Hard Aground by Brendan DuBois is the highly recommended eleventh novel in the Lewis Cole series. In this outing Lewis finds himself "hard aground" as he recovers from major surgery.

Due to an experience when he was in the Department of Defense, Lewis Cole has to check his body for tumors. At the end of the last novel in the series, Storm Cell, a tumor was found. In Hard Aground Lewis is home bound as he recovers. This doesn't stop the action and suspense from coming to Cole. He is hearing someone entering his house at night, but there is no evidence of it. Then he has this couple who claim to be historical/genealogy researchers repeatedly coming to his door. The biggest news is that antiques dealer and a local historian Maggie Tyler Branch was murdered and it may be tied to the opioid epidemic.

There is more action than one would expect in a novel where the main character is home bound, recovering from major surgery and having to deal with draining the wounds. It is always good to see long time characters Felix Tinios, Paula Woods, and Det. Sgt. Diane Woods back. They are all also helping nurse Cole in his recovery. Hard Aground has a Rear Window quality to it. Our main character is very limited in what he can do, but his mind is still active and he can piece information and clues together.

This is a more subdued novel compared to others in the series. There are still several mysteries presented that will come to satisfying resolutions.I really love this whole series. Thanks to Severn River Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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It's too bad Brendan DuBois is not better known, as this is a very good series. Introducing some medical realities in this 11th book, Lewis Cole is recuperating from the surgical removal of tumors, barely able to negotiate his stairs, without a visiting nurse to empty his drains because of insurance company policies, and his biopsies lost, having been sent cross country unnecessarily. He thinks he hears someone invading his home nightly, and a pesky couple who want to look around his home as a historical matter. Meanwhile, a local antiques dealer has her head blown off by a shotgun, a silver service owned by Felix Tinios is missing from her shop, and a packet of heroin is found, causing the state police to intercede, pushing local detective Diane Woods aside. Of course, all of these many stories are related. It's nice to see all of Lewis's friends helping nurse him back to health because of the many kindnesses he has provided over the years. ( )