Joe, the sea captain of the Mourning Dove, a 70-foot salmon troller takes on parolees to help in their rehabilitation. Joe fears he may have met his match though when Clancy, a PO asks him to take on Max. A parolee, convicted of murder one at 16, he served hard time for 13 years. Joe still reluctant is willing to try but Gus, his first mate, is very skeptical. Although Joe is proud of his crew, it saddens him none consider God as a priority. Still, he feels God has brought them aboard for some reason and this is good enough for him.
Over two hundred trollers, all ages and sizes, cross the bar early with the expectation of a good day of salmon fishing. Midday, a sudden storm comes upon the Mosquito Fleet and many do not return to the small fishing village on the Washington Coast. Quint, Commander of the USCG Small Craft Station at Westport, not only plays an integral part in any life saving, he is also Joe's good friend. Quint tries to console Joe when many close friends are lost in the storm and with a rough relationship with a new girlfriend, Nina.
Max, just released from McNeal, a maximum security prison, meets Clancy his PO. He can't believe he will be on a fishing boat. Clancy warns him it's either the fishing boat or back to prison he goes.
When Joe meets Nina, a new waitress at Pelican Pete's, Joe's favorite eatery, he is amazed at the instant attraction between them. But from the start Nina is standoffish and mysterious about her past. Witnessing her late husband's bloody death her destructive lifestyle has become all consuming.
Max meets Gretchen at the Mutineer, the main saloon on the wharf. A very pretty girl and attracted to him, Max is smitten but uneasy as to how it will go. Max can't get Gretchen off his mind and visits her often at Pelican Pete's where she's a waitress. Although he relays he's been in prison, he's afraid to tell her he murdered someone.
Daniel, a cook at Pelican Pete's meets Max. He learns of Max through his old cell mate, who is connected to a Mexican Cartel. Daniel talks Max into helping him take over the Dove for a drug drop. Max agrees to the plan; this means he'll have a chance at some money and some real freedom.
Rough waters on shore erupt between Joe and Nina when she hears Joe was in prison for manslaughter. Although this happened when he was younger, Nina feels betrayed and is unable to trust him. Breaking up with him, she withdraws and becomes suicidal.
On another outing, a rouge wave comes at the Dove. When the boat drops several feet, Max falls overboard. In a rough sea, there's much doubt they can bring Max aboard. Joe prays. When the sea calms in a miraculous way, Max is saved. When Gus is killed in an accident on board, Daniel is hired onto the Dove. Joe is skeptical, but needs a full crew for the upcoming crab season.
When the time comes to take over the Dove, Max is not sure he wants to go through with Daniel's plan. Something has changed. More attached to Joe and the crew now, he comes up with a plan of his own. Although the take over at first goes Daniel's way, when the drugs are dropped onto the deck, a huge surprise overwhelms everyone on board including Daniel.. A thriller sea story loaded with action, adventure and romance it also includes the historical. Westport's Life Boat Station and lighthouse date back to the early 1800s,
Many surprises come at Joe, Nina and Max and the others from every direction. Whether they weather the many storms this offers an unique action-packed adventure guaranteed to keep the reader's attention from beginning to end.
Traveling America, trying to see it all, has been a large part of our lives. Lately, my husband and I have been enjoying the Southwest and the lifestyle of the desert have become more and more desirable. Always I will be grateful we resided in the Seattle area where I was able to pursue a writing degree at the University of Washington. The wide-open prairie of the plains was a big part of my younger years. Born in Central Nebraska, raised in Omaha, the Go Big Red chant and football are ingrained forever. One special Nebraska milestone was when I was on the Governor's staff. My mainstays are my beloved husband and Pawpaw, our orange-tabby cat who adopted us.
