Palm Court Motel

By: Anthony Mays

Narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg

Neil Hammer could quit his job, but he couldn't quit life. Investigating was in his blood. Too many years spent on the front lines forced him to exchange his badge for a private eye door stencil.

Now, knee deep in a puzzling case, he follows his only lead to Dunedin, Florida. But the beautiful coastal city and the motel where he is staying are about to cross paths with a bizarre turn of events. The gumshoe learns his case is the focus of federal investigators who are desperately trying to locate a missing congresswoman. The missing US representative just happens to be the sister of the person whose death he is investigating. Temporarily sidelined by the FBI, Neil is forced to rely on his years of training to solve both cases. He only needs a bit of luck.

©2022, 2023 Anthony Mays (P)2023 Anthony Mays

Crows for the win!

Great read/listen! Kept me engaged and entertained. Hammer is my new favorite investigator. And the crows!

Great read

The Palm Court Motel was a great summer read. I really enjoyed the story line and the narration.

5 Stars! Intriguing and easy to listen to.

This is Anthony’s best work. I'm so excited to hear it come to life as an audio book; the narrator is superb.

This novel introduces Neil Hammer, a quirky ex-FBI agent turned gumshoe detective. Getting to know Hammer and the main storyline was interesting enough, but the subtleties and twists will draw you in like a spider beckoning an unwitting fly. The conclusion was unexpected and left me hoping that Anthony plans on writing more Neil Hammer novels.

Florida natives and visitors to Tampa will also really enjoy the references to actual locations. Perhaps it’ll be a tour one day – room 110 at the Palm Court Motel, drinks at the Fenway, maybe a little troublemaking and visit to the Pinellas County Jail.

Intriguing Page-turner

I was given a free review copy in return for an honest opinion.

A reviewer once posted, “you have to kiss a lot of frogs until you find a prince”. This novel proves that they're still out there. The author’s writing kept pace with a good plot which stitched a line between suspense and thriller. From the beginning to the end. I enjoyed how the clues and leads were followed-up logically and thoroughly. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, I was wrong. When I don't see the twists coming, and it still makes sense, makes for a satisfying experience.

I also love the sense of place the author captures in the way he presents the Tampa area coastal cities. The book grabbed me from the opening paragraph and didn't let go until the last sentence . . . really, the last sentence. I found Anthony’s use of presagements (had to look that one up) instead of chapters interesting.

Then there's the narration. Despite not having multiple readers, Charles Kahlenberg’s performance lets the listener effortlessly distinguish between each character. Unrushed, but moving forward, he was easy to listen to and follow the story.

I join in saying that I hope this might end up as a new Hammer series. It was that good,
In short, "Palm Court Motel" is not to be passed up. All the key elements are packaged in this novel.