Justinia Wright | CW Hawes

Pipe Smoking in Fiction

While pipe smoking is not what it used to be, as is smoking tobacco in general, fictional pipe smokers (and their creators) abound.

There’s something about a pipe that conveys an image cigarettes, cigars, and not smoking simply doesn’t.

The Pipe Smoker

The pipe smoker is seen as a thinking man. A man of intelligence (Einstein was a pipe smoker). The pipe smoking man is not a rush about. His approach to problem solving is more measured and thought out.

Compared to the cigar and cigarette smoker, and also the non-smoker, the pipe smoker exudes the best qualities of a man.

The greatest generation were in large part pipe smokers. Back when I was a kid, there were an estimated 30 million pipe smokers. Today that number has dwindled to 3 million. And men are in a crisis, being assaulted left and right by extreme feminism. Maybe men should man up and go back to pipe smoking. It is a thought.

Fictional Pipe Smokers

But on to fictional pipe smokers and their creators, which is the subject of today’s post.

Sherlock Holmes

Probably the most iconic of fictional pipe smokers is Sherlock Holmes. He was an inveterate pipe smoker. The Persian slipper filled with his shag cut tobacco. The dottle he collected to be smoked first thing in the morning (I have to say here, yuck!). And of course, the famous three–pipe problem (nicotine stimulates thinking).

Philip Marlowe

Philip Marlowe smoked a pipe, as did his creator Raymond Chandler. And Marlowe is one of the most iconic of hardboiled detectives. He was also a rather introspective man. Something that is part and parcel of being a pipe smoker.

Hobbits

Hobbits are known for their love of pipeweed, as well as their creator J.R.R. Tolkien. And did you ever notice that Tolkien’s world is largely a man’s world? Pipe smoking and the war against evil. Must be a man thing.

Huck Finn

Mark Twain loved smoking. For him, the pipe and the cigar were symbols of rebellion against the constraints of an oppressive and unfair society. Huck Finn is an iconoclast; and through him, Twain attacks the social conventions and repression of his day. And Huck Finn smoked a pipe.

My Fictional Pipe Smokers

In my own writing, most of my main characters smoke a pipe. Why? Because a man who smokes a pipe is a thinking man. A man who approaches life calmly and rationally.

A pipe smoker is a meditative man. A man who contemplates and ponders the deep things of life.

Bill Arthur

Bill Arthur is such a man. He is the main character in my post-apocalyptic series The Rocheport Saga.

Bill’s main goal is to use the knowledge we already have to prevent humanity from slipping back into the dark ages. He is an armchair philosopher, who reluctantly becomes a leader.

Early on, Bill smokes Briggs Pipe Mixture: “When a feller needs a friend.” Because being the leader is often a lonely job. A pipe can however bring solace to a troubled soul. A pipe is sometimes a man’s best friend.

Harry Wright

Justinia Wright may smoke cigars at a rate to rival Sir Winston Churchill’s daily consumption, but her brother Harry is an occasional pipe smoker. He may not be the brains behind the detective agency, but he is the one who keeps it running.

Harry Thurgood

Harry Thurgood, the coffee shop owner in Magnolia Bluff, Texas, smokes a pipe. And I believe he’s the only smoker amongst the main characters in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.

He is a man with a secret life that he wants to keep a secret. But he’s also a man who enjoys the finer things in life. And the pipe can make a man look very distinguished.

Dr. Rafe Bardon

Pierce Mostyn doesn’t smoke. But his boss, Dr. Rafe Bardon is a pipe smoker. Bardon is the general behind the lines directing the troops who will save the world from Cthulhu and his ilk.

For Myself

For myself, the creator of fictional heroes and heroines, I enjoy my pipe. Sitting out in the garage, with a mug of tea and my pipe, I contemplate life and spin yarns in my head. Sometimes, though, I just do nothing. After all, when one has the two best leaves on the planet, tea and tobacco, what more does one want? That is pure contentment.

The Brotherhood of the Pipe

The Brotherhood of the Pipe, both in fiction and the real world, is still alive and well.

In my writing, as in Twain’s, pipe smoking is part of my rebellion against those elements of our government and our society that would squash our liberty because they think they know what’s best for us.

Huck Finn thumbed his nose at all the do-gooders who would cheat us and take away our freedom.

