Christmas with the Wrights: What the Readers Say

 

The stories in Christmas with the Wrights started out as gifts to my mailing list. If you want to get in on the fun, click or tap on this link: https://BookHip.com/BMNGDTB

When you do, the link will take you to BookFunnel, where you’ll get a free copy of Vampire House and Other Early Cases of Justinia Wright, PI (a $3.99 value), and join my mailing list. I’d love to see you at the party!

I’ll admit short stories are a hard sell for indie authors. And I don’t know why. They’re perfect for the person on the go.

Our schedules are busy. A short story can fill those odd moments of the day: waiting at the doctor’s office, commuting to work, lunch or coffee breaks. Or any other time when you are in between things.

I love short stories. A well-crafted short can be as satisfying an experience as a novel — only you get that experience of satisfaction faster. And more of them.

Christmas with the Wrights sees Tina and Harry dealing with 3 very different cases.

There’s Cordell Oscar Hellman, a conservative political pundit, who’s recreational morphine use has come to the attention of a vicious blackmailer.

Mrs. Solberg’s dope of a husband is being hoodwinked by the office minx and the Missus doesn’t like that one bit. But what can Tina do about it? She’ll have to get very creative.

Finally, there’s Emil Papenfuss. He’s homeless and a millionaire. Only he doesn’t know he’s millionaire. But Tina has to find him first before she can deliver the good news.

Three cases. Three chances to do a good deed. And with the inducement of three big, fat fees, and Harry’s help, Tina delivers the goods. But not without difficulty. A lot of difficulty.

So what do the readers say about all this? Let’s take a look.

If you like a story with fascinating characters and a good plot, as well as clever dialogue, check this one out.

That is a very satisfying review for an author to receive. Especially since it comes from another writer: Maryann Miller.

Here’s another review:

CW Hawes has done such a marvelous job of creating Justinia & Harry Wright, brother-and-sister sleuth team, that I keep coming back for more. I had just finished reading a story by this author when this Christmas book caught my eye. The characters were still in my head, and I decided to see what good deeds (hopefully) they might be up to during the Christmas season.

This book was as delightful as it promised to be … with three feel-good stories driven by Hawes’s exceptional characters of whom I’ve grown quite fond. The stories were great fun – the last one being my favorite.

Although this book offers Christmas cheer, it’s a great read for any time of the year, and again … just like the other books in this wonderful series.

Such a delightful review.

Fellow mystery writer, Joe Congel had this to say:

I have enjoyed CW Hawes’ Justinia Wright series for a long time, and this short story collection has arrived just in time for the holiday season. If you’ve followed the progression of the series, you’ll be delighted to know that the three stories in this volume have all the fun, mystery, and mayhem that you love in the full-length books. And if you’re new to the world of Minneapolis’ top private sleuth and her equally talented brother, Harry, then you are in for a real treat!

The stories are told through the eyes of Harry, which lends a bit of the whimsical to the narrative as Harry pulls no punches regarding his sister’s down falls as well as why she is the best PI for any client looking for justice in a cruel world. You can feel the love, trust, and admiration between the two characters as Hawes has done a superb job allowing the dialog to show the reader the tight, though somewhat flawed relationship between a brother and sister.

Hawes is a master of his craft, and these three tales pack a lot of surprise and intrigue inside each crisply written mystery. One of the things I like best about this collection is that even though the common thread throughout the book is that it’s the holiday season, these are not stories about Christmas mysteries, but rather good old fashion mysteries that happen to take place during Christmas time. It’s a wonderful blending of a magical time of year and the realization that mystery, bad decisions, and crime do not take a break during the holidays.

Do yourself a favor, and pour a cup of eggnog (spiked if you prefer), get cozy in front of the fireplace, and enjoy some of the best storytelling you’ll find between the pages of a book.

Now that is high praise, indeed — especially coming from a peer, who is no slouch when it comes to spinning an engaging yarn.

Richard Schwindt, another writer, who I think is one of the best storytellers writing today, wrote:

Christmas with the Wrights is the mature Hawes at the top of his form.

Now that comment is the best award I could have ever won.

Enjoy some Christmas cheer. Christmas with the Wrights is available from Amazon and is only 99¢. Which makes it the perfect stocking stuffer for that mystery reader on your list. As well as for yourself!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

Christmas with the Wrights

 

Even hard-nosed detective Justinia Wright can get into the Christmas spirit.

Three cases. Three chances to spread some Christmas cheer.

