A Bonafide Detective - Softcover

Twombly, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 149921586X ISBN 13: 9781499215861

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014

Synopsis

It’s 1960. The Russians have nuclear missiles off the coast of Florida. The Sexual Revolution is about to send the world spinning. Intellectuals are predicting the death of God.

All that aside, fifteen-year-old Dewey “Doc” Ruggles has real challenges to deal with. He needs to find a babysitter for his little sister, Snowball, so he’ll have time to solve his hometown’s most chilling cold-case murder. It’s his chance to be a local hero and attract evil’s opposite: true love.

A chance sighting from atop a Catholic church is the break he needs. Knowing what he knows now, there’s no turning back. If he wants to become a bonafide detective, he’ll need to outwit Junior Mentz, the town's psychotic bully, stop Cuban communists out to assassinate a future US president, and solve the riddle of a mysterious nun who’s out to pull off a con of Biblical proportion.

Then again, maybe he’s imagining the whole thing. Sister Theresa doesn’t think so. The problem is she may not be the best expert on reality. According to a local legend, she may already be dead.

About this title

About the Author:

Tim Twombly grew up in Orange County, California. He has two daughters and lives in Laguna Beach.

Review:

A Bonafide Detective is a fun, if head-spinning, escapist read. The sophisticatedly crafted novel is set in early 1960s California, and cultural touchstones from jukebox hits to Doc's "Arthur Miller glasses" abound, evoking a familiar setting, though the story thankfully eschews any mythology about how the period was a "simpler time." From Junior, the sadistic bully, to Scarlett, the misandrist vixen neighbor, to the gruff and demeaning father...this story is chock-full of complex and strongly written characters. And then there are those who may or may not exist-Jimmy has a lupine alter ego that is either a magical realist element or a clever allegory for psychological disturbance. There's a sexy nun who might be a ghost and a ghost in a pink dress who might be a missing woman, still alive. And there's Margaret Ann, a true friend Doc does his best to pretend he despises, as well as his mentor and conscience, who shows up conveniently every time he's in need of a reality check. What's real and what's part of a teenager's rich inner life or a plot point in Doc's crime novel in progress? Twombly asks if it really matters what's true, challenging readers in a fresh and mind-bending way. Doc's story weaving could be a way to cope with the untrustworthiness of the adults in his life. Neither priests nor parents are to be depended on...in contrast, the kids-clearly just trying to stay afloat in a world that doesn't make sense-are worth rooting for. The relentless plot twists, constant introduction of new characters, and Doc's melodramatic detective story vignettes can sometimes be overwhelming, It may be a book that is better savored than devoured, in order to keep the details straight. But it's a satisfyingly different book that is worth the work for fans of mystery, folkloric elements, and young-adult-driven stories. Sarah Stewart
- Clarion Review

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 149921586X
• ISBN 13: 9781499215861
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 438