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"Just finished reading "Where Are They?". I really enjoyed it. Several plot twists and an expanding cast of characters. You even got to include some high tech!  Great read." 

 

- Tom S

ABOUT THE BOOK

WHERE ARE THEY?

THE MISSING MEN FROM MARLOWE MANSION

"An entertaining, quick beach read with memorable mismatched sleuths."

 — Kirkus Reviews

Where Are They?  is available in paperback and hardback at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and other locations. It is also available in Kindle ebook format at Amazon. It will be sold at many other online bookstores in the near future.

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          Twenty years ago, three men associated with Marlowe Mansion, a large Victorian home surrounded by farmland just outside the small town of Stillwell, disappeared and have not been seen since. The missing men are Asa Marlowe, Jr., the wealthy owner of the mansion, his is son, Asa Marlowe III, also known as Three, who is a playboy living off his father’s bounty, and Roscoe Savini, who is believed to be Asa Junior’s son from a previous relationship.

          A large reward has been posted for finding the men, dead or alive. Harvey Hawkshaw, a retired detective who is now a private investigator, led the search for the men for the last two decades while in the Stillwell Police Department. He is still interested in solving the case and especially collecting the reward.

         At the recommendation of this friends, Harvey teams up with an unlikely partner, Flywheel (no last name), a recovered delinquent who is a mattress salesman turned metal junk dealer. His unusual humor and zany style of investigation drive Harvey and Detective Chappy Chan crazy. However, neither of the detectives can deny that Flywheel’s ideas are opening up new leads. Flywheel doesn’t deny that he likes reward money.

          There are many people of interest in the cold case, but proving their involvement has led to many dead ends. The women living in the mansion, a mother-daughter team of local psychics, Otto “Noah” Zark, and others seem to know something, but getting evidence from them is tough.

          Where Are They?  blends a cozy mystery with many humorous incidents and comical dialog. It is a quick-read with many twists and turns that keeps readers guessing “whodunnit” right to the end of the story. It will be enjoyed by both adult and young adult readers.

Read an excerpt HERE. 

"My wife and I both read this book. It is a quick read, with many twists and turns and an excellent ending. The characters, especially Flywheel, are very good with a lot of humor. The mystery is well developed and is not revealed until the end."

 

- Richard A.

BLAWENBURG CHURCH BEACON

MAY 2023

BOOK REVIEW: 

WHERE ARE THEY? 

Barbara Reid

A note from his editor:

I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to play a part in bringing this work to fruition. As Dave mentioned, there were many rewrites over a period of more than three years, so becoming intimately involved with the story and the characters themselves was in-evitable; Harvey and Fly have become my dear friends. In the end, the mystery was indeed solved; those two characters have moved on, and letting them go was a bit sad. But the next project is on the horizon, and I can’t wait!

It started with an idea. A random thought, really. What would happen if a detective retired without being able to solve a cold case? That ponderance, taking place over three years ago, has evolved today into a book titled Where Are They? The Missing Men of Marlowe Mansion, authored by church member, neighbor, and our good friend, Dave Cochran.

 

As the title suggests, the book is a mystery that will keep you guess-ing. The humorous incidents and comedic dialogue will keep you laughing. The antics and banter of the two main characters, retired detective and now private investigator, Harvey Hawkshaw, and his side-kick, metal collector and former mattress salesperson, Flywheel (no known last name) as they work together to solve the case of the three missing men from the small town of Stillwell, are delightful. Dave’s wry humor is evident with the turn of each page.

 

Dave says this about his style when writing: “In writing jargon, I’m more of a ‘pantser’ than a ‘plotter’. I may jot some notes down, but it’s seldom that I actually develop an outline be-fore I start to write. Writers call this writing by the seat of your pants, hence pantser.”

 

He tells us more about the writing of this book: “I used software called Papyrus Author to write much of the book. This software has a word processing area with a place to take notes right next to it. I started taking a lot of random notes and then started writing Chapter One. The more I wrote, the better I knew the characters and the story. I did not know the ending of the whodunit until I wrote it. It was almost as though it wrote itself!”

Dave continues, “Many writers say that the real writing is in the editing. Both Barb Reid, my editor, and I edited each version. Perhaps the hardest part was to have the characters remain ‘in character’ throughout the book. The good part was that keeping them in character got eas-ier toward the end of the book. I knew them much better than when I began. It took 12 drafts to get to a finished product,”

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Comments About The Book?

Please use the form or email me directly using the address below! Thanks for your interest! 

What Others Are Saying...

"An easy read.  Riveting. I really liked the characters."

- Jean B.


"I read it over vacation.  Good book."

- Paul B.

"It's intriguing."

- Sonya H.

"I laughed out loud three times."

- Ellen A.

"A great read... check it out!"

- Nat C.

Book was great…passed on to my daughter-in-law.

- Marilyn H.

 

I loved the book, Dave. Loved your characters and the mystery of "where are they" is surprising. I also loved the puns. Great Job!

"Finished your book last night -  so enjoyed and laughed out loud too -  you had said a mystery with humor !!!   Loved Flywheel  -  wise man !!  Loved your touch and style !! "

-Charly C.

Just finished and loved it! Congratulations on writing such a fun and exciting mystery! 

 

- Marcy F.

ATTENTION TEACHERS &
BOOK CLUBS!

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:  

 

WHERE ARE THEY?

THE MISSING MEN FROM MARLOWE MANSION

Please provide a review on Amazon!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. The book opens with a reference to the missing men, but there isn’t much about the search for them for a few chapters. Why do you think the author structured the beginning of the book like this?

  2. The protagonist is the character who drives the action--the character whose fate matters most. Harvey and Flywheel were the main characters. Which do you think is the protagonist? Why?

  3. If you were to describe Harvey to someone, what would you say? How would you describe Flywheel? Were they believable characters? Do you know anyone like either one?

  4. What role did the gang at Tootie’s play in the book? How important do you think their role was?

  5. After the first several chapters, did you think the missing men were dead or alive? Why?

  6. There were several suspicious people involved – the Zarks, the Psychics, the women still living in the house. Did you think any of them were involved in the mystery? Why?

  7. Flywheel knew everyone because of his recycling business. How did this help or hinder the solution to the mystery?

  8. If you were to describe this book in a sentence or two to someone else, what would you say?

  9. What did you like best about this book?

  10. Did you figure out “whodunit” before the ending? If so, what tipped you off? If not, why not?

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