There’s Cordell Oscar Hellman, the conservative political pundit, who’s recreational morphine use has come to the attention of a vicious blackmailer.

Mrs. Solberg’s dope of a husband is being hoodwinked by the office minx and Mrs. S doesn’t like it.

Then there’s Emil Papenfuss, who’s homeless and a millionaire. Only he doesn’t know he’s a millionaire.

Three cases. Three chances to do a good deed. And with the inducement of three big fat fees and Harry’s help, Tina delivers the goods. But not without difficulty.

Christmas with the Wrights. Not like any Christmas you’ve ever experienced. Get in on the action and fun today!

You can get a copy on Amazon for only 99¢.

I love writing the Justinia Wright mysteries. For me, Tina and Harry’s world is a place I want to be. And I’ve written and published more stories about them than I have any of my other characters.

The 2 novelettes and 1 short story that make up Christmas with the Wrights were originally written for my mailing list. My Christmas present to my fans and followers. After several years of sitting in the desk drawer, I decided to make them available to a wider audience.

A couple years back, internationally bestselling authors Caleb and Linda Pirtle named me one of the top 25 mystery writers you should be reading. That is quite an honor, and quite a testimony for the Wrights.

The Pirtle’s are featuring Christmas with the Wrights as their Book of the Moment. Read about it on their blog.

Spending Christmas with the Wrights just might be the best Christmas you ever had. Like being a kid again.

Get it on Amazon!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

Ripples on the Pond

 

Ripples on the Pond, the latest story in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator canon, is live on Amazon. It’s a short story and only 99¢.

Originally, I gave the story to my mailing list as a gift. After 3 years, I made some minor changes, re-titled the story, and now offer it to the public.

Harry discovers that the old lady who stood on the street corner, and from whom he bought flowers, was killed in a hit and run accident. He also learns she left him a sizable inheritance.

He decides to hire his sister, ace Minneapolis private eye, Justinia Wright, to find out who killed the Flower Lady.

I won’t tell you anymore, as I don’t want to spoil the story. I will say, it has all the elements that people love about the Justinia Wright mysteries.

It has the warm, cosy atmosphere of a place you just want to be.

It has humor threaded throughout a fun and often tense story.

There’s good food, good wine, and good music. What more do you want out of a story?

I know thrillers are all the rage. Books where the pages turn themselves. I’ll be honest here. After a long day, the last thing I want are thrills and excitement.

I want to relax. I want to go to a place that feels like home. And if there is excitement, I want it to grow naturally out of what’s going on in the story. Not impossible stuff that smacks me in the face from page one.

So, if you want to go to a place where you can take your shoes off, and sit in your easy chair by the fire — then the adventures Tina and Harry find themselves in are right for you. Mysteries told in the British tradition, but set in contemporary Minneapolis, Minnesota. America’s Northland.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

Only 75¢ Each

 

NOTE: The sale is now over. Hope you got your copy!

When was the last time you remember buying a new book for only 75¢? If you’re young enough, maybe never.

I remember when mass market paperbacks were 35¢. Yeah, those were the days.

Starting August 10th at 3am PDT you can buy 4 books for only 75¢ each. There is a catch: you have to buy 4 of them to get the price. But, hey, that’s only $2.99. Which is less than a Starbuck’s.

So what’s the deal? The Justinia Wright Omnibus is on sale for $2.99. But only for 139 hours, and then the price goes back up to $6.99. So

Buy it now on Amazon!

You get the first 4 books in the Justinia Wright series:

Festival of Death

Trio in Death-Sharp Minor

But Jesus Never Wept

The Conspiracy Game

I love Tina and Harry Wright. They were my first children, so to speak. They came into being in the early 1980s, and have been with me ever since. 

What’s more, I really, truly love writing up their crime-busting adventures. Perhaps more than anything else I write.

These books aren’t thrillers in the modern use of that term. The style harkens back to the Golden Age of detective fiction. The era of Nero Wolfe, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Miss Silver, Mr and Mrs North, Roderick Alleyn, and many others too numerous to name.

The pace is somewhat leisurely at the beginning, and gradually increases as the plot thickens, and can become very intense at the climax. Which, quite honestly, I feel is a very natural progression.

Here are snippets of what others think of the series:

“…well written and entertaining, with just enough light humor…”

“Hawes knows how to weave a believable and exciting thriller.”

