misnomer, but as the story unfolded he was shown in a more positive light. I have to admit I didn't like him and his attitude towards women at first, but all that changed as he evolved along the way. In fact he is just one of those characters that you don't want to leave behind when the book ends! Jerry was another complex and round character, and as I got to know him better, through flashbacks and anecdotes, I was sorry for his death.
The story starts with a bang literally, the discovery of a body, and after a slow start it begins to pick up steam. The story was well-written and the narrative flowed at a steady pace. There were some typos, missing words and light cussing, but they were minor and didn't hamper my enjoyment of the book. The trivia regarding fishing slowed the pacing at times, but I didn’t mind the slowdown. Actually I found it difficult to pull myself away from the book.
All the loose ends were tied up very neatly, but one which left me hanging! The author explores themes of friendship, relationship, marital infidelity and its effects, forgiveness, guilt, contributing to the community, and happiness.
I didn't find the novel to be on the edge of your seat exciting, but the action was very subtle and enough to keep the reader interested through the whole story. The plot plods along with limited action, focusing instead on the characters and the setting, not a bad thing.
If it were possible, I would give this book 3.5 stars, but since I can't and it deserves more than 3 stars, I give it 4 out of 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy cozy mystery, albeit a slow paced one, with a quirky main character. Visit Key West and you'll long to return again and again. I can't wait to read the next installment and find out if our angler got hooked by a lady tarpon!
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Free Fish Friday
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I love flawed and unflawed characters alike, and you made these characters sound interesting. Great job, Gali! 
