S7 TT2: The January Corpse

Mysteries to Die For

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.

I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.

Today’s featured release is The January Corpse by Neil Albert

Interesting tidbit before we start, the Dave Garrett series was planned as a 12 book series. Books 1-6 were published between 1991 and 1996. Neil is picking up the series and re-issuing the first six, the first of which is today’s toe tag, The January Corpse. The Dave Garrett series is set in 1990. Cell phones were on the scene but weren’t every day like they are now and were meant for, wait for it, making phone calls. There was no internet, no smart phones, and people still used payphones. That’s right, we are going old school with The January Corpse!

TG Wolff Review

The January Corpse is a PI Mystery. Former lawyer turned investigator Dave Garrett is picking up sloppy seconds with this case. The family of Daniel Wilson has filed suit to declare the man missing for 7 years as dead to claim the life insurance benefit. What should be a chore of routine investigation into a cold case gets messy, mean, and dirty in the blink of an eye.

Bottom line: The January Corpse is for you if you like fast-thinking private eyes, cases with too many loose ends, and action and adventure in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Strengths of the story. Dave Garrett is an intellectual PI who uses his head rather than brute force for investigating. Being an ex-attorney, he is a different take on a private investigator than characters with backgrounds in law enforcement or military. Dave has some emotional scars, making him an interesting character and somewhat outsider.

The mystery itself is the right size for something solved in 3 days. You would think after 7 years, it wouldn’t be so easy to solve the disappearance of Dan Wilson. Does Dave get lucky? Some could say that, but he invested the time and tenacity that ended up paying off. No one gifted him with the answers, he earned every single one. This is one of the biggest strengths, Dave Garrett is the hero of his story.

The setting is Philadelphia, 1990. I loved the details on Philly and the surrounding area, the kind that come from an author really knowing the area. For example, there is a passage discussing the odd travel patterns. Some days, it takes 10 minutes to get into the city, then you’re stuck in gridlock for 3 blocks. Other times it takes 90 minutes and once you’re in the city, you’re free an clear. You don’t get those types of observations using Google Earth. The descriptions of the neighborhoods, people, and buildings give texture to the story.

The pacing is excellent for those of us looking for a reason to binge read a book in one sitting (yeah, I did that.) When Dave gets the case Friday morning, it’s with the expectation of appearing in court to testify on Monday. The clock starts ticking immediately. I like that part of the story includes Dave weighing what is the best use of his limited time – especially limited business hours. In that short period, there is a fight, a car chase, a hostage situation, and a hot chili pepper romance scene.

Where the story fell short of ideal: Not much to pick on here. The logic of the story held up well, something I always look for. The events that were surprising and action packed when reading fully made sense with the benefit of hindsight. As is often the case with PI stories, people lie to Dave but he sniffs out the truth in a way where he does the heavy lifting of sleuthing (i.e. no coincidences, etc) and the lies make sense.

A word of warning and an explanation – you may see some typesetting errors, like open quotes at the end of dialog instead of closed quotes. Talking with Neil, technology has been working against him, as it does all of us at one time or another. He’s aware of them and working to correct. If you find one, treat it like a 4-leaf clover, something to smile about as you continue reading this very excellent story.

The January Corpse was released on Amazon and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.

About Neil Albert

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 Dave Garrett series and hopes to finish with December within the next two years. His interest in writing mysteries was kindled by reading Ross Macdonald. 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.

Catch Up With Neil Albert: www.neilalbertauthor.com

Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers virtual book tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com

Thank you for joining us this week. Come back next week for Mysteries to Die For, Season 7 Games People Play. Cow flop bingo is our featured game in A Scent of Murder by Paul A. Barra.