Fatal Decree: A Matt Royal Mystery [Paperback]

When a serial killer shows up on Longboat Key, Florida after a twelve year absence, Matt Royal is stymied. The first woman killed on Longboat Key has ties to a secretive government agency for which Matt's best friend Jock Algren works. Was this a coincidence or was she a targeted kill? Matt's friend, Longboat Key detective Jennifer Diane (J.D.) Duncan investigates the murders but also seems to be a target of the killer. Why? And where has the killer been for the past twelve years? And why has he come to Longboat Key when his earlier kills were all in Miami? The mystery deepens when Guatemalan gang-bangers try to kill Matt and J.D. and suspicions grow that Mexican drug cartels are somehow involved. The director of Jock's agency orders him to do whatever is necessary to find the killer because of the death of the woman with connections to the agency. Will Jock simply take out the murderer or allow J.D. and the law to arrest, try and convict the bad guys? Matt's life is further complicated by J.D.'s growing dissatisfaction with island living and her thoughts of returning to Miami.Terry Griffin's latest entry (Collateral Damage) in the Matt Royal set-in-Florida mysteries is a perfect blend of old south, beach bum, funky character driven stories, the kind that made J.D, . MacDonald famous, only Griffin's tale tops the best with its unexpected blend of international intrigue. My hat is definitely off! David Hagberg New York Times best-selling author of The Expediter. --David Hagberg New York Times best-selling author Griffin's Matt Royal novels may be the closest approximation we have today to John D. MacDonald in his pulp-fiction prime. Griffin captures the mood and tone of the McGee novels nicely. Good fun. --BooklistWhen a serial killer shows up on Longboat Key, Florida, after a twelve year absence, Matt Royal is stymied. The first woman killed on Longboat Key has ties to a secretive government agency for which Matt's best friend Jock Algren works. Was this a coincideló¹