*****
#14: Murder Under Way
Author Gene Grossman, an admitted fan of locked room mysteries, has attempted to ‘jump the shark’ with this fourteenth book in the Peter Sharp Mystery Series by creating a locked boat mystery.
Peter’s dock neighbor was found dead in his boat, fifteen miles offshore, just minutes after having placed an emergency S.O.S. call to the Coast Guard.
There is apparently no way that any person could have boarded his boat, which was travelling at 30 miles an hour, shot him, and escaped the boat, without having been noticed on radar or search helicopters, so the victim’s death was classified as being suicide… until Suzi decided it was murder.
Join Peter and his friends as they explore the quaint City of Avalon on Catalina Island, the favorite vacation destination for Southern California boaters, and see if you can figure out the solution to this mystery before Suzi can.
[Author’s comment]
By now it should be quite apparent that I’m a ‘boat nut,’ with all my stories taking place around Marina del Rey California, and my main characters living on a boat... and in real like, sometimes you get so attached to a boat that you have difficulty parting with... so you keep it.
That’s the way it is with a small 28-foot cabin cruiser that I spent a lot of time customizing the cockpit and interior with fancy teak trim and a lot of other money-wasting projects: so I still have it, and every Sunday I go over to that small boat and sit there for an hour or so, while I try to complete the Sunday Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle.
That little boat is a friend of mine, so I decided to make it the ‘guest star’ of this book, and when you read the book, I hope you will enjoy the boat as much as I do, and also learn a bit about southern California boaters’ favorite weekend destination – the City of Avalon, at Catalina Island.
*****
#15: The Sherlock Holmes Caper
It’s no secret that attorney Peter Sharp is a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and that fact has been seized upon by a person who has an evil agenda in leaving a series of clues behind, each somehow relating to one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories.
When the District Attorney’s office finally figures out that the clues relate to Holmes stories, they call the only Holmes expert they know of who can help them figure out what the clues are an indication of – a crime that has already taken place, or one that is about to take place.
[Author’s comment]
In order to enjoy this book you needn’t have ever read a Sherlock Holmes story, but if you ever did, you’ll get some extra special pleasure from this story, because so many of the clues relate to various Sherlock Holmes stories.
Naturally, attorney Peter Sharp shares the author’s affection for Sherlock Holmes, and this story’s main antagonist knows it, so he plays it to his advantage in trying to make a fool out of Peter... but little Suzi senses this, and once again pulls Peter’s bottom out of the fire – even if it requires her to steal his Hummer in a surprise, thrilling final conclusion to the story.
*****
Editor’s note:
If you happen to notice any blatant typographical errors in the text of this book, we suggest you bring them to the attention of the author, who was the last person to sign off on the manuscript. We feel quite comfortable shifting the blame onto him for any errors he may have missed. He can be reached through the publisher: [email protected]
*****
The 5-book Suzi B. Mystery Series
@
www.LegalMystery.com
#1: …Sorry, Wrong Number
Suzi is tired of using her skill in logic and with the computer to solve her legal guardian’s law cases and letting him take the credit, so she decides to go out on her own and solve cases all by herself.
The first case she takes on is involves a series of bombings that apparently are motivated by hate for a certain religious group, and unless stopped, may cause animosity against the group thought to be behind these acts of vandalism.
Things much more serious when someone dies as a result of one these bombings and Suzi believes she may have discovered a way to catch this serial-bombing murderer – but her plan might cause the federal government to seize the yacht that Suzi and her legal guardian Peter Sharp live on.
Unfortunately Suzi doesn’t realize how dangerous of a situation she may be placing herself in, and it takes a tremendous effort by the adults she wants to leave her on her own to get her out of harm’s way.
You’ll be sitting on the edge of your chair as Suzi attempts to confront this criminal and execute a citizen’s arrest.
*****
#2: Movie Magic
A criminal gang is selling counterfeit merchandise throughout southern Cali-fornia and District Attorney Myra Sharp (Peter Sharp’s bitter ex-wife) keeps failing to catch them because somehow the gang knows where Myra’s raid will take place, so they avoid getting caught.
Myra doesn’t know who to trust, so she turns to Suzi for help, and Suzi thinks she knows how to find the gang, how to trap them in their own hideout, and how to single-handedly get them all to surrender to her.
