This offer requires the formality of obtaining the approval of his ex-wife, Rosemary. To Alan’s surprise, Rosemary quickly agrees, with one stipulation... that Lynette be allowed to invite her friend, Jessica along on the holiday. Alan, with visions of spending some quality time alone with his daughter, reluctantly agrees.

The flight from Heathrow underscores Alan’s trepidation at inviting the friend. Jessica proves to be a dominant and domineering young woman who, not only monopolizes his daughter’s attention, but complains at any perceived imperfection in the flight. Arriving in Bermuda, Alan hopes the situation will improve. Alas, his hopes are for naught. The driver meeting them is a surly man with a chip on his shoulder the size of Montana. Jessica, of course, crosses swords with him instantly, and, by the time they arrive at the resort, is demanding that the manager fire their driver.

Alan has a brief confrontation with the driver, who thinks he is responsible for his dismissal. To add to Alan’s worries, the course architect. Peter Fullard, is convinced someone is trying to sabotage the course, and wants to beg off his commitment. A walk on the course after dinner to settle his nerves seems to Alan the proper course of action. Unfortunately his nocturnal perambulation uncovers the body of the surly driver, hanging from a tree. Reluctantly, Alan is forced to agree someone is trying to prevent completion of the golf course.

Alan’s problems escalate with the abduction of Lynette and Jessica. Is their kidnapping related to the murder and attack on the golf course? Remorseful that he has not properly chaperoned the two girls, Rosemary’s reaction reinforces his feeling of grief. What commenced as a relaxing vacation in Bermuda is turning out to be anything but.

Keith Miles’ strength in his novel, Bermuda Grass, is his ability to deceive or trick the reader. The basic plot is an attempt by a person, or persons, unknown to sabotage a golf course resulting in the ruin of a potentially money making resort. However, the why, how, and who parts of the equation are not that simple to figure out. Several candidates emerge with widely disparate motives. These individuals are seemingly stereotypical characters whose agendas are obvious. As the story unfolds they are portrayed as much more complex people, causing the reader to reevaluate his opinion of what makes these characters tick.

Another interesting sidelight is the author’s careful selection of the title of his work. Often in mystery novels the title seems to have little or no significance to the story within. Series books in particular seem prone to be entitled with some catchy phrase, oft repeated. (No malice intended to Sue Grafton, who probably originated the device) In this case, the title is indeed significant. Bermuda Grass refers, of course, to Bermuda, to the golf course, a type of grass often found on golf courses in southern climates, a special variety of this grass used by the course architect, or , in British slang - grass means informer, in this case, a citizen of the island who is providing the police with information. One further connection to the title is the pot that Lynette has provided for her friends to smoke on the beach. Hopefully for Mr. Miles, readers will remember the title to recommend to their fellow mystery lovers.

While the reader is not likely to improve his golf score by reading this novel, there are a few interesting facts regarding course design to be gleaned from its pages. References to golf are a given in this book, but the golf illiterate should not be disappointed with this little gem.

--Andy Plonka