Bruce Von Stiers
Mystery novels are my favorite kinds of books to read. I like stand alone mysteries and ones that are part of a series. I enjoy hard boiled detectives like Loren D. Estleman’s Amos Walker and Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder. I also like Robert Parker’s Spenser and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole.
A new face to appear on the detective novel scene is John Spyer. He is the creation of Sara Williams, a sometime magazine writer and newspaper reporter.
I just finished reading the new John Spyer mystery. Set in Hawaii, the title for this new book is One Big Itch.
The thing about the publication of One Big Itch is that it isn’t in a traditional format. The book is being published by ArcheBooks Publishing. The physical size of the novel is 8 ½ by11 inches. Yes, just like a standard piece of paper or a magazine. With this larger length and width, it is about a third of the thickness of a regular novel. The print is fairly large too, making it easier to read.
Randy Haverhill had been a childhood friend of Spyer’s. They grew up on Oahu, in the Hawaiian Islands. After a lengthy stay away, economist superstar Randy comes back to Hawaii to head up a Pacific Rim think-tank. Spyer also comes back home after a stint with the DEA in Florida. Spyer is now a P.I., operating in the Hawaiian Islands.
Spyer gets called in to help because of a stalker incident. Randy has written a top selling book and has been doing promotional stops and book signings. He is being stalked by someone who also vandalizes things related to him. Randy’s new wife, Hillary, gets Spyer involved, hoping he can find out who’s behind the stalking and vandalism. But nothing much comes out of it.
Flash forward a few months. Randy has been murdered. He had been hit with two shotgun blasts and then stabbed in the back. Talk about overkill, huh? Randy’s teenaged son, Toby, is discovered over the body, blood soaked and holding the knife that stabbed his dad.
Even though Toby is the most logical suspect, Spyer tries to find out who really killed Randy. He is hired by Randy’s first wife, the fiery newspaper editor, Eva. But Eva has her own problems; she has cancer and is going through chemo. In spite of seemingly obvious evidence, Eva claims that Toby is innocent and is being framed.
The more that Spyer digs into things, the less he likes it. Spyer’s mental images of his youthful time with Randy becomes skewed when he learns certain things. Randy had been a pretty active skirt chaser and none too discreet about it either. From the wife of university’s dean to his own niece, Randy made passes at a lot of young women.
The reader also finds out that Eva had been Randy’s high school teacher. In a series of events that if happened now would land her in jail, Eva becomes Randy’s mentor, lover and eventually, his wife. We learn that Eva quietly orchestrated Randy’s career right from the beginning. The main reason for their divorce is that Eva just couldn’t stomach Randy’s adulterous behavior any longer.
How many times have we had memories that upon reflection or observations from others prove to be false? I know it’s happened to me, and so it is with Spyer’s recollection of whom and what he remembered Randy to be.
One Big Itch is laid back in some spots and intense in others. John Spyer has the witticism of Spenser and the coolness of Elvis Cole. And being’s he’s a native son, you get a bit of Magnum P.I.’s Hawaiian locale and atmosphere.
One Big Itch is a solid mystery. You might figure it out early, but I kind of doubt it. Sara Williams has brought mystery fans a great new hero to cheer for in John Spyer.
One Big Itch is available through places like amazon.com or from the publisher, ArcheBooks.
The web site for ArcheBooks is http://www.archebooks.com/index.htm
To learn more about the author, visit www.sarawilliamsnovelist.com or www.onebigitch.com.
A couple of other real quick things. One Big Itch is available as an e-book through the publisher. And the printed version is what is called a “green zine” and uses 75% less paper than a traditional hardback book.
© 2009 Bruce E Von Stiers