Pirate Trap (Clay Wolfe / Port Essex Mystery 5) by Matt Cost-review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 27, 2024

Did Black Sam bury pirate treasure in Port Essex 300 years ago?

After finding an incredibly lucrative Spanish treasure in the Keys of Florida, Black Sam Bellamy decided to leave the pirate life and return to his true love in New England. Before being shipwrecked on the way to retrieve her, he hid his booty with the Chbo So Clan in Port Essex.

“Well, Mr. Wolfe, to get straight to the point, we want you to help us find a lost pirate treasure.”

Clay Wolfe had been slouched in the desk chair of his P.I. office, but now he straightened up and sat forward. His normally natty attire was ruffled, stubble dotted his face, and his eyes were red. “In Port Essex?”

Clay Wolfe, devastated by the death of his grandfather, is hired by an antiques dealer to find a long-lost pirate treasure and finds himself pitted against an unscrupulous sex doll businessman, a motorcycle gang, a greedy salvage boat operator, and other mysterious entities. Also recruited for this treasure hunt is Clay’s Westy, Crystal, Murphy, Cloutier, and of course, Baylee Baker.

And the spark between Clay and his partner, Baylee, finally bursts into flame…

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REVIEW:PIRATE TRAP is the fifth instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult CLAY WOLFE/PORT ESSEX MYSTERY series focusing on former homicide detective turned private investigator Clay Wolfe, and his rag-tag team of wanna-bes and undercover operatives. PIRATE TRAP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as to the history of Clay Wolfe and people he calls family and friends.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Clay Wolfe, following several intersecting paths, PIRATE TRAP focuses on the search for sunken treasure. Over three hundred years earlier, a ship suspected of carrying several trunks of stolen fire opals was reported to have gone down near Port Essex, Maine. Hired to ‘search’ for the whereabouts of the sunken treasure, a drunk and embittered Clay Wolfe and his business partner turned lover Baylee Baker begin to hunt for the truth but all is not as is appears to be when the bodies begin to amass, another treasure hunting crew takes notice, and a dangerous MC begins to target everyone involved.

Clay Wolfe has been spiralling since the murder of his beloved grandfather, and in this, our hero is struggling to move on with his life. Placing himself in danger and the direct line of fire, Clay Wolfe’s overwhelming behavior is a threat to his own safety and often the safety of others. Finding solace in his partner Baylee Baker, Clay sees an opportunity for a different future, a future involving family and friends.

Blending historical fact, fiction, and Indigenous lore, Matt Cost enlightens the reader onto a three hundred year old case referencing pirate ‘Black’ Sam Bellamy, and twelve cases of fire opals, stolen or taken from a mine in Mexico, then disappearing off the coast of Maine. Rumors abound as to what happened: from a storm at sea to a buried treasure never to be found but greed and betrayal will be at the heart of Clay Wolfe’s investigation crossing paths with another case towards a deadly betrayal.

PIRATE TRAP is an action packed story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, violence and murder, friendships and relationships. The premise is detailed, gritty and intriguing; the characters are captivating and suspenseful; the romance is limited but encouraging.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wolfe Trap
Mind Trap
Mouse Trap
Cosmic Trap

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.