Huck smoked corn cob pipe. And I do, too.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not invent the mystery genre. That honor goes to Edgar Allan Poe.

But Doyle did make the nascent genre extraordinarily popular. Once Sherlock Holmes caught on with the public, there were dozens of imitators all vying for attention.

The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula

The formula that Doyle created for his genius sleuth endures to this day. It’s the formula all traditional mysteries follow. With stylistic variations, of course.

Here’s Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula:

1. 1. We meet the detective at home or in his office and learn that he is a genius.
  2. The client enters, tells the detective a tale of woe, and the detective decides to take the case.
  3. The detective hunts for clues to solve the murder (or other crime, if the story isn’t a murder mystery).
  4. The detective, having gathered enough clues finally knows who did it, and either catches the killer himself, or tells the police how the murder was done.

The significance of the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Formula is that the story’s focus is on the sleuth and the puzzle he is trying to solve.

Mysteries are Cerebral

At base, mysteries are cerebral, not visceral, reads.

Mysteries are a puzzle. The author is challenging the reader to see if he can figure out who did it before the detective’s great reveal at the end of the book.

By comparison, thrillers are visceral reads. They are packed with emotion. Their goal is to keep you on the edge of your seat, chewing on your nails.

Thrills and Spills

That doesn’t mean there can’t be thrills in a mystery, because there certainly are thrills. Often plenty of them. Car chases. Kidnappings. Shootouts. And lots more. They just aren’t the main course. The puzzle is.

My own Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery series follows, more or less, the Sherlock Holmes formula.

If your reading diet is mainly thrillers, you might find the mystery pacing too leisurely, or sedate. At least initially.

But hang on to your hat, because by the middle of the book things are heating up and heating up fast.

Real People

My Justinia Wright series was patterned after Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin mysteries.

Like Wolfe and Goodwin, sister and brother Tina and Harry Wright are people. They have lives apart from being private investigators.

Chandler gives us little glimpses into the private life of Philip Marlowe. And I can see why the glimpses are brief. Marlowe’s personal life is rather boring. He does play chess, but it’s games out of a book.

Tina and Harry, on the other hand, have interesting lives — and I share their lives with you. They are, after all, real people. At least I think they are.

So the lives of my detectives get intertwined with the mystery to provide a seamless window into the world of Tina and Harry Wright, and the people and critters they care about.

Get in on the Fun

If you like books about people, if you like Wordle or other puzzles, then you’ll like the world of Tina and Harry Wright.

You can find all of the many cases in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery series on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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One Of My Favorites

With my own contribution to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, Death Wears A Crimson Hat, leading the way as the top sales getter of any book in my oeuvre since its publication in April, I thought I’d give a shoutout to my own Justinia Wright mystery series.

It is obvious readers enjoy mysteries, if sales of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is any indicator.

So, if you have read Death Wears A Crimson Hat and/or any of the other books in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, then I encourage you to take a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota and spend some time with Tina and Harry Wright.

The Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries are classic whodunits just like many of the Magnolia Bluff stories.

If you enjoyed the sleuthing of Harry and Ember, or Graham Huston, or Caroline McCluskey, then you will enjoy the escapades of Tina and Harry Wright.

Each Justinia Wright mystery is a standalone. But since there are overarching character arcs, you may want to start at the beginning with Festival Of Death.

Or you might start with one of my favorites: But Jesus Never Wept.

Before I tell you why I like the book, let me share with you two reviews.

From Mark Scott Piper:

Great Characters, a Complex Plot, and Plenty of Surprises

But Jesus Never Wept is the third book in CW Hawes’s Justinia Wright Investigator Mysteries series. You don’t need to have read the first two to understand the characters and their steady and unsteady relationships. This one is a good read all on its own.

The title implies the focus of the novel may be about exploring the basic tenants of Christianity, but it’s not. Yes, there is an ongoing dialogue between the characters about whether Jesus ever existed in physical form, but this issue doesn’t carry the novel. In fact, the question of faith works more as a metaphor for examining and trying to understand what’s real and what’s not with the gory crimes and relentless criminals the characters must face. Like life, there are always questions here. And not all of them are answered by the end of the book.

