So for whatever reason I have never read a book written by Janes Patterson. As a result, I never discovered author Michael Ledwidge until I checked out Stop at Nothing book #1 in his Michael Gannon series from my library in July of 2021. It was great! I quickly quickly followed it up in August with book #2 in the series Run for Cover. Then I had to wait until January 2023 until book 3 Hard to Break was released. During that time Ledwidge had released a standalone novel Beach Wedding, which I put off reading until last month, when it became the seventh book I’ve read in 2024. Anyway, here is what I’ve missed out on by not reading Ledwidge’s work until now!
About Michael Ledwidge
Michael Ledwidge wrote his first novel, The Narrowback, in 1999. That was followed by two more highly acclaimed novels. The second of which Bad Connection was optioned by George Clooney.
Now here’s the big part that I missed out on!
He has co-authored 14 bestselling novels with James Peterson featuring detective Michael Bennett The Michael Bennett series is the highest selling NYC detective series of all time. Shame on me for not reading this series! (Note to self check out this series!)
Additionally, their novel, Zoo, became a three-season CBS television series.
Born and raised in New York City, Ledwidge has worked as a Park Avenue doorman and a Manhattan outdoor telephone technician where he participated in the Ground Zero recovery efforts after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Beach Wedding
Now back to Beach Wedding. In Beach Wedding we find Philadelphia police officer Terry Rourke returning to the Hamptons to attend his brothers lavish and expensive wedding. However, this is not the first time Terry has been in the Hamptons…..
….As the designer tuxedos are laid out and the flowers arranged along the glittering surf, Terry can’t help but take another look at a decades-old murder trial that rocked the very foundations of the town—and his family. He soon learns that digging up billion-dollar sand can be a very dangerous activity. The kind of danger that can very quickly turn even the most beautiful beach wedding into a wake.
From Goodreads
My Thoughts about Beach Wedding
It took several pages for this book to grab me, but since it did it didn’t let go until the end of the book! The main character Terry Rourke was easy to root for, as he tried to untangle the events of the murder of a Hampton elite. A murder where Terry’s father the lead prosecutor failed to get a conviction with dire consequences. The plot was intricate with an explosive in more ways the one ending.
The Bottom line is I highly recommend Beach Wedding. As well as, the Micheal Gannon books! So check them out! As for me, I have Ledwidge’s latest The Girl in the Vault waiting for me at my library. And a boat load of Michael Bennet books to check out!!
Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Michael Ledwidge