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Guemes Island author Syd Stapleton's new novel is set in Anacortes and the San Juan Archipelago, WA. |
The hero of Troubled Waters is Frank Tomasini, a 47-year-old marine surveyor who lives comfortably on his boat, the Molly B, a 1937 salmon troller, which has been lovingly refurbished by its former owner, Harlan Brown, who also happens to be Frank’s best friend. When Frank is asked to unofficially survey the damage to a boat found adrift and abandoned near San Juan Island, he learns the owner, Arthur Middleton, a rich and holier-than-though environmental warrior, has disappeared. His boat, the Sound Avenger, may have been sabotaged. Ironically, the only thing that kept it from sinking was a bit of floating trash, which blocked enough water from getting in to keep it afloat.
More alarming is that neither the local police nor Arthur’s own estranged brother, a powerful business shark with a wide net (forgive the sea pun), seem interested in finding Arthur, who was not exactly a beloved figure in the community. Although Frank and Arthur were not the best of friends, Arthur’s unexplained disappearance nags at Frank. Soon he has enlisted Harlan’s help in unraveling the mystery behind both Arthur’s vanishing and the forces behind it. They follow a trail that winds through a dive bar full of salty locals, a dying fish farm, a wreck-filled marina, several local islands, and quite a few bottles of Laphroaig. Stapleton’s writing style could be called sea-noir, with enough careful attention to detail to immerse readers in the charm and changeability of the Northwest. It even manages to make the idea of living in very tight quarters on a former fishing boat seem downright desirable. There are flashes of humor amidst the drama and Frank’s narrative is both self-deprecating and clever. Frank and Harlan’s friendship avoids the feeling of a smug bromance, instead showing a deep and caring friendship.
The scenes with Frank’s new buddy Alan, a young Scottish biologist with an amazing capacity for scotch – reading a book set in our own backyard seems to give it a little extra whiskey, while adding moments of lightness.
Troubled Waters is an environmental disaster story cloaked in a whodunit. The mystery is not so much the what or why, but the who and the how, especially how corporate polluters continue to get away with ruining the ecosystem with little to no oversight. While the novel doesn’t moralize, it does show the danger of indifference, of waiting for someone else–like the obnoxious Arthur Middleton–to deal with things,
even if his righteous anger needs to get its priorities straight.
As in any good sea story, both the Molly B and the sea play important roles. While Frank does some land-based sleuthing, the action intensifies on the water. The Molly B is Frank’s sea-wife, described with vivid detail from its gleaming wood to the pantry, always well-stocked with coffee and alcohol. Troubled Waters relies on nautical terminology as well as comprehensive geography of the waters of the San Juan Islands, Stapleton weaves them in with seamless authenticity, but for those who
need further explanations, there is a glossary of nautical terms in the back of the book.
Like the Molly B, the story moves at a steady pace, giving us time to meet a colorful collection of characters, as well as conveying Frank’s secrets and his complicated relationship with Carol, an old friend turned lover. Like any good mystery, the more Frank learns, the more dangerous things get for him, threatening both his livelihood and his life. But like any good seaman, Frank has a brave and dedicated crew of friends to help him navigate this tale.
More alarming is that neither the local police nor Arthur’s own estranged brother, a powerful business shark with a wide net (forgive the sea pun), seem interested in finding Arthur, who was not exactly a beloved figure in the community. Although Frank and Arthur were not the best of friends, Arthur’s unexplained disappearance nags at Frank. Soon he has enlisted Harlan’s help in unraveling the mystery behind both Arthur’s vanishing and the forces behind it. They follow a trail that winds through a dive bar full of salty locals, a dying fish farm, a wreck-filled marina, several local islands, and quite a few bottles of Laphroaig. Stapleton’s writing style could be called sea-noir, with enough careful attention to detail to immerse readers in the charm and changeability of the Northwest. It even manages to make the idea of living in very tight quarters on a former fishing boat seem downright desirable. There are flashes of humor amidst the drama and Frank’s narrative is both self-deprecating and clever. Frank and Harlan’s friendship avoids the feeling of a smug bromance, instead showing a deep and caring friendship.
The scenes with Frank’s new buddy Alan, a young Scottish biologist with an amazing capacity for scotch – reading a book set in our own backyard seems to give it a little extra whiskey, while adding moments of lightness.
Troubled Waters is an environmental disaster story cloaked in a whodunit. The mystery is not so much the what or why, but the who and the how, especially how corporate polluters continue to get away with ruining the ecosystem with little to no oversight. While the novel doesn’t moralize, it does show the danger of indifference, of waiting for someone else–like the obnoxious Arthur Middleton–to deal with things,
even if his righteous anger needs to get its priorities straight.
As in any good sea story, both the Molly B and the sea play important roles. While Frank does some land-based sleuthing, the action intensifies on the water. The Molly B is Frank’s sea-wife, described with vivid detail from its gleaming wood to the pantry, always well-stocked with coffee and alcohol. Troubled Waters relies on nautical terminology as well as comprehensive geography of the waters of the San Juan Islands, Stapleton weaves them in with seamless authenticity, but for those who
need further explanations, there is a glossary of nautical terms in the back of the book.
Like the Molly B, the story moves at a steady pace, giving us time to meet a colorful collection of characters, as well as conveying Frank’s secrets and his complicated relationship with Carol, an old friend turned lover. Like any good mystery, the more Frank learns, the more dangerous things get for him, threatening both his livelihood and his life. But like any good seaman, Frank has a brave and dedicated crew of friends to help him navigate this tale.
Review by Betty Passerelli
Troubled Waters is currently available at Amazon and your independent bookstore.
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