Purple Deceiver is the tenth in John Cunningham’s Buck Reilly Adventure Series. Despite being so far into the series, the novel is easily read as a standalone as the author provides enough back story to keep the reader from being lost. After being down on his luck for a while, Buck has recently salvaged the Queen’s Jewels from a wreck in Bahamian waters. He didn’t have the proper authority to salvage there, so he hauls the treasure to different waters and “discovers” it there. Now, he’s riding on that success and has reclaimed his title of “King Buck,” a world class archeologist. His subterfuge comes to light just as he and dozens of other treasure seekers start seeking another unknown treasure in Key West.
This is a quick read, a page-turner that keeps the reader entertained as it reveals the history of Key West and the men who built the city from nothing. Key West is clearly well-researched. It is well described and becomes a character in its own right in this novel. Buck has a nice character arc as he realizes he has endangered his ex-wife and his friends and his own greed has caused his dire circumstances. This is a good beach or airport read.
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Purple Deceiver (Greene Street, October 24, 2022) is available through:
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