Rum Luck

Recently I was invited to watch an online interview with a new author, Ryan Aldred. He was discussing his first novel, Rum Luck (B). He mentioned how he and his wife had gone on a vacation to Costa Rica. The country was beautiful with magnificent beaches and colorful people but it also had a certain air of danger to it, especially when you are new and unaware. His experiences there prompted writing Rum Luck.

Ben had planned to honeymoon in Costa Rica where his future wife had selected accommodations at the best beach and hotel. However, things changed quite suddenly when he came upon his finance with another man. With a broken heart and cancelled wedding, Ben is convinced by his best friend Miguel to use the tickets for Costa Rica to escape and clear his head.

Ben plans nothing more than getting drunk and lying on the beach. One night, he gets blindly drunk – the kind of drunk where you don’t remember the who, what or where of the night before. When he does wake; he is lying on the floor of a prison cell. He believes he’s there because of his drunkenness until he discovers his attorney friend from home is there to defend him against a murder charge. Not only is he accused of murder but also it appears he has purchased the bar where the murder occurred. Can Victoria rescue him from his wild night?

The story that evolves is often unbelievable but quite interesting. The quirky characters lend a lot of charm to the story as each of them attempts to solve the mystery of that lost night. It was a very quick read and surprisingly not too predictable. Ultimately, I think that Aldred has written a book that will lend itself well to a movie or a TV series. Congratulations to him, I hope he pens many more successfully entertaining novels.