The January Corpse

#mystery #privateeye

by Neil Albert

January 15-26, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Dave Garrett is a disbarred lawyer eking out a living in Philadelphia as a private eye. At noon on Friday, a law school classmate offers him what looks like a hopeless investigation. Seven years before, a man named Daniel Wilson disappeared. His car was found abandoned with bullet holes and blood, but no body. A hearing is scheduled for Monday on whether Wilson should be declared legally dead. The police have been stumped for seven years. Organized crime warned off the first investigator to look into the case. Over the course of the weekend, the case takes Dave from center city to the coal regions and back, where the story comes to what the critics called “a startling and satisfying conclusion.”

Nominated as a Best First Novel by the Private Eye Writers of America when it first appeared in 1990 and the first of a series of twelve.

Genre: Mystery, Private Eye
Published by: Onyx
Publication Date: First published January 1990
Number of Pages: 207
ISBN: 9798663201599
Series: Dave Garrett Mystery, #1

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Sometimes we need to take a trip back to a time where social media and technology didn’t run the day. It was quite enjoyable to read about a private eye who uses his brain and deductive thinking skills to solve a crime rather than inputting information into a computer and POOF! There’s the answer. This is set in the early 90’s (when I was in early elementary school – haha!). Definitely gave me the vibes of old sleuthing shows that I watched with my mom.

The thing I love about new, fresh eyes on an old case is the process of walking back through everything from start to finish. I haven’t been to Philadelphia but felt like I could actually see it thanks to the descriptive writing from Neil Albert. I like authors who can transport me to different times and places — almost like virtual reality!

Knowing that there is a timeline on Dave’s investigation makes it all the more attractive as a story to read in one sitting. The stakes are higher, and he has to give it his all to satisfy the family, the court, and of course, himself. There is plenty of action, swinging from one scene to the next barely giving you time to process how everything connects. Being a private eye, Dave has some advantages for his investigation that other outlets wouldn’t have access to; but having to work outside standard working hours adds a level of darkness unlike other procedurals.

About the Author:

Neil Albert is a trial lawyer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and this book is based on a real presumption of death hearing. He has completed nine of the projected twelve books in the series and hopes to finish with December within the next two years. His interest in writing mysteries was kindled by reading Ross Macdonald and Neil operates a blog with an in-depth analysis of each of Macdonald’s books, In his younger years he was an avid fox hunter. His best memory is that he hunted for fifteen years and was the only member not be to seriously injured at least once.

Connect with Neil Albert:

www.neilalbertauthor.com
Goodreads

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Neil Albert. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. The giveaway is for: 1 print copy