Poco Bueno is a maritime adventure that revolves around our own iconic fishing tournament here in Port O’Connor. The story is told from man’s point of view, and if you’re a man between the ages of . . . oh, say, fifteen and one hundred-fifty, you are bound to enjoy it. Heck, I’m a woman, and I loved it, as did many of the women who gave it five-star reviews on Amazon.com. Parks has taken his time with this well-researched story. The characters are fully developed, conflicted, and interesting. The voice is pitch-perfect, especially if you are a veteran fisherman. And, most importantly, the fishing is riveting. Seriously, this book contains some of the most engrossing, white-knuckle fishing scenes that I can recall reading in contemporary fiction. (And I read a lot of contemporary fiction.) I felt like I was there, on the boat and helping in the fight. But beware, if you read the book, you’re in for a shock. Yes, this is a book about fishing—pelagic, apex-predator, take no prisoners, competitive fishing—but it is also a literary novel. Underneath the fun, and often funny, surface of this story, the author deals with some heavy material, and he does so masterfully. The main character, Stokes, wishes to count for something, and is utterly confused as to how this can be accomplished. He is trying to figure himself out when the book opens. (Aren’t we all?) Then all hell breaks loose a few days before Poco, and Stokes’s life quickly unravels; but he decides to fish the tournament anyway. After all, this is Poco Bueno, the one event he waits for all year, and the most prestigious bill-fishing tournament on the coast!

If you’re scheduled for a long plane ride, or a day at the beach, do yourself a favor and buy this book. It is available in paperback, and in all U.S. e-book formats (Kindle, i-pad, Nook), plus Kobo, which is popular overseas. To buy it, go to www.Amazon.com and search Poco Bueno.

-Denise Huddle