Jake Sullivan is a former intelligence operative who walked away from the spy world to live on a boat in the Gulf Coast. He wanted a quiet life — cold drinks, warm weather, easy days on the water. Instead, he keeps getting dragged into situations that require exactly the skills he was trying to leave behind.
Jake’s past in intelligence gave him contacts, combat training, and a habit of noticing when things aren’t right. His present gives him a network of colorful locals, boat captains, and fellow coastal drifters who either need his help or end up helping him. Over 25 books, he deals with drug smugglers in Cuba, corrupt officials in Mexico, organized crime across the Caribbean, and trouble that washes up right at his dock.
Chip Bell writes Jake as competent but reluctant — a man who could have stayed in the game but chose not to, and who treats every new crisis as an interruption to the retirement he keeps trying to have. The Jimmy Buffett song titles aren’t just a gimmick; they set the tone for a series where the stakes are real but the setting is paradise.
Reading Order
See the complete Jake Sullivan reading order for all books in the series.