Kirjahaku

In this first person account, a bright, mild-mannered, middle aged man struggles to regain his memory while being forced to evade ugly adversaries who seem determined to stop him before that can occur. Why are so many people pursuing him? Are they, really, or is it just his growing paranoia? He is not at all certain which side of the law his antagonists are on and that leaves his own position in doubt - good guy or bad guy? Because of that uncertainty, he can't engage the help of the police or other missing person bureaus. Through his interaction with the people and things he encounters, he gradually assembles a picture of himself - personality, skills, areas of knowledge and interests. Along the way he engages a variety of interesting characters - mostly friendly and many in need of his assistance. There are two clearly ominous figures who seem to be keeping tabs on him from the sidelines and he figures that can't be good. From the opening page in which he 'emerges from a dark cloud of nothingness' possessing only two bags and an all-encompassing sense of foreboding, to the final, nail-biting, terrifying scene high atop a hotel roof, both the main character and the reader are kept guessing.

BOOK TWO in the series: Once again, Detective Masters is on the case as he and the bumbling local police force are out to catch a killer. Initially thought to be a suicide, the retired banker's death has been ruled a murder. This whirlwind, locked door, "who done it" will leave you confounded until the very last page. Was it the teenage boy whose car had killed the banker's wife, the waitress at the local cafe with a special interest in the handyman who, as it turns out, is handy with things other than tools, the sister-in-law who will inherit the victim's estate, or a hit man hired by the victim's wife before he was killed? Also, don't miss out on the rest of the Raymond Masters Mysteries, now available on Amazon (Search, Garrison Flint books)

BOOK ONE in the series: Fairfield Heights, a century old mansion, offers a haunting presence as it sits high atop a dreary, rock strewn, sharp-sloped, hill. The ailing, ninety-two year old billionaire, Jasper Fairfield, gathers his heirs for the disbursement of his fortune. One by one they are murdered. Is it the help hoping to maintain their hold on the property? Is it one of the sons; Farley, certifiably deranged, or Chester, the seldom serious laugh machine? Or how about the two adult grandchildren: Bernice, single, well educated, self-centered; or Cliff, the one truly sane-appearing individual in the lot. Maybe it is Cliff's fifteen year old son, who quietly seethes underneath his affable demeanor. The case presents several unusual twists for the old detective. For one, he sees many of the victims alive and well after the time of death certified by the coroner

BOOK THREE in the series: Not even the third time was to be the charm for this murderer. A friend of Masters, a beloved, retired, dying, classical guitarist is the target for murder. In his mansion - curiously - live five of his three former wives; his long time back-up guitarist (and his despicable son); his distant, personal assistant; the charming young chauffeur with a shady past; the cook, and the mysterious prowler. Twists abound in this outing.

BOOK FOUR in the series: Retired Detective Raymond Masters is at it again - this time untangling the mystery of a murder in which the body was stabbed, shot, strangled, drowned, poisoned and bludgeoned. It all takes place during the annual Gathering of Marksmen competition for which Masters is a judge. The dozen suspects at the beautiful Whispering Pines Lodge lead him on a merry chase as he systematically sorts away the innocent and hones in on the culprit (or is it culprits?). Again, it remains until the final page to hear he old Detective's solution.

BOOK SIX in the series: Apparently of its own volition, an antique crossbow, long perched high on the wall of the great room in Winston Rafferty's Mansion, fires and kills one of the guests at a publisher's book launching party. There are a variety of suspects: the publisher, three mystery writers, a universally disliked book critic, the cantankerous neighbor and his son, the wily old grounds keeper, the maid, and the new assistant to Rafferty - himself a noted mystery writer and suspect. Gadgetry abounds. The twists and turns tangle among themselves. Masters identifies and perpetrator in the final words of the final paragraph. (Those who peek will be drawn and quartered )

BOOK SEVEN in the series: Seven of the past nine leaders of an off-beat fraternal order in a small Wyoming town died mysterious deaths during their annual Banquet on the morning of the Spring Equinox. There have been no wounds and no traces of poison. There has, however, been a long-standing Gypsy curse against the group. Natural causes? Coincidence? Curse? Detective Raymond Masters says murder Not only does he nail the perpetrator(s?) of these seven crimes, but he puts the screws to four more along the way.

At age 15, handsome Hans Hanzik, a Bosnian orphan, is the most successful touring psychic in the United States. A series of threats against his life bring Detective Masters into the case. Masters immediately senses trouble (the boy's guardian) and conjures up a spell or two of his own. Though set in the Ozark Mountains of North West Arkansas, Masters manages to solve three outstanding homicides from New York City to Key West, all the while tutoring the shy, sheltered young clairvoyant in the social graces and the gentle art of romance. In a spine-chilling finish, Masters must match wits with the cunning villain, who seems in every way to maintain the upper hand. Throw in a few gadgets and ESP and the reader is in for a great experience. One of 17 novels in the Raymond Masters Detective Series - reviewed as 'good reads' in cozy murder mysteries, sleuth novels, private detective fiction and detective mysteries.

Adam Williams, wealthy furrier and despicable human being, is killed while loveable, old, Detective Masters and the half dozen possible suspects from family and staff are with him in his study - each the perfect alibi for the others. A barrage of cryptograms and other messages written in codes hold the clues. Might it be the wife - a depressed wallflower; the son - a womanizing, self-centered, rebellious artist; the butler - a witty Englishman who may have blackmailed the victim to procure his position years before; the maid, uneducated but bright, blunt and a cryptogram fanatic; the reclusive handyman, who has been involved with the wife for years; or the victim's long-time secretary and sometimes mistress who is well remembered in the will? Motives and gadgets abound. Along the way, four other unsolved murders from the past are resolved as Masters enlists the help of this fascinating group of characters - all of them suspects. One of 17 novels in the Raymond Masters Detective Series - reviewed as cozy murder mysteries, sleuth novels, private detective fiction and detective mysteries.