The plot is at once intriguing and complex, and Hawes seamlessly mixes the basic murder investigation with an unexpected profusion of other themes and references including, the basics of the Christian religion, family dynamics, love relationships, high-end online prostitution, and the wrath and violence of the Yakuza crime syndicate. Not an easy task, but Hawes pulls it off with aplomb. And by telling the tale from Harry Wright’s point of view, Hawes provides some humor, even occasional sarcasm to the narrative. A nice touch, especially given the gruesome murders and constant threats from powerful enemies.

Hawes’s characters are memorable but never “average.” Justinia, Harry, Bea, and Cal all have their quirks and unique abilities. The relationships between all four have been established before in the series, and we can assume they develop further in this one. Even the minor characters and victims prove to be much more complex than they seem. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the bone-chilling weather in Minnesota. Dealing with the ice, snow, and painfully low temperatures colors the action and the attitude of the characters in the book.

The descriptions of the weather also help pull the reader into the novel, even those of us who’ve never been to Minnesota. That’s also true of the detailed descriptions of the many meals Justinia, Harry, and Bea share. Harry is a gourmet cook, and you’ll often feel the compelling desire to sit down with them and get a taste or two of his latest culinary delight.

Jesus Never Wept is a good read, and the skill and insights of Hawes turn the standard murder mystery plot into something more—and something better. Highly recommended.

And from Joseph A Congel:

Another GREAT, 5 STAR read! This series just keeps getting better!

This is the third book in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator series, and it is a top-notch addition to a top-notch series, written by a top-notch author. If you’ve been following the brother/sister PI team, you already know this series is rich in storyline and character development. If you are discovering the Wrights for the first time in this book, you will not be disappointed. However, treat yourself, and go back and read the first two books in this wonderful series.

In this installment, the author mixes religion, the Japanese mob, and high-end prostitution, and wraps it all up in a very engaging murder mystery. But what truly drives this story is the relationship between the main characters – Justinia, Harry, Bea, and Cal. The subplot of their lives is intertwined masterfully with the main plotline of the book, which is the mystery that needs to be solved. And although the idea of an intriguing mystery may have brought you here, the well thought-out, fun, realistic, characters is what will bring you back for more. A great murder mystery will make a great book, but a deeply developed cast of reoccurring characters is what makes a great series… and this is a great series.

I loved the first two books, and this one is no different. It’s why I bought the whole series. I look forward to seeing what the Wrights get themselves into between the pages of the next book. But don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself – just don’t be surprised if you become addicted.

Reviews like those two, really lift a writer. They are a light to illuminate the dark days that touch every storyteller.

So why do I like But Jesus Never Wept? I love the characters.

If I do not like the characters, then the book, movie, TV series, short story, or stage play are dead to me. It is as simple as that. I am there for the characters. And I love Tina and Harry. They are my children.

Characters aside, I also like the storyline in this novel. It touches on religion, something important in my life. The story also asks us what is of importance in our short lives. What’s life all about? Is love the answer? Or is it something else? Or maybe there is no answer.

As both Raymond Chandler and Erle Stanley Gardner noted, the murder mystery is the simplest of stories.

A kills B. The police think the killer is C, until the sleuth shows them the perpetrator is A.

The task of the writer is to use style to turn a very simple story into one that is not only complex, but beautifully satisfying; perhaps even elegant.

I think But Jesus Never Wept is a cut above. And I ask you to give it a try. Pick it up at Amazon.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Christmas with the Wrights: What the Readers Say

The stories in Christmas with the Wrights started out as gifts to my mailing list. If you want to get in on the fun, click or tap on this link: https://BookHip.com/BMNGDTB

When you do, the link will take you to BookFunnel, where you’ll get a free copy of Vampire House and Other Early Cases of Justinia Wright, PI (a $3.99 value), and join my mailing list. I’d love to see you at the party!

I’ll admit short stories are a hard sell for indie authors. And I don’t know why. They’re perfect for the person on the go.

Our schedules are busy. A short story can fill those odd moments of the day: waiting at the doctor’s office, commuting to work, lunch or coffee breaks. Or any other time when you are in between things.

I love short stories. A well-crafted short can be as satisfying an experience as a novel — only you get that experience of satisfaction faster. And more of them.

Christmas with the Wrights sees Tina and Harry dealing with 3 very different cases.

There’s Cordell Oscar Hellman, a conservative political pundit, who’s recreational morphine use has come to the attention of a vicious blackmailer.

