Finishing Up

I’m finishing my last reviews of the stories in my newest book. I am torn between allowing it to stand as it is or to try for another murder in it. The themes for the stories are for the most part, recollections of murder mysteries that happened while Tommy Two Shoes was a homicide detective for the Pittsburgh police.

Each story is fictitious as is the character Tommy, but in my fertile, creative mind he exists and solves the crimes with his partner Duffy and his help from the deceased Uncle Aidan LeClerc.

He is retired and cannot be involved in murders now, but each recollection of an odd crime scene or odd death is triggered by something that happened at home.

His newly acquired family is snug at home. It is nearing the Christmas season. The home is decorated for his wife Cora, his mother-in-law, Anna, and newly adopted son, Johnny. The tree is up and the mistletoe is hung. Little Johnny’s stocking is on the fireplace. Everything is ready for the arrival of…past recollections of the murders.

His partner, Duffy and Tommy solve them by following clues they find or by obtuse clues shared with them by Uncle Aidan. Each crime gets a holiday title because of the warped sense of humor that Duffy has.

Tommy’s divorce from his first wife leaves him despondent during some of these crimes. The pressure from the job and the demands of his first wife were what caused the divorce. Tommy had to choose and his dedication to his profession won out.

These were all memories. Now, he has a new family. Retired he has time for them and is just starting to do some writing of his memoirs and beginning private eye work to keep himself busy.