THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE and other stories


The stories in the collection are:

“The Reluctant Detective” – nominated for an Edgar in 1984

“Rainey Shines” – an amateur detective couple solve a murder in the English town I lived in for thirty years

“Danny Gets It Right” – this and the following stories feature Hoosier ex-Vice President Dan Quayle as the, um, detective
“Danny Pulls His Weight”

“The Stranger” – a visitor to a southern Indiana town seems what he’s not

“Night Shift” – Leroy Powder educates a Japanese visitor about Indianapolis policing

“What a Woman Wants” – another Indy police story

“Boss” – inspired by Kawabata’s “Palm of the Hand” stories

“Wrong Number” – prize winner in 1981’s International Crime Writers’ Short Story competition

“The Hand that Feeds Me” – Rover solves a murder

“The Hit” – a conversation on a train

“If the Glove Fits” – nominated for an Edgar in 2002

“You Pay for Everything” – a writer helps with a difficult child

“Suicide Note” – a writer checks out

“Family Business” – this, and the next five stories, all involve cases for the Lunghi family of Bath private eyes
“Wedding Bells”
“Gains and Losses”
“Travel Plans”
“Pay Phone”
“Gunpoint”

“Mr Hard Man” – an American plies his trade in Bath in a story that has its first publication in this book

SELECTED WORKS
Click on the title for more information.

A
Click the title to see a sample of this new novel - or look at the first 15% of the book on Smashwords.
B - Albert Samson Novels
Samson, an Indianapolis PI, was one of the first regional detectives. Click on the titles for more information.
C - Short story collection
Stories written over a period of twenty years or so, along with an introduction - by me - about writing stories and an extensive bibliography of my crime writing. Click on the blue title for more information.
D - Leroy Powder Novels
The three Lt Leroy Powder novels. Click on the blue titles for more information.
E - The Lunghi family private detective novels
Three generations of an Italian family run a private detective agency in Bath, England. Ever seen a detective agency run as a family business? I don't think so. Click on the titles for more information.
F - other Indianapolis novels
A homeless "entrepreneur" in Indianapolis gets more than he bargains for when he sees an opportunity in UNDERDOG. Albert Samson's woman friend gets a book of her own in AND BABY WILL FALL. A mystery writer finds himself compelled to participate in a real life mystery in OUTSIDE IN. Click on the titles for more information.
G - a historical mystery
A young woman pursues her best friend's killer in 19th Century US and England. Click on the title for more information.
H - stories told by Rover
Rover, a stray dog, describes his live as a crusader on behalf of downtrodden dogs. Click on the titles for more information.
I - novelization of a film script and non-fiction book
Sean Connery starred in the movie THE NEXT MAN and I wrote the book while it was being filmed. HOW TO BEAT COLLEGE TESTS was my first book. Click on the titles for more information.

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