Mrs. Solberg’s dope of a husband is being hoodwinked by the office minx and the Missus doesn’t like that one bit. But what can Tina do about it? She’ll have to get very creative.

Finally, there’s Emil Papenfuss. He’s homeless and a millionaire. Only he doesn’t know he’s millionaire. But Tina has to find him first before she can deliver the good news.

Three cases. Three chances to do a good deed. And with the inducement of three big, fat fees, and Harry’s help, Tina delivers the goods. But not without difficulty. A lot of difficulty.

So what do the readers say about all this? Let’s take a look.

If you like a story with fascinating characters and a good plot, as well as clever dialogue, check this one out.

That is a very satisfying review for an author to receive. Especially since it comes from another writer: Maryann Miller.

Here’s another review:

CW Hawes has done such a marvelous job of creating Justinia & Harry Wright, brother-and-sister sleuth team, that I keep coming back for more. I had just finished reading a story by this author when this Christmas book caught my eye. The characters were still in my head, and I decided to see what good deeds (hopefully) they might be up to during the Christmas season.

This book was as delightful as it promised to be … with three feel-good stories driven by Hawes’s exceptional characters of whom I’ve grown quite fond. The stories were great fun – the last one being my favorite.

Although this book offers Christmas cheer, it’s a great read for any time of the year, and again … just like the other books in this wonderful series.

Such a delightful review.

Fellow mystery writer, Joe Congel had this to say:

I have enjoyed CW Hawes’ Justinia Wright series for a long time, and this short story collection has arrived just in time for the holiday season. If you’ve followed the progression of the series, you’ll be delighted to know that the three stories in this volume have all the fun, mystery, and mayhem that you love in the full-length books. And if you’re new to the world of Minneapolis’ top private sleuth and her equally talented brother, Harry, then you are in for a real treat!

The stories are told through the eyes of Harry, which lends a bit of the whimsical to the narrative as Harry pulls no punches regarding his sister’s down falls as well as why she is the best PI for any client looking for justice in a cruel world. You can feel the love, trust, and admiration between the two characters as Hawes has done a superb job allowing the dialog to show the reader the tight, though somewhat flawed relationship between a brother and sister.

Hawes is a master of his craft, and these three tales pack a lot of surprise and intrigue inside each crisply written mystery. One of the things I like best about this collection is that even though the common thread throughout the book is that it’s the holiday season, these are not stories about Christmas mysteries, but rather good old fashion mysteries that happen to take place during Christmas time. It’s a wonderful blending of a magical time of year and the realization that mystery, bad decisions, and crime do not take a break during the holidays.

Do yourself a favor, and pour a cup of eggnog (spiked if you prefer), get cozy in front of the fireplace, and enjoy some of the best storytelling you’ll find between the pages of a book.

Now that is high praise, indeed — especially coming from a peer, who is no slouch when it comes to spinning an engaging yarn.

Richard Schwindt, another writer, who I think is one of the best storytellers writing today, wrote:

Christmas with the Wrights is the mature Hawes at the top of his form.

Now that comment is the best award I could have ever won.

Enjoy some Christmas cheer. Christmas with the Wrights is available from Amazon and is only 99¢. Which makes it the perfect stocking stuffer for that mystery reader on your list. As well as for yourself!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Christmas with the Wrights

It is no secret that Tina and Harry Wright are my favorite fictional children.

They first appeared in my life way back in 1982. It took 32 years for them to find their way out into the world.

Doing so first in Festival of Death, and then in Trio in Death-Sharp Minor.

To date, there are 22 investigative adventures featuring Tina and Harry. Over half of my total published output. Yes, indeed, my favorite children.

Christmas with the Wrights, which I published last year, is a collection of 2 novelettes and a short story, which I originally gave to my mailing list as Christmas presents.

The stories are delightful and suspense-filled tales that intertwine a good mystery with a bit of holiday cheer.

The book is only 99¢, which is a good deal for the the holidays. The perfect stocking stuffer. The book is available at Amazon.

Even more than the royalties, actually much more than the royalties, I love to get positive feedback from my readers. That can be in the form of reviews, emails, tweets, or Facebook posts.

That feedback lets me know I’m achieving my goal of giving good-value entertainment, making the reader’s life just a little bit better.

