W. S. Gager
Auteur de A Case of Infatuation
A propos de l'auteur
Crédit image: W.S. Gager photo
Séries
Œuvres de W. S. Gager
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Sexe
- female
- Lieux de résidence
- Michigan
- Études
- Central Michigan University
- Professions
- College instructor
- Organisations
- Publice Safety Writer's Association, Sisters In Crime, Grand Rapids Area Writer's Group
- Prix et distinctions
- A Case of Infatuation took first place in the Dark Oaks Mystery Contest and second place in the Public Safety Writers Contest for published fiction. A Case of Accidental Intersection took first place in the Public Safety Writers unpublished fiction category in 2010.
- Courte biographie
- W.S. Gager has lived in Michigan for most of her life except when she was interviewing race car drivers or professional woman's golfers. She enjoyed the fast-paced life of a newspaper reporter until deciding to settle down and realized babies didn't adapt well to running down story details on deadline. Since then she honed her skills on other forms of writing before deciding to do what she always wanted with her life and that was to write mystery novels. Her main character is Mitch Malone who is an edgy crime-beat reporter always on the hunt for the next Pulitzer and won't let anyone stop him including murder. http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com www.wsgager.blogspot.com www.wsgager.com
Membres
Critiques
First Line: "Hey, Malone, how can we expect to get a Pulitzer in this backwater?"
Mitch Malone knew it was a mistake to let his boss talk him into a series of seminars at the newspaper offices of his hometown in Flatville, Michigan. The first day isn't even over when he lets one of the local reporters get under his skin. Before he knows it, Mitch has agreed to a bet, and now he has to find a big story in this small town.
At a bar that evening to drown his sorrows, Mitch stumbles into his own high school reunion-- and inadvertently, into his story. The next day, the former classmate he had been talking to is found murdered, and Mitch needs to find the killer before local law enforcement convinces everyone that it's him.
Gager's depiction of a small town is spot on, and her pacing is swift and sure. In fact, the events leading to the ending move fast and furiously. Although one character in particular already had me mentally giving him the hairy eyeball early on, the author did a very good job at guiding me away from him so that I was surprised by book's end.
I had a few problems with some of the secondary characters. At first, some of them appeared very stereotypical, and I was put off. However, all their motivations were revealed in due course, and I felt differently about them.
My favorite secondary character was teenager "Scoop" Bradshaw, and I liked how Mitch was willing to help her learn more about journalism. Scoop was bright and fearless, and I wish there could have been more of her in the book. As for Mitch himself, I liked his instincts, his quick thinking, and the information he imparted during his seminars. I did find him more than a bit twitchy and insecure, though. He always seemed to be telling me how he felt about something, and I'm just not used to males doing that.
I did enjoy this fast paced book about a journalist facing a return to the hometown he never wanted to see again. His quick thinking got him out of a murder charge, and going back home again made him face things he'd been avoiding. It was a painful trip, but Mitch proved that it can be done.… (plus d'informations)
Mitch Malone knew it was a mistake to let his boss talk him into a series of seminars at the newspaper offices of his hometown in Flatville, Michigan. The first day isn't even over when he lets one of the local reporters get under his skin. Before he knows it, Mitch has agreed to a bet, and now he has to find a big story in this small town.
At a bar that evening to drown his sorrows, Mitch stumbles into his own high school reunion-- and inadvertently, into his story. The next day, the former classmate he had been talking to is found murdered, and Mitch needs to find the killer before local law enforcement convinces everyone that it's him.
Gager's depiction of a small town is spot on, and her pacing is swift and sure. In fact, the events leading to the ending move fast and furiously. Although one character in particular already had me mentally giving him the hairy eyeball early on, the author did a very good job at guiding me away from him so that I was surprised by book's end.
I had a few problems with some of the secondary characters. At first, some of them appeared very stereotypical, and I was put off. However, all their motivations were revealed in due course, and I felt differently about them.
My favorite secondary character was teenager "Scoop" Bradshaw, and I liked how Mitch was willing to help her learn more about journalism. Scoop was bright and fearless, and I wish there could have been more of her in the book. As for Mitch himself, I liked his instincts, his quick thinking, and the information he imparted during his seminars. I did find him more than a bit twitchy and insecure, though. He always seemed to be telling me how he felt about something, and I'm just not used to males doing that.
I did enjoy this fast paced book about a journalist facing a return to the hometown he never wanted to see again. His quick thinking got him out of a murder charge, and going back home again made him face things he'd been avoiding. It was a painful trip, but Mitch proved that it can be done.… (plus d'informations)
A Case of Accidental Intersection – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
‘A twisted piece of fiberglass stuck in the dirt along the side of the road. A rear view mirror the color of cherry-red lipstick had busted off the wreckage and landed some fifty feet away, along the center line marking the do-not-pass zone. Firefighters, EMTs and policemen huddled around the still-turning belly of a cement truck that had mowed over the top of something but was itself undamaged. The realization hit me with horror. The mirror belonged to a car pinned under the orange and white girth. It now looked like an octopus with jagged sheet-metal legs protruding in all directions, rather than a fancy sports car from a showroom. I moved in the direction of a woman pacing and wringing her hands. I pulled out my ever-present small digital camera and snapped a couple of shots of the wreckage. Then one of the woman who clearly showed the magnitude of the scene without any words needed. I slipped the camera back in my breast pocket. “I’m Mitch Malone with the Grand River Journal.”
