Fallen movie idol Matt Logan writes his journal as secret letters to Michaella, the child he has lost. Ruthless starlet Crystal Beller steals them to sell to the tabloids. Crystal turns up dead in Matts dressing room closet, strangled with his tie and dressed for the shower scene. Is Matt the only victim of the blackmailing actress? Matts ex-wife and her husband guard their own secrets, but Michaella refuses to play the helpless pawn. If only Matt knew what Crystal knew . . .
Schuyler Kaufman works and lives in the North Carolina Applachians, writes in a wide variety of genres and contexts, and has worked in several films. Kaufman has been an instructor at the local university, teaching such subjects as communication theory, writing, and mathematics.
[F]or a fresh voice in the wonderful world of cozy mysteries, look no further. Schuyler Kaufman is edgy, fast paced, witty, and believable. [The] suspenseful plot, palpable settings, genuine characters, and high velocity dialogue will keep you turning page after page to the end. Then, if youre like me, youll ask, Wheres the next one?
Patrick Bone, Award winning author of Bloody Mary and Melungeon Winter
Kaufman weaves mystery and intrigue into a fascinating read.
B.J. Foster, Award Winning Author of Bayou Shadows
Schuyler Kaufmans writing has the grace of poetry and the emotional impact of a movie. . . . Matt Logan is a scarred-and-scared hero youll laugh with, cry with, and fall in love with.
Scott Nicholson, Award winning author of Thank you for the Flowers
"Forget about bad days; has-been, alcoholic movie actor, Matt Logan is having a bad life. His wife is divorcing him, what he calls his "Famous Grin" has been mangled in a car wreck that was all his fault and worst of all, a restraining order is keeping him from any contact with his beloved seven-year-old daughter, Michaella. It would be hard to feel much sympathy for this guy if his love for his child, whom he has nicknamed Mouse, didn't shine through everything he tells us. We experience all of Matt's trials in the pages of a journal he is keeping, addressed to his daughter. The story follows Matt through his recovery from his injuries, his fight against alcohol and his movie comeback as a rakish, scar-faced villain in a low-budget "horror romance," being filmed in the mountains of North Carolina. It is here that all his problems finally come together, for better or for worse, culminating in a gut-wrenching struggle for the future of a child.
The dialogue is brisk and filled with dry humor, the action sometimes brutal, unsparing of the weak-kneed among us, but always, there is that thread of tenderness. In DEAR MOUSE, Schuyler Kaufman has taken a moving family story and hard-boiled it. A refreshing, tender twist on the two-fisted mystery genre."
Ellen Kennedy, author of IRREGARDLESS OF MURDER |