“Some fictional universes are just places you want to be…”

“A great murder mystery will make a great book, but a deeply developed cast of reoccurring characters is what makes a great series…, and this is a great series.” —Joe Congel, author of the Tony Razzolito, P.I. mysteries

“…well written and plotted. What keeps me coming back to this series is Hawes’ skilled and incremental character development; it allows readers to engage and grow with the stories. … This series starts well and keeps getting better. It is surely one of the best contemporary American mystery series.” —Richard Schwindt, author of the Death in Sioux Lookout trilogy, Tony Price: Confidential trilogy, A Killing in Samana, The Death of Brenda Martin, among others.

For only $2.99, you get 4 super mysteries. That’s only 75¢ each.

But hurry! The sale is only for 139 hours and time flies quickly!

At 10pm PDT on August 15th, the price goes back to $6.99.

Get the Justinia Wright Omnibus now!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

To Right A Wrong

 

The newest Justinia Wright mystery, To Right A Wrong, number 8 in the series, is formatted and waiting on Amazon’s approval, and, barring any problems, will be available to the public on Cyber Monday.

This traditional whodunit murder mystery sees Tina (Justinia) and Harry trying to gather the necessary evidence to overturn a wrongful conviction, and put the right person behind bars.

To Right A Wrong is about justice. About justice having been sacrificed to get a conviction, and about justice restored so that crime does not pay.

Tina’s lawyer, Harold Feingold, wants to reopen a case even though the evidence is very slim that indicates there was a miscarriage of justice. He comes to Tina seeking her help, and Tina accepts the challenge.

A murdered uncle. Four nephews vying for the inheritance. One fingered by the others for the murder. But what about the servants? Could it be that, in this case, the butler really did do it?

This is a murder mystery that will have you scratching your head with Harry, or arranging puzzle pieces with Tina.

Along the way, there is wise-cracking humor, sibling rivalry, good food and wine, enough action to keep things interesting, and plenty of exercise for those little gray cells.

Stay tuned, so you can experience a little goodwill towards people this holiday season.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

A New Justinia Wright

 

Coming out in time for Cyber Monday (Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise) will be a brand new Justinia Wright murder mystery. Number 8 in the series.

If you’re on my mailing list, you’ll get early access — and a cheaper price. You can sign up for my mailing list at this link.

So what’s the new Justinia Wright mystery all about? Murder, of course. But it’s also about righting a wrong.

Seeing justice done is a big driver for Tina. After all, it’s in her name. What’s fair is fair and she doesn’t like it when someone is not fair and somebody gets hurt or killed.

In a way, she wants to put an end to all the playground bullies she comes across.

So stay tuned. More on this new mystery is coming! And you can catch up with the series on my Amazon page.

Peer Reviewed

 

Every professional desires recognition by his peers. Especially those peers who have the greatest recognition by the public and critics, and who are considered the best in the field.

Unfortunately for me, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Earl Stanley Gardner have passed on to the great writing desk in the sky.

However, in my little pond, I am very honored that I’ve been able to garner recognition from and support of writers who I very much respect. Writers such as Crispian Thurlborn, Richard Schwindt, Joe Congel, and Caleb Pirtle III.

And that means a lot to me. There’s a reason why scientists submit their papers to peer-reviewed journals.

Now there is a danger in peer review. The old, entrenched establishment can use peer pressure to squash new ideas, enforce political correctness, and derail change. We also see the same when the old guard is kicked out and a new group takes over.

This is what has happened in the writing world. For the most part, writing organizations have been taken over by radical elements that are enforcing extreme political correctness on what may be published. And have been extending that censorship to works of the past. Book burning has given way to book suppression and shaming.

Consequently, I find it very refreshing that there is no censoriousness amongst the writers in my corner of the world.

The other day, Joe Congel posted a fabulous review of my book, A Nest of Spies. He is the author of the Tony Razzolito, P.I. mysteries. And he is a doggone good writer.

In Tony Razzolito, Congel has given us a contemporary P.I. who is in the tradition of the hardboiled greats. Reading the Tony Razzolito mysteries reminds me of Hammett and Chandler. There’s none of the frenzied thriller in Congel’s books. Sure there’s action and excitement, but done in the classic whodunit tradition. And done quite well. Quite well, indeed.

You can find the Tony Razzolito mysteries on Amazon.

So when a mystery writer I admire takes a liking to my mystery series, it’s an honor I cherish.

Here’s Joe Congel’s review of A Nest of Spies.

Hawes has hit his stride. A worthy addition to this already fabulous series!

If you’re not reading this wonderful Private Investigator Mystery series, you should be. CW Hawes has created a cast of characters that I believe stand tall next to any traditional detective, whodunit mystery you want to put them up against. 