Mitch Malone has just run across a wreck that will be the basis of his biggest story of his career, so far. The “accident” took place just as the elderly Elsie Dobson was looking out her window. The little red sports car seemed to just pulled out in front of a cement truck. The passengers – Dominique Pewter, heiress to Herman Steel Designs and her long time best friend Ashley Albanese. Dominique had just purchased the car as a graduation gift to herself and as the papers would soon report, was killed on impact. The passenger, Ashley, was taken to the hospital with a broken arm and head injuries. Her chances of surviving are hopeful at best.
After seeing the wreck, talking to Elsie and then to a friend from the police department, Mitch isn’t convinced that this was an accident. After another death occurs and is tied to a bar Mitch has been staking out, he’s sure it wasn’t an accident. And this turns out to be the same bar where Mitch has been observing his new editor Neil patronizing. Could there be a connection?
In reading A Case of the Accidental Intersection I knew the why and came up with 3 possibilities as to who wanted Dominique dead. I finally realized that I was wrong about 35 pages from the end. I really enjoyed reading A Case of Accidental Intersection. Its filled with memorable characters, good cops, a rear end cop, as well as a touch of humor.
A Case of Accidental Intersection
2010
Oak Tree Press
232 pages
ISBN# 978-1-892343-70-3
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat… (plus d'informations)
‘A twisted piece of fiberglass stuck in the dirt along the side of the road. A rear view mirror the color of cherry-red lipstick had busted off the wreckage and landed some fifty feet away, along the center line marking the do-not-pass zone. Firefighters, EMTs and policemen huddled around the still-turning belly of a cement truck that had mowed over the top of something but was itself undamaged. The realization hit me with horror. The mirror belonged to a car pinned under the orange and white girth. It now looked like an octopus with jagged sheet-metal legs protruding in all directions, rather than a fancy sports car from a showroom. I moved in the direction of a woman pacing and wringing her hands. I pulled out my ever-present small digital camera and snapped a couple of shots of the wreckage. Then one of the woman who clearly showed the magnitude of the scene without any words needed. I slipped the camera back in my breast pocket. “I’m Mitch Malone with the Grand River Journal.”
Mitch Malone has just run across a wreck that will be the basis of his biggest story of his career, so far. The “accident” took place just as the elderly Elsie Dobson was looking out her window. The little red sports car seemed to just pulled out in front of a cement truck. The passengers – Dominique Pewter, heiress to Herman Steel Designs and her long time best friend Ashley Albanese. Dominique had just purchased the car as a graduation gift to herself and as the papers would soon report, was killed on impact. The passenger, Ashley, was taken to the hospital with a broken arm and head injuries. Her chances of surviving are hopeful at best.
After seeing the wreck, talking to Elsie and then to a friend from the police department, Mitch isn’t convinced that this was an accident. After another death occurs and is tied to a bar Mitch has been staking out, he’s sure it wasn’t an accident. And this turns out to be the same bar where Mitch has been observing his new editor Neil patronizing. Could there be a connection?
In reading A Case of the Accidental Intersection I knew the why and came up with 3 possibilities as to who wanted Dominique dead. I finally realized that I was wrong about 35 pages from the end. I really enjoyed reading A Case of Accidental Intersection. Its filled with memorable characters, good cops, a rear end cop, as well as a touch of humor.
A Case of Accidental Intersection
2010
Oak Tree Press
232 pages
ISBN# 978-1-892343-70-3
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat… (plus d'informations)
A fun read. Mitch is so socially inept, you gotta love him. Can't wait for the next one!!
Prix et récompenses
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 4
- Membres
- 15
- Popularité
- #708,120
- Évaluation
- 4.3
- Critiques
- 5
- ISBN
- 4
- Favoris
- 1
A Case of Infatuation.
Mitch Malone is a crime reporter and he is very good at his job. The reason he is so good is that he has no emotions. He never allows himself to feel anything for the victims and he works alone. All he cares about is getting a good story.
Until he is forced to team up with rooky reporter, Petrenka – beautiful, laconic and incredibly desirable. She is also very good at her job, and for similar reasons.
Despite resenting her presence, Mitch finds himself becoming increasingly obsessed with her.
Their first case is a very nasty murder which has all the hallmarks of a contract killing. But the killer has overlooked something. Petrenka finds a small child hiding in the house where the murder took place. For reasons of security, the child is temporarily put in Patrenka's care and this is when Mitch breaks all his own rules.
He, who has never liked children, falls in love with the little stranger and all his priorities shift. The story has now taken second place to ensuring the safety of the child.
There ensues a frantic race against time to get to the child's mother before the killer finds her.
I really enjoyed this story. The author's use of language and imagery is masterful. I particularly liked the image of the dead woman's hand lying exposed on the porch. Haunting!
Ms Gager is able to create real, believable characters and I found myself caring about them. Even the secondary characters like Daisy from the Roadhouse are well-rounded and enduring.
The plot is intriguing. I thought there were a couple of weak points. I find it hard to believe that the police would hand over custody of a child to someone whose only connection with the case is that they happened to arrive early on the scene and discover the child's hiding place. I also thought it was unlikely that the master criminal was unable to find his traitorous ex-employee, despite having unlimited resources, whilst Mitch was able to find him with relative ease.
But these are minor points and hardly detracted from the story, which was fast-paced and kept me guessing right up to the end. It also did what only the best stories do – left me wanting more.
I shall certainly be reading the other books in the Mitch Malone series.… (plus d'informations)