| The John Rueger - Bobby Jessic mystery novels: Tower John Rueger and Bobby Jessic, two Eastmont police officers, are assigned to investigate the suicide of the son of the President of Davis College. After his son, Craig, commits suicide because of false accusations of being a sexual pervert, David Lieberman fights to learn who blackmailed his son, and why. He becomes as brutal as those who killed his son, emotionally devastated his wife, and destroyed his career. Copyright John Pekich A Closed World John Rueger and Bobby Jessic must solve a series of especially brutal killings of faculty and students on the campus of Davis College. The deaths have shocked the campus and town of Eastmont: students are afraid to attend classes or go out at night; college officials are expressing their highest levels of fear and outrage at the crimes; and civic and political leaders are demanding that the police stop the killing rampage. Copyright John Pekich Shadows Fall John Rueger and Bobby Jessic must track down and close a lucrative drug ring run by a group of prominent businessmen in Eastmont. Philip Childers, the leader of the group, is slowly eliminating his partners. He also kidnaps Jessic’s girlfriend, Kathy Riordan, and cuts off and mails part of one of Kathy’s fingers to Jessic as a warning to back off. Ultimately, the drug ring is destroyed, and Kathy is rescued. Childers, though, escapes. Copyright John Pekich The Dying Light of Evening John Rueger and Bobby Jessic must capture Philip Childers, the escaped leader of a drug ring in Eastmont, now planning a land development scheme in the Catskills. On vacation there, Rueger recognizes Childers and calls Jessic for help. Childers kidnaps Joan Sullivan, to force her father to support his scheme, and Kathy Riordan–Jessic’s girlfriend; they will be bargaining chips against Rueger and Jessic. During a chase in the Catskills, Joan is rescued, but Kathy is murdered by Childers, who dies in the crash of his escape helicopter. Copyright John Pekich The Hour Between Dogs and Wolves George Dudas, a former Yugoslavian freedom fighter during World War II, vows to find the traitor who saved his own life by helping Nazis capture, torture and kill Partisans, including Dudas' wife. Dudas finally learns the identity to the traitor, Rade Moncilovich who is quietly living in the area. Dudas sends him notes threatening to expose his collaboration with the Nazis; Dudas also wants to avenge the death of his wife. After the mutilated body of a young girl is found near Eastmont, John Rueger and Bobby Jessic believe that Dudas knows more than he is telling about the girl’s death. Moncilovich kidnaps Dudas' godchild as bait to lure Dudas to a final confrontation. Rueger and Jessic race to save both Dudas and his godchild. Copyright John Pekich The Sisters Night and Death In Eastmont, abused women form a support group, known as The Sisters Night and Death, to protect their members-and other women-against further abuse. They also seek to avenge the abuse of women under their protection. John Rueger and Bobby Jessic realize they are almost powerless to prevent the Sisters from dealing with abusive spouses or boyfriends; they can only react after another man is attacked. The Sisters close ranks, blocking and diverting Rueger and Jessic, protecting their own, and exacting their revenge against abusive men. Copyright John Pekich The Dead Cold of Night International police organizations from the FBI to the French Sûreté to Scotland Yard attempt to stop an international conspiracy from laundering billions of dollars in illegal drug money. While on vacation in France with his girlfriend, Karen Pilsen, Bobby Jessic is asked to carry a computer disk detailing the laundering plans back to America where John Rueger will give it to the FBI. Later, on a beach in St. Tropez, Karen is kidnapped. Bobby doesn't realize that Karen is safe; they both were used as pawns by the authorities to stop the money laundering schemes and capture those responsible. Copyright John Pekich The David Howard Russel novels: The Rootless Walker David Howard Russel, a successful playwright, is about to receive a prestigious award for his writing. The novel traces his life from a child in a County Home in Eastmont where he learned to depend upon himself for support, to his high school days where he began developing his writing skills, through his college days when he made his first sales while also marrying and fathering a child, and ends with his years as a commercially and critically accepted playwright. At the end, David reconciles with his father and his blue-collar past, and receives the national honor for his playwriting before an audience of his friends, relatives and colleagues. Copyright John Pekich Dreamweaver David Howard Russell, a successful playwright teaching in a college, becomes involved with one of his students. When his wife and daughter learn of it, David runs from his