Enjoyable Matt Royal mystery. For some reason, killers are out to get Matt and Logan, his good friend, (the only thing that saved him was a paperback copy of Atlas Shrugged or some other Randian tomb, although how he ever got the book into a pocket escapes me,) but they have no idea why. Does it have some connection to an old islander who had been beaten up while trying to contact Matt? And why are their digs being ransacked? Who wanted Jason Blackmore, a down-in-the mouth lawyer dead?

Matt gets to practice his wiles on J.D. (don’t you dare call her Jennifer), the new detective working for Matt’s friend Lester, the police chief. And there’s the “Hacker” whoc manages things from afar, not to mention Jock who works for a super secret US government agency and when you add Matt, Logan and Jock together, you have a modern version of the Three Musketeers.

My only question is why the author felt it necessary to engage in a long monologue on evil using an extreme example from Vietnam just after he explained to J.D. why he felt he could operate on the fringes of the law to protect himself and his friends. It’s a strain in some books that bothers me; this idea that the law doesn’t work and that only by going outside its framework can justice be achieved.

Still, despite these personal gripes, the story flows well, the characters are developed, and it certainly holds one’s interest. ( )

Bitter Legacy: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin
4 STARS

Well now I have read all seven of the Matt Royal Mysteries. Now I will have a long wait for the next one. Hope it is not to far away.
Matt Royal is a retired lawyer turn beach bum who gets into a lot of messes with people trying to kill him many times. They have never suceeded.

Matt is a loyal friend and in return has good friends too. Someone tried to kill his friend Logan than they tried to kill him. He has no clue for who wants him dead this time. His good friend Jock shows up to help him with all his skills and contacts. Jock works for a top secret goverment agency. He can pick up a phone and call the President of the U.S.A.

The body count rises of all the ones who are sent into kill Matt & Logan. They were both trained in the vetnam war and were heros. So the rest of the world see that Matt is a retired lawyer and Logan retired in business both early. They were trained to lead. Logan was a sniper and chopper pilot. Matt was an L.T. special forces.

They both drink too much and eat out a lot. They care about the people around them and help where they can. Thier community returns thier feelings and let them know when they hear something that can help them.
I bought this ebook on Amazon.

Book Description taken off Amazon

After a week away, Matt Royals ready to get back to the Longboat Key good life good fishing, good food, good beer, and more good fishing. But Matt comes back to bad news: while he was away, a sniper tried to kill one of his best friends. Even worse, now that Matts back, someones trying to kill him. And whoever is trying to kill him is trying really hard.With no clue whos after him or why, Matt soon finds hes at the center of a mystery involving a lawyers murder, a tourist left for dead, a ruthless biker gang, a reclusive billionaire with nothing to lose, and an ancient document that could bring ruin to some of the most entrenched financial interests in Florida.Between solving the mystery and staying alive, Matts got his hands full. But hed better watch out or his hard-charging ways could get him sideways with the newest member of Longboat Keys police force, the undeniably attractive Jennifer Duncan.For Matt, its shaping up to be a really long week.

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing; 1 edition (December 20, 2010) 364 pages ISBN: 1933515961 ( )

Taking a hint from other authors, such as Carl Hiaasen and Jeff Lindsay, H. Terrell Griffin sets his story in a fascinating Florida, that sets the tone for this wildly entertaining mystery. Matt Royal, retired soldier, lawyer, and occasional fisherman and beer drinker, becomes entangled in a web of conspiracy when an attempt is made on his life, and the life of his best friend, Logan. Royal, assisted by the chief of police, Logan, and his buddy Jock, a high up member of a secretive government agency with considerable influence and resources, embarks on a cat and mouse chase to find the people who want him dead.

The small town Florida setting allows Griffin to juxtapose his protagonist and supporting characters, all of who seem to possess that rare quality found only in small town, working class America, with the cold corrupt tone of the rich greedy villains. On top of the attempts at his life, Matt Royal is also forced to learn to work with the new female detective, J.D. Duncan, who not only threatens to disrupt the "good ole boy" cooperation between Royal and the Longboat Key Police Department, but also stirs feelings somewhere deeper in Royal's heart. Duncan is a great fish out of water, by the book, contrast to Royal's more maverick ideals. Through J.D. Duncan, Griffin manages to produce a surprisingly believable, romantic subplot.

This is the fifth novel to feature Matt Royal, but as this was the first novel I read, I don't think it is important to read the other installments in the series before reading this one. From the moment I began reading this book, I could not put it down! The novel takes place over a weeklong period of time, and is divided into sections by the different days of the week. With the fairly short chapters and quick pacing, this novel had me flying through the pages and kept me engaged to the very end. As a fan of great mysteries, interesting characters, and beautiful settings, I found Bitter Legacy to be a great read!

“Bitter Legacy” by H. Terrell Griffin:

Just as the motor moves along character Royal’s boat Recess on Florida’s waters, author H. Terrell Griffin propels the reader forward to Bitter Legacy’s conclusion. Chapter by chapter and line by line, Griffin snags the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go.
Retired attorney Matt Royal wanted nothing more than to spend carefree days on Longboat Key. Unfortunately, they are not as relaxed as he imagined; instead he is shot at and practically blown up. Royal and his longtime friend Logan Hamilton are smack dab in the middle of a fatal riddle. Someone wants them dead and they have no idea why. Despite the aid of Royal’s best friend Jock Algren and others, Royal endures a week from hell. Amidst fighting off hired members of from a coldblooded biker gang hired by a cosseted billionaire with nothing else to do, Royal and friends discover an old document that could rein down financial devastation to the affluent of Florida.

In walks Jennifer Duncan, the newest officer to join the ranks of Longboat Key’s finest. Her apparent good looks and easy laugh could distract Royal and be his undoing at a time when he needs his wits about him.

Through the weaving of some very well-defined characters, Griffin subliminally makes the reader turn the pages. Once you start, you’ll find this is one book you won’t be able to set aside. In the words of Matt Royal, “… and that’s the way it went.” ( )

This book is one of H. Terrell Griffin’s Matt Royal Series. I read Wyatt’s Revenge in the same series and wanted to read more about Matt Royal and his adventures. Matt is a retired attorney and former Special Forces member who now lives in Longboat Key, Florida and enjoys his new life, fishing, and handing with his friends. But Matt’s life is not very quiet when his best friend, Logan is shot. Though Logan survives, Matt and another friend, Bill Lester, the police chef send Logan into hiding and try to find out who is the assassin. In this action packed thriller, Matt also gets involved with Jennifer Duncan, a beautiful newbie on the Longboat Key police force.

The book is full of action, a connection to the Seminole Indians and old land rights and plenty of adventure. It is a thriller that will have you guessing right up to the end. You also found out more about Matt’s Vietnam experience and what true evil is.

While I enjoyed Bitter Legacy, Wyatt’s Revenge is still my favorite. H. Terrell Griffin writes good thrillers and I want him to continue to write more in this series. ( )