In order to complete this task she must convince a motion picture company that’s shooting a film to cooperate with her plan – but Peter and Myra find out about it and also find themselves helpless to stop what Suzi has put into motion
The suspense builds as Suzi’s plan goes into effect and if successful, might stop the sale of not only phony watches, but imitation pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs) that could endanger the lives of all customers of the pharmacies in on the plot.
*****
#3: Two Perfect Crimes
The one attorney that rubs Peter and Suzi the wrong way most is Mister Morris Arthur, and this time he commits what our protagonists feel is the worst offense: getting one of them in trouble with the law.
They all feel that Arthur’s actions have gone unpunished for a previous crime, and he is on the verge of succeeding in repeating the act in another crime – and must be stopped.
The secret to stopping Morris Arthur is by tricking him and his clever attorney into painting themselves into a corner in a trial… a position from which there is no favorable way out.
You’ll enjoy the give-and-take dialogue and legal maneuvering of District Attorney Myra Scot Sharp and Morris Arthur’s attorney during a civil trial that Myra hopes will result in forcing Arthur to admit his committing of two crimes that everyone thinks he is innocent of… especially when the surprise witness of the century is called to the stand – a person whose appearance even shocks Peter.
*****
#4: He’s the Guy!
A man calls the police to report what he believes to be some gun flashes in the window of an apartment near his boat.
When the police respond to the call they discover two dead men – and it looks they shot each other: both the CSI team and medical examiner agree that it was a shoot-out... and that they both won.
The police and District Attorney can’t find any motive or evidence of anyone else being involved, so they close their files on this apparent mutual murder of two men who have never seen each other before and are writing it off as a burglary gone bad… until Suzi B. reads the police report and notices something that everyone else missed.
She manages to have the coroner call for a formal inquest hearing, and promises to prove that someone has committed perjury and that the double-murder case should be re-opened.
*****
#5: The Magic Bullets
Ballistics comparison tests performed on bullets recovered from several murders indicate that they were fired from the same gun – but one that could not possibly have been used, because during each time the lethal shots were fired, the weapon was in the custody of the authorities.
District Attorney Myra Scot Sharp (attorney Peter Sharp’s bitter ex-wife) appoints a special prosecuting investigator, but when she and all the other adults invo
lved fail to solve this mystery, little Suzi B. is called in for assistance and tries to prove her amazing theory about who the murderer is, even though it contradicts the opinions of every adult involved.
Is Suzi right or wrong this time? You’ll be as surprised as Peter, Myra, and the police are when Suzi conducts an experiment on the boat that will determine the innocence or guilt of the person that she suspects is guilty.
*****
Non-Fiction Books by Gene Grossman
In addition to the Peter Sharp Legal Mystery Series, Gene has utilized his writing talents to create five other (not to mention the 13 screenplays he’s also written) books on subjects related to his main interests: Boating, Law and Writing.
Below are the book descriptions exactly as they appear on Amazon.com:
*****
Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot: A Simple Explanation
[Winner of the 2011 Global eBook Award – in the non-fiction Sports category]
This book is ground-breaking not only because of what it has, but what it doesn't have: No complicated drawings; no mathematics problems; no astronomical talk; no big words you've never heard of.
Sailor/author Gene Grossman finally breaks this wonderful subject down into plain English and explains it in such a way that you will no longer have any excuse to claim that you know nothing about the valuable boater's subject of Celestial Navigation.
This book was inspired by Gene's DVD program of the same title, which has gained worldwide popularity and is being used by the Navies, Coast Guards and sailing schools all over the world.
*****
How NOT to go Boating: Avoid Making a Fool of Yourself at Sea
This is the perfect book for any new boater or any person invited to be a guest on someone else's boat.
It covers all the things you should NOT to do on a boat, with many suggestions on what the proper conduct should be while aboard.
Also included is an informative Un-Glossary with words NOT to say, when describing things on a boat. Lots of personal experiences are chronicled that show how to avoid becoming a jerk at sea.
Many people consider one particular chapter in this book the most informative: it explains what the causes of seasickness are, and how to avoid becoming a victim of it.
*****
How NOT to Practice Law in the Office and In the Courtroom
This is the perfect book for any law student or new law firm or public government attorney, and should be required reading for any new admittee before making that first court appearance.
It separates what really goes on in the office and in court from what is seen on the popular law-oriented shows on television.
The 'do' and 'don't do' information in this book isn't in any law school textbook: it can only be learned here, or the hard way, by painful personal experiences.