GP Gadbois posted the following review on Amazon:

CW Hawes captivated my attention with realistic plots. From the process in which Tina and Harry Wright choose a case right up until it’s solved. Every detail matters. The interaction between brother and sister, and all the other characters is also delightful. A great read.

Bri had this to say:

I enjoyed all three stories which were told by Harry, Justinia’s brother. His storytelling, the characters, and the jumbles they get themselves into made for a few laughs.

I love these characters. The author has done a great job of bringing them to life in the stories, along with the setting. I felt the cold. The second story had me wondering how in the world Justinia was going to solve the case.

The stories are quick, enjoyable reads. I highly recommend sitting down with Justinia and Harry at the little mansion on West Franklin in the Minneapple while she has a cigar and a glass of Madeira, and he plays online chess, and they work through the case and a bit of sibling rivalry. Justinia keeps secrets. 🙂

I laughed when I read the next review by night owl, but also felt good because they had a satisfying experience reading a short-form mystery.

I didn’t think he could do it.

When I heard this was an anthology of Justinia Wright stories, I didn’t believe the author could pull off the feat. After all, the other stories were full-length books. To take detective plots and fit them into a smaller format… I was wrong.

Nuff said?

Want some feel-good holiday cheer? Need a stocking stuffer for the mystery reader in your life? You can get it — for only 99¢ on Amazon.

Christmas with the Wrights. Not like any Christmas you’ve ever experienced.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Not Alone

This past Friday morning, I was checking Author Central for new reviews and was surprised to see the most complementary review by Mark Scott Piper:

Great Characters, a Complex Plot, and Plenty of Surprises

But Jesus Never Wept is the third book in CW Hawes’s Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries series. You don’t need to have read the first two to understand the characters and their steady and unsteady relationships. This one is a good read all on its own.

The title implies the focus of the novel may be about exploring the basic tenants of Christianity, but it’s not. Yes, there is an ongoing dialogue between the characters about whether Jesus ever existed in physical form, but this issue doesn’t carry the novel. In fact, the question of faith works more as a metaphor for examining and trying to understand what’s real and what’s not with the gory crimes and relentless criminals the characters must face. Like life, there are always questions here. And not all of them are answered by the end of the book.

The plot is at once intriguing and complex, and Hawes seamlessly mixes the basic murder investigation with an unexpected profusion of other themes and references including, the basics of the Christian religion, family dynamics, love relationships, high-end online prostitution, and the wrath and violence of the Yakuza crime syndicate. Not an easy task, but Hawes pulls it off with aplomb. And by telling the tale from Harry Wright’s point of view, Hawes provides some humor, even occasional sarcasm to the narrative. A nice touch, especially given the gruesome murders and constant threats from powerful enemies.

Hawes’s characters are memorable but never “average.” Justinia, Harry, Bea, and Cal all have their quirks and unique abilities. The relationships between all four have been established before in the series, and we can assume they develop further in this one. Even the minor characters and victims prove to be much more complex than they seem. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the bone-chilling weather in Minnesota. Dealing with the ice, snow, and painfully low temperatures colors the action and the attitude of the characters in the book.

The descriptions of the weather also help pull the reader into the novel, even those of us who’ve never been to Minnesota. That’s also true of the detailed descriptions of the many meals Justinia, Harry, and Bea share. Harry is a gourmet cook, and you’ll often feel the compelling desire to sit down with them and get a taste or two of his latest culinary delight.

Jesus Never Wept is a good read, and the skill and insights of Hawes turn the standard murder mystery plot into something more—and something better. Highly recommended.

Mr. Piper is a fellow author. I don’t know him, even though we do follow each other on Twitter.

I will say this: I was completely blown away by his review.

But Jesus Never Wept is one of my favorites in the Justinia Wright series. So to discover someone who appreciates the metaphors I put in the book was a delight. I’m not sure that my feet touched the floor all day.

Over the course of the 8 years I’ve been an independent author-publisher, I’ve seen a significant number of writers come and go.

I suspect most leave writing because they don’t strike it rich or get many, if any, accolades. A significant number of writers complain about the lack of support from family and friends in particular.

All I can say is — I hear you.

The arts are tough rows to hoe. As the song says, “One is the loneliest number”.

Being any type of artist is usually a lonely affair.

If the only reason you, my fellow writers, are writing is to get money or accolades, then you are probably going to meet with disappointment.

The median income for all published authors, according to a 2018 survey by Authors Guild, was $6,080.

