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    Gulf Boulevard
    Gulf Boulevard
    Gulf Boulevard
    Ebook376 pages5 hours

    Gulf Boulevard

    By Dennis Hart

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Every night, Jason Najarian dreams of a secluded tropical island where he fantasizes about living the good life as a hermit. No more rat-race. No more people. When a long-odds occurrence compels him to buy a lottery ticket, the resultant $63 million jackpot sets in motion a series of events that allows him to depart snowy Boston forever and begin living out his dream in comfort and style. But as Jason soon discovers, not even financial security can rid a man of life's little annoyances.

    Having settled in to his new gulf-front home on Sand Key, a barrier island off the west coast of Florida with turquoise water, gentle breezes, and spectacular sunsets, Jason quickly learns that his idyllic life of solitude will require more effort than he anticipated. From the opposite end of the island comes a rotund and frustratingly nosy neighbor, Salvatore Scalise, who turns out to be a contract killer and a marked man. The unlikely friendship between the two leads to a madcap caper involving an unbearably clingy ex-wife seeking a share of Jason's windfall, an expletive spewing parrot, a revenge-seeking mafia family, two mysterious men dressed in black, and a gorgeous young woman called Running Bush who catches Jason's eye.

    If Jason hopes to escape unharmed with the woman of his dreams, he must determine how to safely extract Sal from his life. But in this hilarious tale of misplaced intentions and mistaken identity, no one is quite who they seem.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Permanent Press
    Release dateFeb 28, 2014
    ISBN9781579623531
    Gulf Boulevard
    Author

    Dennis Hart

    Dennis Hart lives in Massachusetts where he dreams of winning the lottery someday and moving to a secluded tropical island...without hitmen. This is his first published novel. He is currently working on the sequel to Gulf Boulevard, titled Gulf Boulevard: Postcards from the World.

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    Reviews for Gulf Boulevard

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Overall I found this book and quick, enjoyable read. It's not on a craziness level with Dorsey's books, also set in the Keys, but it's fun and held my interest. After winning the lottery, a Boston accountant can't make his dream of owning his hermit's retreat in the Keys come true. Then he finds his solitude invaded by a beautiful, jogging woman, an overweight hit-man in hiding, and various other unique local characters. His ex-wife has decided she loves him again, and will help him spend his winnings.The ending could have been a bit stronger, but overall, a good read. Definitely beach, summer reading.
    • 5/5
      A great first novel. Offering a unique style that adds a certain sense of humor to a fast paced "who done it". As with other mystery writers Dennis Hart sets up many a false foreshowing that keeps you off guard throughout most of the book. A fast read and well worth the time spent doing so.
    • 4/5
      Great first novel and I will be looking forward to his next book. My only complaint is like many first time novelists, the author seemed to intent on describing things in greater detail than I thought the story needed. Part of this is my problem, since I'm used to reading more tersely written books. Regardless, this is a great story from a promising new author.
    • 4/5
      What a fun book! Not quite Hiaasen but close. Quirky characters that come to life on the page. Hart gives us the tale of Jason who wins the lottery but then things definitely don't work out the way he dreamed. Instead of a hermits idyllic life of sun & sand, Jason encounters Salvatore Scalise the mob hitman. Jason careens from one weird situation to another that are so well written, you will think this book actually happened. There is quite a bit of running around, mistaken identity and rambling on about what was actually intended by something that was said or done and some of it goes on too long. Enough of the scenery chewing, get on with the story. But, that is a minor criticism. Florida is full of these people and Hart nails not only their speech patterns but all the crazy things that really go on in the land of sunshine! I did not expect the ending but it was dead on to wrap up the book. I would like to read more by Hart. I received a copy of the book to review-the opinion is my own.
    • 5/5
      I received a free copy of this book from Library Thing in exchange for a review.I liked this book a lot. Dennis Hart's writing reminded me of early Laurence Shames, which for me is a very good thing. It's a formula but one that works. First you get a nebbish guy, kinda annoying, who's sad and moping in the cold northeast, then you move him down to coastal Florida, mix in some mafia shenanigans and then sit back and watch what happens. There's not a lot of plot---that's not the point of books like this---it's more about what characters do when they're pushed by external events. I think Dennis Hart has a very good feel for this type of novel and recommend him heartily. He's a writer to watch.
    • 3/5
      This was an interesting book about Jason Najarian and his life following a lottery win. Jason moves to Florida to become a hermit and find a quiet life of solitude. Instead he ends up with a group of neighbors that join him each evening for the sunset, an attentive realtor, and a clueless ex-wife that continues to track him. The plot of the book is somewhat a mystery tying Jason in with his neighbor Sal, a mafia hit man on the run and other killers after him. However, there is a lot of humor in this book which makes it even more enjoyable. This is the first published novel for Dennis Hart with more expected, I look forward to reading the sequel.
    • 4/5
      If you want a fun read try this debut novel by Dennis Hart. It took a little bit of time for me to get into it (I almost put it down during the first chapter) but once past that I enjoyed the twists and turns and the characterizations of his neighbors. It may be a tutorial on what not to do after you win the lottery but I would say pick it up and enjoy. It's a good read.
    • 3/5
      Gulf Boulevard by Dennis Hart is a book I received through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. It was Mr. Hart's first novel and sometimes that does not bode well. This first novel was overall an enjoyable read, even though there were times when I thought there was too much detail. Maybe that's "just me."
    • 3/5
      Kudos to Mr Hart for a very strong debut novel. With interesting characters and enough plot twists to keep you on your toes, this was a book that was difficult to put down once you started it. Looking forward to the sequel.
    • 4/5
      I received this from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway. Jason is a strange character. After winning the lottery, he buys an island in hopes of becoming a hermit. But it’s not in the cards for him and foul-mouthed parrot. The ending takes an unexpected turn. I must say that the first chapter with its foul language kind of put me off. However, it is a well-written and hilarious mystery. If you can get past the language and sex, it is well worth the read.

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    Gulf Boulevard - Dennis Hart

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