Chris Grabenstein is a former improvisational comedian. He and Bruce Willis were in the same comedy troupe in the early 1980s and he spent almost twenty years writing commercials for America's top advertising agencies.
Grabenstein won the Anthony Award for Best First Mystery for his debut Tilt a Whirl, the first in a series of John Ceepak mysteries set in Sea Haven, New Jersey. A former MP in Iraq, Ceepak brings his considerable physical strength, crime-solving skills and morality to the beachside town.
The second book, Mad Mouse, was selected as one of the Ten Best Mysteries of 2006 by Kirkus. It was followed by Whack a Mole in 2007 and the newly released Hell Hole.
The books are both suspenseful and humorous, the characters are endearing, the dialog is snappy, and the setting is a refreshing change.
Grabenstein switched gears and wrote a middle grades ghost story, The Crossroads, which came out back in May. It is set in Connecticut, where an 11-year-old boy has just moved with his family from Manhattan. There is a haunted tree out behind their new home and an evil spirit breaks free of its hold when the tree is split open by a lightning strike.
The Crossroads got a starred review in Booklist which called it "An absorbing psychological thriller . . . as well as a rip-roaring ghost story."
I loved it. It reminded me of those wonderful Alfred Hitchcock stories I devoured in my youth. Definitely adult-worthy. You will admire Zack and his marvelous step-mother and the ghostly cast of characters who wander across the pages.
I also recommend a series of mysteries written by adult suspense writer Peter Abrahams (The Fan, etc.) for middle to high school students. The Echo Falls Mysteries feature Ingrid Levin-Hill, an eighth-grade soccer playing Sherlock Holmes lover who also lives in Connecticut.
These books, too, have that wonderful Hitchcockian pacing and tone. If you are a recorded book fan, narrator Colleen Delaney does a terrific job of conveying Ingrid’s adolescent angst.
Abrahams will be in attendance at this year’s CrimeBake conference (November 14-16 in Dedham MA) and presenting a master class on "Writing for Young Audiences."
Check out the conference details. These conferences are for fans as much as for writers and would-be writers. CrimeBake is one of my favorites because it a small, cozy group in a relaxed setting. You park your car in the hotel garage when you get there and don’t need again until it’s time to head for home!
Harlan Coben will be this year’s guest of honor.