The median income for all published authors based solely on book-related activities was $3100.

I’ll tell you right now, I’d give my eye teeth to earn $3100 in royalties for one year. Nevertheless, to put that into perspective, that is 2 months rent and change.

As for support and accolades, I’d probably die from a heart attack if one of my family members or one of my friends told me they’d read a book of mine and liked it. They’d be much more likely to tell me what was wrong with it.

Yes, one is the loneliest number.

But we aren’t truly alone. Every one of us who puts pen to paper and then sends those books and stories out into the world — has an audience.

Our audience may be small.

It may be large.

Doesn’t matter.

What matters is that we do have an audience.

Sometimes we simply need to be patient and diligent so we can find each other.

I don’t know Mr. Piper. But I do hope to get to know him in the coming days, months, and years.

One may be the loneliest number. But the loneliness ends with two.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Christmas with the Wrights

Even hard-nosed detective Justinia Wright can get into the Christmas spirit.

Three cases. Three chances to spread some Christmas cheer.

There’s Cordell Oscar Hellman, the conservative political pundit, who’s recreational morphine use has come to the attention of a vicious blackmailer.

Mrs. Solberg’s dope of a husband is being hoodwinked by the office minx and Mrs. S doesn’t like it.

Then there’s Emil Papenfuss, who’s homeless and a millionaire. Only he doesn’t know he’s a millionaire.

Three cases. Three chances to do a good deed. And with the inducement of three big fat fees and Harry’s help, Tina delivers the goods. But not without difficulty.

Christmas with the Wrights. Not like any Christmas you’ve ever experienced. Get in on the action and fun today!

You can get a copy on Amazon for only 99¢.

I love writing the Justinia Wright mysteries. For me, Tina and Harry’s world is a place I want to be. And I’ve written and published more stories about them than I have any of my other characters.

The 2 novelettes and 1 short story that make up Christmas with the Wrights were originally written for my mailing list. My Christmas present to my fans and followers. After several years of sitting in the desk drawer, I decided to make them available to a wider audience.

A couple years back, internationally bestselling authors Caleb and Linda Pirtle named me one of the top 25 mystery writers you should be reading. That was quite an honor, and quite a testimony for the Wrights.

The Pirtle’s are featuring Christmas with the Wrights as their Book of the Moment. Read about it on their blog.

Spending Christmas with the Wrights just might be the best Christmas you ever had. Like being a kid again.

Get it on Amazon!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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A Nest of Spies

The sale is now over — hope you got your copy!

Murder and mayhem. Plus Tina’s being framed for murder!

A Nest of Spies is the 5th book in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries series.

Starting 5 am PDT on Wednesday, August 18th, the book will be on a 137 hour sale. For only 99¢! That’s a 76% deep discount.

Get A Nest of Spies on Amazon!

Joe Congel, author of the wonderful Tony Razzolito mysteries, had this to say about A Nest of Spies:

If you’re not reading this wonderful Private Investigator Mystery series, you should be.

CW Hawes has created a cast of characters that I believe stand tall next to any traditional detective, whodunnit mystery you want to put them up against. In this, the 5th installment of the series, the reader gets a peek into private eye, Justinia Wright’s secretive government past. A past that she never talks about, not even with her brother, Harry.

But when government (the U.S as well as other countries) spies and contract killers start appearing on her doorstep, it becomes obvious to Harry that his baby sister may still have at least one toe dipped in a pool filled with espionage and treason.

Spies can be a funny bunch; they will put their mutual trust in one another when it’s beneficial to them, but will not hesitate to pull the trigger to save themselves. And all the while, you cannot believe a word any of them say.

When a former agency partner tries to unsuccessfully hire Tina to help secure a flash drive with plans for a top-secret weapon by posing as the buyer, it is just the beginning of a fun, interesting mystery filled with lots of twists and turns.

As more and more people from Tina’s past show up wanting to talk with and hire the great detective’s services, the lies… and the body count begin to grow. And when Tina is accused of murder, she and her team of sleuths devise a scheme to recover the missing flash drive, catch a murderer, clear their names, and in the process make a little profit for their troubles.

