BOOK REVIEW
John Fulghum Mysteries by E. W. Farnsworth
Zimbell House Publishing, LLC
2015
310 pages Reviewed by Ross A. Phelps
Author of Lleyellyn *****
This collection of interrelated noir crime stories is a far cry from the tales of gumshoes tracking figurines made on the island of Malta or delving into backroom deals involving the Los Angeles water supply. No Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart or Jack Nicholson private eyes here.
It’s true, John Fulghum, private investigator, has a dingy upstairs office and enjoys his Marlboros, Jack Daniels, and betting on the ponies. His cases could be ripped from today’s headlines. His clients are old friends from his military past, law enforcement colleagues, clandestine government agents, officers of multinational corporations, members of Congress, and the like. And he gets paid more. A lot more.
Think Matthew McConaughey, perhaps, for the role of Fulghum, ex-special forces, with contacts everywhere.
In these fourteen stories, Fulghum takes on the mob, drug dealers, industrial spies, Muslim terrorists, and other miscreants.
My favorite might be Brown Recluse Bust. Health inspectors and pest control experts have never meant so much to national security.
Farnsworth, a former military officer and current consultant to intelligence agencies and law enforcement, brings an insider’s point of view to his stories. He has added a helpful glossary of acronyms to give the reader special cache to the vernacular of clandestine international intelligence and crime solving.
If you like non-stop action and a hero who has what it takes to tackle today’s enemies, both private and public, this book is for you.
Fortunately for his fans, the author has recently released volume two of the John Fulghum Mysteries. The John Fulghum Mysteries Vol. II is available at Amazon.com.
EW Farnsworth 