BOOK TEN in the series: The late July vacation, which Retired Detective Raymond Masters had been looking forward to at the Terrapin Island resort in Lake Huron, immediately turns into work when staff members, one after another, are murdered. Could it be the troubled teenage grandson of the owner, the greedy millionaire or his pants-chasing wife, the impatient artist, or the beautiful young writer who claims she is searching for her birth mother? Other suspects abound as Masters sorts through the clues with the reader.

Combined, here, are two, ever-popular types of detective stories - Inland Mysteries and Butler Murder Mysteries. Detective Raymond Masters arrives at Windstone Manor - high atop a tiny, remote, snow blown, island off the Maine Coast - to supervise a Scavenger Hunt designed by Elliott Stone, the aging, despicable, Lord of the Manor, to allow one of his heirs to enhance his or her position in his will. The participants include the five butlers who formerly worked for him (most of whom hate each other and Elliott), and his nephew (a self-centered, amoral, 30-year-old who has lived most of his life at Windstone). Then there is Carl, the old man's lawyer; Bea, his nurse and secretary; Angie, the cook and maid; and Hyde, the current young butler. Five bodies later, Masters (once again surviving a strange little policeman sidekick) solves the cases amid the unrelenting, freezing storm that hold the group captive on the rock amid the raging sea. One of 17 novels in the Raymond Masters Detective Series - reviewed as 'good reads' in cozy murder mysteries, sleuth novels, private detective fiction and detective mysteries.

BOOK TWELVE in the series: No one shed a tear when either of them (a wealthy father and his adult son) were murdered but when one of Raymond Masters' friends is accused of doing them in, the old detective packs his bags and arrives to direct the investigation. Legitimately motivated suspects abound, including the maid, long mistreated by both men; the handyman, a loner and newcomer to the area; the brother, an expert marksman who had a life long feud with the family; the security guard, with unspoken motives; the drifter, whose presence seems oddly out of place; the brilliant teenage twins next door, with tempers and revenge on their minds; and their mother, recently done wrong by the younger of the deceased. The deadly shot had clearly come from Masers' friend's bedroom window yet he works to prove otherwise. As is often the case, gadgets play a role in the c omission of the crime.

BOOK THIRTEEN in the series: Twenty-nine year old identical twins set out to take revenge on Raymond Masters, the detective who sent their father to prison for murder 24 years before. They indicate they will kill someone at a national twin convention and promise that he won't be able to solve it, thus ending his 50 yearlong perfect crime fighting record. Identical DNA, prints and appearance should make it impossible to prove which twin was where doing what, when. A handsome young bellboy is (apparently) framed. Together he and Masters work to solve three homicides and two attempted murders. (The reader my want to take notes on this one )

BOOK FOURTEEN in the series: The old detective arrives at a lavish, isolated, villa in the desert north of Las Vegas to protect an ailing, old, millionaire, his staff, and family from a recent threat against the household. When the old man is murdered, five relatives come forward, each claiming to have acted alone in his demise. Each is the perfect suspect with motive, opportunity, prints on the weapon, and unique knowledge of the crime scene. With the assistance of two teenage lads, Masters unravels the twists and turns, and, in the end, not only solves the murder at hand, but several others that occurred years before.

BOOK FIFTEEN in the series: These six shorter stories feature the loveable, septuagenarian, Detective Raymond Masters and run the gambit from confounding codes, diabolical darts, eerie gargoyles, and the reclusive, recluse spider. They present a wide range of characters, plots, and gadgetry. Each one emerges from a unique setting and presenting circumstances.

In # 16 of the series, the old detective, Raymond Masters, agrees to moderate a murder mystery contest among six would-be sleuths, each of whom, in real life, bears the name of a fictional detective - Sam Spade, Dick Tracy, Joe Mannix, Peter Gunn, Charlie Chan, Mike Hammer. Which of the surrogates will solve the case and claim 'Best Detective' for their famous namesake? The players gather in an isolated, mountainside, mansion in Alberta Canada. A blizzard comes up making outside contact impossible. One by one the contestants are murdered. Masters and his teen age friend, Airie, the great grandson of the aging Billionaire owner of the estate and sponsor of the game, take on the challenge of finding the killer (or is it killers?). There are secret passageways, hidden rooms, a dungeon, and an attic that has been locked for decades. Good conversation and lots of fun as the master detective works his magic for the 16th time.

In his 15th outing, the ample octogenarian, detective, Raymond Masters, arrives at the beautiful, remote Tanglewood Inn prepared to deal with one attempted murder. In the end he faces a half-dozen murders, as well as an assortment of other crimes. Among the characters/suspects are the owner, John Weston; his wheelchair bound teenage nephew, Jerry; John's eccentric half sister and former movie star, Agatha Montel; Marvelous Marvin, the former trapeze performer; and others - the banker, the lawyer and his wife, the trooper, the small-time safe cracker, the Sheriff and his interesting deputies, the old Dutchman who lives in his windmill atop the hill, and an assortment of hotel employees. Knives are thrown, guns are loaded, syringes are filled, and people fall like flies. The fast-paced story line is laced with suspense, humor, and philosophic tidbits, as the old detective brings another mystery to its conclusion.