With all that is going on in this story, you would think that the Wrights would have time for nothing else. And as interesting as the main plot of this novel is, the subplot that fleshes out the on again, off again relationship saga between Tina and police Lieutenant Cal Swenson, all the fabulous meals cooked up by Harry and his wife Bea, and the side characters like Tina’s tenant, the quirky artist wannabe, Solstice, is perhaps what really makes this series special.

Hawes has developed characters that you can’t help but care about. It’s what makes me continue to buy and read every book in this series. I really want to know what’s going on in Tina and Harry’s personal life as well as how they will solve the mystery at hand.

I highly recommend A Nest of Spies. It is my favorite Justinia Wright Mystery so far, and I can’t wait to dive into the next one to see where the mystery and mayhem takes this talented brother and sister detective duo.

KD McNiven, author of the very fine Detective Brock Scanlin mystery series, had this to say:

…I have read several of CW Hawes’s books and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I especially like his Justina Wright books because they are the traditional whodunit mysteries that keep you flipping the pages. And CW just writes darned outstanding books. Justinia (Tina) is a colorful six-foot-tall redhead character who is a private investigator, a connoisseur of painting, and an accomplished pianist. Her brother Harry works alongside her, and they make a great team.

There are plenty of twists and turns in A Nest of Spies to keep you reading through the night. You can’t help but join in on the fun and mayhem. I highly recommend A Nest of Spies! A fantastic mystery series.

High praise, which I feel very honored to receive as it comes from such fine writers.

Below is a snippet, from Chapters 7 and 8, for your reading pleasure.

All was quiet for a few moments and then Cal spoke. “Gaddison was shot with a thirty-two. There aren’t many of those around. Mind if I take a look at yours, Tina?”

The look on Tina’s face would’ve iced over the Amazon.

“Yes, I mind. I didn’t shoot Gaddison, Swenson. And if I had, all I needed to do was make one phone call and the crime scene would have been cleaned to the point where even God would’ve thought He’d just made the place.”

“Look, Wright, I’m just doing my job. Don’t make this any tougher for me than it already is.”

She paused long enough for the temperature in her demeanor to thaw out and actually exude some warmth.

“Okay, Swenson, I’ll humor you. Harry, get my revolvers.”

We keep most of our guns locked up, although we each have one or two in a drawer in our respective desks and I know I have one in my room upstairs. I unlocked the safe and got out her two revolvers. A nod of her head in Cal’s direction indicated I should take them to him. He looked them over, smelled them, popped out the cylinders, put them back, and handed the guns back to me.

“Satisfied?” Tina asked.

“On the revolvers? Yes, they don’t appear to have been fired recently.”

“They haven’t, Swenson.”

“Still might want to run a ballistics check on them. What ammo do you use?”

“Federal eighty-five grain jacketed hollow points.”

“Do you own a thirty-two caliber semi-auto?”

“What the hell, Swenson? No, I don’t.”

“You mind telling me what you did last night?”

“Am I a suspect?”

“Well, we found what we think is the murder weapon. A little Yugoslav CZ Model 70 in thirty-two.”

“I don’t own one and, as I already told you, I don’t own any semi-autos in thirty-two.”

“Care to tell me why your fingerprints are on the gun?”

I know Tina pretty well. She’s as cool as that proverbial cucumber under pressure. But when Cal asked her that question, I could swear she blanched.

“I have no idea, Swenson.”

“I had them hold off doing a ballistics test until I talked to you. So you don’t own any thirty-two caliber semi-autos. Just the two revolvers.”

“Correct.”

“I won’t get any surprises doing a registration check.”

“No.”

“So where were you last night?”

Tina took in a deep breath and exhaled. “I went out with a friend. We had supper and took in a movie. Then I went to his place for a bit, we got into an argument, and I left. I was pissed and drove around for awhile before coming home.”

“When did you leave his place?”

“Around eleven.”

“When did you get home?”

“About one.”

“You were out driving around for two hours?”

“Yes, Swenson. I was driving around by myself for two hours and therefore no one can corroborate where I was. Hell, I’m not sure I know where I went. I was pissed and just drove around. When was Gaddison shot?”

“Around midnight. Give or take a half-hour. Which means you don’t have an alibi.”

“My prints just on the gun or are they on the ammo too?”

“As far as I know, just the gun.”

“Cal, I didn’t shoot him. I would have loved to have been the one to pull the trigger, but I didn’t. As for my prints, I have no explanation.”