In this, the 5th installment of the series, the reader gets a peek into private eye, Justinia Wright’s secret government past. A past that she never talks about, not even with her brother, Harry. But when government (the U.S as well as other countries) spies and contract killers start appearing on her doorstep, it becomes obvious to Harry that his baby sister may still have at least one toe dipped in a pool filled with espionage and treason. 

Spies can be a funny bunch; they will put their mutual trust in one another when it’s beneficial to them, but will not hesitate to pull the trigger to save themselves. And all the while, you cannot believe a word any of them say. When a former agency partner tries to unsuccessfully hire Tina to help secure a flash drive with plans for a top-secret weapon by posing as the buyer, it is just the beginning of a fun, interesting mystery filled with lots of twists and turns.

As more and more people from Tina's past show up wanting to talk with and hire the great detective’s services, the lies… and the body count begin to grow. And when Tina is accused of murder, she and her team of sleuths devise a scheme to recover the missing flash drive, catch a murderer, clear their names, and in the process make a little profit for their troubles.

With all that is going on in this story, you would think that the Wrights would have time for nothing else. And as interesting as the main plot of this novel is, the subplot that fleshes out the on again, off again relationship saga between Tina and police Lieutenant Cal Swenson, all the fabulous meals cooked up by Harry and his wife Bea, and the side characters like Tina’s tenant, the quirky artist wannabe, Solstice, is perhaps what really makes this series special. 

Hawes has developed characters that you can’t help but care about. It’s what makes me continue to buy and read every book in this series. I really want to know what’s going on in Tina and Harry’s personal life as well as how they will solve the mystery at hand.

I highly recommend A Nest of Spies. It is my favorite Justinia Wright Mystery so far, and I can’t wait to dive into the next one to see where the mystery and mayhem takes this talented brother and sister detective duo.

That is high praise. Reviews such as that one get me through the occasional dark day.

If you haven’t read A Nest of Spies, you can find the book on Amazon, along with the entire Justinia Wright series.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

Snippet Time

 

It’s been a while since I’ve offered a snippet of one of my works in progress.

At present, I’m writing two Justinia Wright mysteries, and editing a third.

Today’s snippet is from the Justinia Wright novella I’m working on. (Please note: this is the initial draft prior to any editing.) Enjoy!

***

We were in the office digesting our lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, and cream of kale and butternut squash soup,  when the doorbell rang.

On the doorstep, was a tall, heavy-set fellow. He wore a dark brown suit. His shirt was white, and his tie was intricately patterned with irregularly shaped orange-red dots.

I opened the door and asked what he wanted.

“I’d like to see Justinia Wright. My name is Helmar Johanson. I’m on the orchestra’s board of directors, and I understand Ms Wright is investigating the death of Juliette Boudreau.”

“Wait right there. I’ll see if Miss Wright is available.” 

Back to the office. I poked my head inside the doorway. “Helmar Johanson from the orchestra’s board is here to see you. Shall I let him in?”

Tina looked at her cigar, turned her gaze in my direction, and with a frown on her face, said, “Yes.”

Back out to the front door. I let in our guest, took a look at the curb, and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. At the curb was a white sports car.

As I took Johanson’s jacket, I asked as calmly as I could, “Is that car out front, yours?”

“The Porsche?”

I nodded, and hung his jacket on a peg. 

“Yes, it’s mine. Why do you ask?” 

“Just curious. Do you like it? Does it handle well?” 

“Of course. It’s a Porsche.”

I nodded, led him into the office, made introductions, and indicated he should sit in the oversized oxblood wingback. The chair was certainly not oversized for him.

“What may I do for you, Mr Johanson?” Tina asked.

“I’m on the chamber orchestra board, and I contribute significantly towards the operating expenses.”

Tina shrugged. “Okay, I’m impressed.”

A look of surprise swept across his face and disappeared. “I want to know what you are doing to find Miss Boudreau’s killer. Are you, in fact, doing anything?”

“Is there a reason I should tell you?” 

This time incredulity swept across his face, lingering a moment before disappearing. Apparently, Mr Johanson wasn’t used to people talking to him that way.

“I just told you I’m on the board. I have a right to know.” 

“Is this right written down somewhere?” 

“What do you mean? Of course it’s not written down.”

“Then what makes you think you have the right to know?”

“What? Of course I do.” 

