Quartet

About the Book

Quintet is a collection of short stories, one unpublished, and previously published in Alfred Hitchcocks’ Mystery magazine. The latter have been refurbished and updated to present times and circumstances. They are for the most part stories of ordinary people being caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Eric Ambler type mysteries, a loan officer a bank teller, an accounting student, and a school counselor. One is a fantasy about a world famous blind guitarist who is kidnapped and held for ransom and how he is saved by feathered friend. These people meet some extraordinary characters, mafia bosses, big time Casino managers, C.I.A operatives, terrorist killers, and double agents. They find themselves in strange and exotic environments, one on a tour of Italy, another on a visit to Old Colonial Mexico and to their amazement find themselves dealing with organized crime, smuggling, murder attempts, and plots to terrorize an airport. The author wrote these stories to amuse himself while working in some very mundane jobs. He hopes they will amuse many mystery buffs like him.

About the Author

A Saturday’s child, the author has had many jobs since beginning to support himself at age 16. Grocery and bank clerk before the Second World War, Coast Guard seaman, merchant marine A., and army landing craft coxswain during it, and teacher-counselor for thirty years after the war. While teaching, he moonlighted in an amusement part and as an adult school teacher and librarian. After retirement he served on the 80 Olympic Games staff, put in fourteen years as an L.A.P.D. volunteer in a detective squad room, and is presently serving his Congregational church as a deacon. He has one wife, three children, nine grandchildren, and three great grandchildren, with more on the way.