Michael Drayton, Detective Guy--A Different Kind of Hardboiled Mystery Novel

I was at the small, round, glass-topped dining table the previous tenant of my apartment had left behind when my cell phone rang. My breakfast dish to one side, a styrofoam cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee sat in front of me. I looked at the caller ID. It read, “Worth, Alan.” I picked it up on the third ring and said, “Michael Drayton, Private Investigations.”
“Michael? It’s Julia Worth.”

“Hi, Julia,” I said. “What can I do for you?”

The cigarette I wanted was still in the pack, so I reached across the table for it.

“The usual,” she said. “Find Alan for me.”

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And so begins Michael Drayton's first adventure.

Set in and around the state of Rhode Island, Dead in His Tracks is a different kind of hardboiled mystery featuring a different kind of detective.

In the tradition of Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, Michael Drayton works alone and keeps to his own code of personal honor. Drayton uses humor, wit, intelligence, and willingness to do surprising things to deal with trouble. In Dead in His Tracks, uses all of his skills in dealing with the murder of his only wealthy client.

The novel features strong characters, excellent dialog, and Drayton's own, distinct narrative voice. I have worked on sections of two other Drayton novels and think that he can easily carry a series of books. An earlier version of Dead in His Tracks was named as a finalist in the “Emory Goes Novel” competition sponsored by the Creative Writing Program at Emory University.