problems by escaping on his boat, Dreamweaver, to an island off the coast of Maine; there he finds peace with the local fishermen. During a storm, two boys are lost at sea. David hears of the search, and helps to rescue the boys. The rescue makes national news, and the student, Marlene Fowler, goes to the Island to join David. With her help, David hopes he will be able to deal with his failed marriage and rebuild his relationship with his daughter. Copyright John Pekich The Mirror of My Soul While teaching a playwriting seminar, David Howard Russel receives an idea for a play from a mysterious F. Strickland. Next week, David meets Rachael Steiner at a faculty cocktail party; they begin to develop a personal relationship. At the party, Rachael mentioning F. Strickland to David. The following day, she introduces David to Francesca Strickland, a high school student dying of leukemia. Francesca wants her play, Mirror of My Soul, to be her legacy; David and Rachael work with her to produce it. Days later, Francesca dies, but her play will open. After the performance, David and Rachael agree to separate, until the Fall Term, as they decide the future of their relationship. Copyright John Pekich The Darkness at the Well of Night While studying French in Cannes, David Howard Russel accepts a job offers as literary consultant to a BBC production. Myriad production delays occur: equipment breakdowns, budget cuts and altered shooting schedules. David also learns that Pat Lucia, the Associate Producer, may have stolen nearly three million dollars and is being pursued for the money. Pat tells another story: her jealous, ex-husband, is following her. David’s daughter, Beth, joins him and the company for a week-part vacation and part job. Soon, serious threats arise against the company: Pat falsely accuses David of unwanted sexual advances; the cameraman is injured by a speeding car; and David is almost pushed from a castle wall. David must act to protect Beth and himself, and deal with Pat Lucia. Copyright John Pekich Others: The Other Side of Summer Bored with her life, Connie Porter, age eighteen, decides to work at an ocean resort for the summer. In Sandy Hill, she meets Pete, a boy her age. The season soon turns into a tedious cycle of working, eating, and sleeping. Several events disrupt her summer: Connie is nearly attacked by a shark; a friend overdose, another has an abortion; and Pete turns to other girls. Before the summer is over, Connie breaks up with Pete and leaves Sandy Hill, without telling Pete she is pregnant. On the bus ride home, Connie shares her life at Sandy Hill with Father Clark, except for the pregnancy. A week later, she aborts the baby and attempts suicide; Father Clark helps her to recover from her depression. At Sandy Hill, Pete has replaced Connie with other girls. Copyright John Pekich The Day the Magic Returned Tony Rizzetti, once the leader of Tidewater, wants to put the group back together for a final chance at making it big, beyond the Southern New Jersey-Philadelphia area. Once, the best at the Jersey Shore, now, they are a fond memory. Tony tracks down the former members, and his father, Michael Rizzetti, a wealthy Sandy Hill businessman, agrees to underwrite the band's return. As problems arise, Tony fears that the return of Tidewater may be an almost impossible task. The day before Tidewater is scheduled to give its major revival concert, Michael Rizzetti suffers a mild heart attack, but insists that Tony go ahead with the concert. Reluctantly, Tony agrees. Copyright John Pekich Sherlock Holmes and the Codex of St. Giles Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson must act quickly to stop an assassination attempt, presumably, against the Minister of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Behind this attempt is the Chiesa Pura, a ruthless, ultra-conservative cabal deep within the Vatican. This Chiesa plans to use the assassination of the Minister of St. Giles to create chaos in the world of Christianity by attempting to return the Church to its fundamental principles. Hoping to assume the leadership of the new Christianity, the Chiesa Pura plans to fund its efforts by locating the fabled Treasure of Charlemagne, supposedly given to St. Giles when he absolved the Emperor of a heinous crime, nearly a thousand years ago. Manipulating the efforts of the Chiesa Pura is Colonel Sebastian Moran, once a disciple of Professor Moriarty, now the head of Moriarty’ s vast criminal organization; he sees the potential for considerable profit through arms sales during the resulting chaos as Christian European nations fight each other for dominance in the resulting new world order. Assisting Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson is Holmes’ brother, Mycroft, as their efforts lead them from London to Edinburgh, to the South of France, then Paris. Copyright John Pekich 2008 |
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