Cactus Island
Stan Turner Book 7

William Manchee

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

Cactus Island is book seven of the Stan Turner Mystery series featuring legal sleuths Stan Turner and Paula Waters. It marks a turning point in the series as Stan's involvement with the CIA intensifies as he is enlisted to help them keep a dark and ghastly secret that, if revealed, could cause widespread panic and outrage. To further complicate matters, Stan suffers a tragic personal loss in this episode that will have a dramatic impact on future books in the series. Finally, a new series will be spun off from the final chapter of the novel... but that's all we can tell you for now.

Stan is called out to Possum Kingdom Lake in Central Texas where a boy scout has been killed in a tragic Jeep accident. At first glance it appears to be just a typical case of reckless teenage driving, but when the teenager, Steven Caldwell, is charged with negligent homicide he insists the accident wasn't his fault. He claims he was distracted by an alien spacecraft that suddenly appeared overhead. Stan is reluctant to take the case since, in order to get Steven off, he'll have to prove aliens have visited Possum Kingdom Lake!

Author Website - http://williammanchee.com/

Review by Molly Martin (310706) Rating (9/10)

Review by Molly Martin
Rating 9/10
The narrative opens on March 8, 1991. Stan and his family are in the midst of sorrow as they attend the funeral of Peter Turner, Stan and Rebekah’s third child. Six months earlier Stan’s law partner Paula Waters accepted a divorce case against her better judgement. Stan found himself caught up in defending one of Peter’s friends who was accused with murder. The murder was based on the fact that Scouts Peter, Steven and Jimmy were involved in an auto crash that killed Jimmy. Steven claimed he had seen a spaceship and that is what caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Paula’s case goes from bad to worse when her client’s soon to be ex husband goes missing. Despite no evidence and no body, Police are sure Cheryl Windsor has killed her wayward spouse. Stan’s case too is becoming rocky as tabloid newspapers flock to Cactus Island where there is supposed to be evidence of alien presence. Cheryl Windsor’s children are abducted. When a charred body is found the authorities feel they have rock solid case against Cheryl. Things begin to heat up when Stan learns that Jimmy Falk is actually the missing Martin Windsor’s son. Paula makes a trip to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to check on a bank where Windsor money may be hidden. That trip turns out to be a big mistake and Stan finds himself with the Windsor case dumped in his lap. Space ships, covert action, mysterious disappearances all are a big part of the tale.

With Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery William Manchee offers another riveting tale in his ongoing Stan Turner series. The reader is hooked immediately from the Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery first line in this gripping, keenly portrayed story theme. The narrative is told in the first person, chapter by chapter by Stan and law partner Paula Waters. Initially I had a little problem deciding who was talking, but I soon had that figured out and zipped right into the story. Transitions are handled well, I wondered how Manchee could pull plot and sub plot together in a believable manner, and found that Manchee has done it again with wit and adroit writing. As always Manchee’s characters are uncontrived, well portrayed and plausible. I have found with Manchee’s character there is no middle ground, we really like the likeable, and really despise those deserving our aversion. Colloquy flows naturally as the characters work to unravel problems. The plot zenith and outcome are handled with usual Manchee aplomb. I have no problem believing that Stan would have dealt with the situations he faced in Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery precisely as is drafted by author Manchee.

Writer Manchee has set together another great milieu of engaging, convincing characters, predicaments and blunders. The tale Manchee weaves in Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery brings us another great romp with full time lawyer part time sleuth Stan Turner and his law partner Paula Waters. With the character Doc Verner and his insistence that aliens have landed on Cactus Island, Manchee has added a little plot twist to titillate and surprise the reader. Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery is a well-written tale filled with many of the characters we have come to enjoy from the first works in this ongoing series. The Turner children are now nearly grown up we see Stan, Rebekah and their family much as our own. And that is in part what makes this series so engaging.

Cactus Island : a Stan Turner Mystery is a good choice for those who enjoy well written, fast paced Mystery Thrillers in the fashion of Gresham and Queen. Good choice for the personal pleasure reading list, and high school library shelf. Little profanity makes this a good choice for the mature teen as well as adult mystery reader. Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Molly Martin (31st July 2006)