Some Old Guy

This website is shameless publicity for murder mysteries written by Phil Sheehan — that’s me — and featuring Barry Soldat, a protagonist but not really a hero.

But wait. You want to know something about Barry, and the books.

First off, these are retro novels, set thirty years ago, before the Internet and cell phones re-shaped our lives. Though not specifically named, the locale is Upstate New York, presumably the Capital Region.

Barry Soldat (I know, those initials) is an ordinary guy who winds up in extraordinary situations. He relies on wits, a flair for the unexpected, and help from his friends, chief among them a Catholic priest.

You might identify a killer before Barry does. What you might not pick out so quickly are motive and resolution: the why and the what can Barry do of the story. Those are more important than simply naming the villain.

For an advance look, you can read the first two chapters of Door to Door and the working first chapter of Bumper to Bumper. Click on links at the left.

If you’re a glutton for verbal abuse, read on as I wax pedantic about intricacies of writing, proprieties of the mystery genre, origin and direction of plot, fascination of dialogue, and items of similar cosmic import.

You have been warned.

The term “whodunit” implies a simple plot with a simple resolution. Body, witness, fingerprints; doorbell, arrest, Miranda; handcuffs, squad car, court room. Fade to black.

Idealized. Unrealistic. Boring.

Good puzzles, like stories which frame them, do not wrap up easily. Naming bad guys, even arresting them, is… « Read the rest of this entry »

I wrote a first draft of Door to Door several years ago, more as an experiment than as a conscious attempt to write a mystery novel. I had two projects underway, and neither of them was going anywhere. One was based on my experience in TV news.

• A call came in on the police radio to investigate… « Read the rest of this entry »