Author Gene Grossman compiled the material in this book from many interviews with experienced judges, trial lawyers, law firm partners and even some jurors.
*****
How NOT to Write a Novel: First-book Errors to Avoid
Successful author Gene Grossman admits to having made almost every mistake possible during his writing career, and wants this book to help new writers from following in his mis-footsteps when trying to write their first novel.
He discusses the benefits that new technology offers, and his 20 chapters contain much valuable information on writing/publishing/distribution tips and advice about agents, Amazon, the Internet, POD, author/internet scams, cover and interior design, character arcs, tense shifts and much more.
This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel. It tells you how to start, and how to finish, and covers all the things a beginning writer should avoid - from crooked agents, non-publishers, phony writing contests, to horror stories that other authors and publishers have encountered.
This book will help you avoid the problems and bad practices that it took him years learn about the hard way, and will save you many years of aggravation and thousands of dollars.
*****
How to Write a Mystery Novel: Behind the Scenes: The Creation of a Crime Series
Gene Grossman created the popular 15-book series of Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries, featuring an adorable little 13-year-old Chinese girl named Suzi, attorney Peter Sharp's legal ward.
If you've enjoyed reading mysteries and want to try your hand at creating a series on your own, you will find this book a valuable aid, because it reveals Gene's thought processes as he created the series, and provides you with valuable information that will help you with your own writing efforts.
Also included are some 'insider' tips on printing, marketing, distribution, and much, much more.
The book also contains the first chapters from all thirteen of the Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries, so you can have some idea of how to 'grab' a reader's attention while they're browsing in a bookstore.
*****
About the Author
Gene Grossman worked his way through high school, college and law school as a shoe salesman, welder, process server, bail bondsman, tire changer, saloon piano player and ‘extra,’ appearing in numerous motion pictures.
He then spent 20 years as a trial lawyer, during which time he served as Dean of a small local law school, where he also taught several classes on Legal Writing to help prepare his students for the California Bar Exam.
The film and video company he started while working in the motion picture industry produced over fifty special interest video and DVD programs on everything from boating, to bankruptcy.
Now retired from the practice of law, Gene spends his time in Marina del Rey California aboard his yacht, the MAGIC LAMP writing. He is now working on more stories in his new series: the Suzi B. Mysteries, a spin-off of the Peter Sharp Legal Mysteries, in which Suzi B. takes on cases all by herself – and then usually pulls Peter, Myra and the rest of their crew into the action.
All of the books that Gene has written and/or edited can be seen on the publisher’s website, www.LegalMystery.com where you can also read any book’s first chapter, free of charge.
*****
Books edited by Gene Grossman
Deposition Preparation for All Kinds of Cases, and in All Jurisdictions
DEPOSITION PREPARATION is a compact book designed especially for clients, and any person who is going to be deposed should read it at least twice, because it tells you how to handle yourself during a deposition without making a fool out of yourself or completely blowing the case.
Included are chapters on Civil Discovery, What a Deposition is, Telling the Truth, Keeping the Answers Short, Volunteering Information, Controlling the Pace, Taking Breaks, Objections to Questions, Advance Preparation, Going Off the Record, Common Question, Common Objections, plus an Appendix that contains several excerpts of the law that pertains to depositions.
The author has also included several 'horror' stories about clients and depositions, plus 'how to spot a new attorney,' and other colorful information not usually included in a dry, straight-laced instructional book about some aspect of law.
This is the perfect book for any lawyer to have his or her client read before being deposed.
*****
Foreclosure Investing - Before, During and After the Auction
The author does a few things in this book that are unexpected: he points out the pitfalls to avoid in R.E.O. (Real Estate Owned by the lenders) investing, and also reveals some of the 'secrets' that the infomercial hucksters brag about in their "Get Rich in Real Estate" spiels.
This book shows you how to work smart instead of working hard and among the 17 chapters are numerous invaluable tips on how to beat the odds against succeeding in R.E.O. investing, why you should avoid bidding at foreclosure auctions, how to get the best performance out of your real estate broker, how to properly calculate rental property purchases, negotiating with the lenders, negotiating with property owners, finding the properties,
investing in second mortgages, using title insurance companies, the 28:36 credit ratio, plus how to obtain foreclosed property after it has already been sold at auction to another person, and much more.
The above titles are all available as both print and eBooks at the same place you obtained this one, and also from www.LegalMystery.com.
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The Mystery Books of Gene Grossman: Summaries with the Author's Comments Page 3