“We’ll run a ballistics test. If it is the murder weapon… Well, you know what that means. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something.”

“Thanks, Cal.”

“Any idea who might want to frame you?”

“No one in Minneapolis.”

He nodded and stood. “That should do it for now.”

Cal left and Bea followed him out, returning in a couple of minutes. She sat on the chesterfield and asked, “Is this spy stuff, Tina?”

“Don’t know for sure. Probably.”

“What I want to know,” I began, “is how did your prints get on a gun you don’t even own?”

Tina shook her head. “I have no idea.” She turned to Bea. “What did the guy look like who delivered the special delivery letter?”

“It wasn’t a guy. It was a woman. Kind of masculine looking, but she looked like a woman to me.”

Tina shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“If this is spy stuff, governments sure do a lot of bad things, don’t they.”

Tina had a far away look on her face. “Yes, they do, Bea. Yes, they do.”

I hope you enjoyed that little morsel.

Get A Nest of Spies for only 99¢ starting tomorrow, August 18th. Sale ends 10 pm PDT on August 23rd. So don’t wait!

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To Right A Wrong — Is Live!

The latest Justinia Wright mystery, To Right A Wrong, is live!

Get it on Amazon!

And here’s a snippet to whet your appetite.

Gavin, maintaining his innocence, said the only conclusion was that someone had shot his uncle.

The jury agreed. They also agreed with the prosecutor that the someone was Gavin Gamble.

I set the papers on my desk. It all seemed to be there: motive, means, and opportunity. I picked up the copy of the anonymous letter Molly Gamble received. The penmanship was elegant, but the hand that had written the note was not a steady one. The message was simple:

Your husband is innocent. One of the witnesses is lying.

The message was signed, A Friend.

A friend. Ha! If the person was truly a friend, why didn’t he or she say something at the trial? Why wait until now? Indeed, why now? Why send Molly Gamble this note at this particular point in time?

It seemed to me we had more people, a lot more people we needed to talk to before Tina could decide if the note sender was a liar or not.

And how did the note sender know Gavin Gamble was innocent in the first place? Now that was a question I’d like an answer to.

Tina walked into the office and sat at her desk.

“So did Chopin confess? He did it, with the revolver, in the study.”

My sister poured herself a glass of Sercial madeira, the cheap fifty dollar a bottle stuff. “What are you talking about?”

“Apparently he didn’t confess, because you’re still a crabby puss.”

“I am not.” She took a sip of wine. “Did you read the transcripts?”

“I did.”

“Thoughts?”

“In spite of his claim to innocence, the evidence is pretty damning.”

“As I recall from the news coverage, the case was more or less open and shut.”

“So how are you going to spring our jail bird out of the slammer?”

“I don’t know. Who else had a motive for killing James Bowen?”

“Beats me. Gavin Gamble admitted he felt hurt and betrayed because his uncle decided to give him the boot. It could be he also felt angry and decided to get even. That was the prosecution’s line of reasoning, and the jury bought it.”

“Yes, they did. The question is whether or not they bought a snow job. The question we must answer is simple: who else had motive to kill James Bowen, because if Mr Gamble is innocent then someone else not only had motive but acted on it — and then framed Mr Gamble.”

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To Right A Wrong

The newest Justinia Wright mystery, To Right A Wrong, number 8 in the series, is formatted and waiting on Amazon’s approval, and, barring any problems, will be available to the public on Cyber Monday.

This traditional whodunit murder mystery sees Tina (Justinia) and Harry trying to gather the necessary evidence to overturn a wrongful conviction, and put the right person behind bars.

To Right A Wrong is about justice. About justice having been sacrificed to get a conviction, and about justice restored so that crime does not pay.

Tina’s lawyer, Harold Feingold, wants to reopen a case even though the evidence is very slim that indicates there was a miscarriage of justice. He comes to Tina seeking her help, and Tina accepts the challenge.

A murdered uncle. Four nephews vying for the inheritance. One fingered by the others for the murder. But what about the servants? Could it be that, in this case, the butler really did do it?

This is a murder mystery that will have you scratching your head with Harry, or arranging puzzle pieces with Tina.

Along the way, there is wise-cracking humor, sibling rivalry, good food and wine, enough action to keep things interesting, and plenty of exercise for those little gray cells.

Stay tuned, so you can experience a little goodwill towards people this holiday season.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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