The Three Coffin Caper

Autorentext

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a cry rang out, and on a hot summer night in 1954, Josephine, wife of Carl Bruce, gave birth to a boy - me. Unfortunately, this young married couple allowed Reuben Saturday, Josephine's brother, to name their first-born. Reuben, aka "The Joker," decided that Bruce was a nice name, so he decided to name me Bruce Bruce. I have gone by my middle name ? David ? ever since. Being named Bruce David Bruce hasn't been all bad. Bank tellers remember me very quickly, so I don't often have to show an ID. It can be fun in charades, also. When I was a counselor as a teenager at Camp Echoing Hills in Warsaw, Ohio, a fellow counselor gave the signs for "sounds like" and ?two words,? then she pointed to a bruise on her leg twice. Bruise Bruise? Oh yeah, Bruce Bruce is the answer! Uncle Reuben, by the way, gave me a haircut when I was in kindergarten. He cut my hair short and shaved a small bald spot on the back of my head. My mother wouldn't let me go to school until the bald spot grew out again. Of all my brothers and sisters (six in all), I am the only transplant to Athens, Ohio. I was born in Newark, Ohio, and have lived all around Southeastern Ohio. However, I moved to Athens to go to Ohio University and have never left. At Ohio U, I never could make up my mind whether to major in English or Philosophy, so I got a bachelor's degree with a double major in both areas, then I added a Master of Arts degree in English and a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. Yes, I have my MAMA degree. Currently, and for a long time to come (I eat fruits and veggies), I am spending my retirement writing books such as Nadia Comaneci: Perfect 10, The Funniest People in Comedy, Homer's Iliad: A Retelling in Prose, and William Shakespeare's Hamlet: A Retelling in Prose. If all goes well, I will publish one or two books a year for the rest of my life. (On the other hand, a good way to make God laugh is to tell Her your plans.) By the way, my sister Brenda Kennedy writes romances such as A New Beginning and Shattered Dreams.

Klappentext

It was seven o'clock in the evening on Tuesday August 14, 1945. This was a special day because this was Victory in Japan Day. People were dancing in the streets. Women were kissing strangers, sailors and soldiers in Times Square. World War II was finally over. The boys would be coming home. Parents were estatic. With a little luck, their boys would make it home in one piece. The word of the day was relief. People left work early. Tears of joy were common. Hitler and his minions would not be taking up residence in America after all. The world held new promise. Then suddenly, without warning, bombs exploded in southern California. People were injured and some killed. Who was responcible? Was it fifth columnists? Was it a mad bomber? Was the war really over? Chester Brantley was a private eye living in Orange, California. He was injured by one of the bombs. The shoe shine man in his office building was killed by the same blast. Brantley is pulled into the mystery. He follows a trail of suspicious deaths, murders, kidnappings, and chase scenes to solve The Three Coffin Caper.