“Of course you don’t. We have no contractual obligation to each other. Therefore, you have no right to demand anything of me. Natural rights do not infringe on another person’s freedom. In other words, they are not coercive. Free speech takes nothing away from anyone. It is not coercive.” 

“What the hell are you going on about?” 

“Just this, Mr Johanson: you have no right to demand that I give you information about my client and his case. In other words, you have no right to know anything. You may earn the privilege of my willingness to share. Or you may simply ask me to share. But you have no right to know anything about my investigation.”

“I help fund the orchestra. I’m on the board.”

“So?” 

“I’m entitled to know what’s going on.”

“Who says so? I don’t. You have no right, legal or moral, to the information that I have about my client. I may choose to share it with you. And for me to consider doing so, you must ask. Demanding will get you nowhere. However, you must realize that I have a duty to protect my client’s interests — and that may mean I tell you nothing.”

Now, my sister has resorted to a lot of tricks to get people to leave her office, but when she opened the humidor and took out a cigar that was a first.

“Are you going to smoke that thing?”

“That is what one generally does with a cigar. Personally, I don’t like chewing on them.” 

“I have a lung condition.”

“No one is forcing you to stay.” 

“Well, I’ll be…” He looked at me, I suppose expecting I come to its aid, both of us being men and all. I just shrugged.

He stood, opened his mouth, no words came out, so we closed it. He turned around and left. I followed to make sure he didn’t forget his jacket and that the door got closed, which it did after I watched his white sports car drive off.

A Free Justinia Wright Mystery

Yes, Virginia, a free Justinia Wright mystery is coming to readers everywhere — but only if they’re signed up for my mailing list. It’s something like Henry Ford’s “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”

I don’t do free very often. So this is a great opportunity to get a Justinia Wright novelette simply by joining my mailing list. Which you can do here.

The Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery series has been getting positive attention of late. I was named among the Top 25 Mystery Writers You Need to be Reading by international bestselling mystery and thriller writers Caleb and Linda Pirtle.

Of the latest Tina and Harry adventure, Death Makes a House Call, readers are saying:

First rate entry in a great series.

…if you like well-drawn, fascinating, and believable characters…not to mention clever writing (with lots of laugh-out-loud moments), give this author a try!

This book is highly entertaining…

…well-written and worthy of all five stars.

If you haven’t read any of the Justinia Wright mysteries, you can find them on Amazon.

I will start serializing the novelette to my mailing list on Friday, March 13th — so don’t wait to sign up! The game is afoot!

Sign up here — today!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time — happy reading!

The World of Justinia Wright — Part 2

Raymond Chandler, the creator of Philip Marlowe, perhaps the king of the hardboiled PIs, was not interested overly much in plot.

For Chandler, atmosphere and characterization were more important than the plot of the story. Which may be why we remember Marlowe more than we remember Chandler himself.

As a reader, atmosphere and characterization have always been of greater interest to me than the plot of a story. Mostly, I suppose, because I find the entertainment value of a story in the characters and the atmosphere.

As a reader of whodunits, I never read them to solve the puzzle. I read them for the atmosphere and the interaction of the characters with each other. I suppose I’ve been spoiled by Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe.

Plot is simple. William Wallace Cook defined plot as

Purpose, expressed or implied, opposing Obstacle, expressed or implied, yields Conflict.

All plots are nothing more than stories of conflict. No conflict, no story.

But what makes the story, the conflict, of interest to the reader is what the writer does with it. That is, how does the writer make it interesting to the reader? How does he get the reader interested in the conflict? The writer does that through atmosphere and interesting (to the reader) characters.

For my Justinia Wright novels, when I read comments such as

The action builds slowly, relying more on relationship and character development rather than on violent, gruesome murders. … Justinia (Tina) and Harry are well thought out, interesting characters that are complemented by an equally interesting supporting cast.

And

I don’t read a lot of mysteries, but when I do, I appreciate interesting characters and atmosphere. Festival of Death has both…

And

…characters are well-developed and intriguing…

I know I have succeeded in producing a novel that is more than plot, more than a mere portrayal of a conflict, but rather a novel that is alive with people who have captured the reader’s attention, interest, and perhaps his or her heart.

The new Justinia Wright novel, Death Makes a House Call, is coming soon to a virtual bookstore near you.

The story is one of death, this is a murder mystery, after all, and justice. A tale in which the one who defies human decency is apprehended and made to pay for the crime.

However, Death Makes a House Call is first and foremost a story about people: a story of life, love, and devotion.

Stay tuned! Death Makes a House Call is coming and will be here soon!