Heel Turn
Heel Turn
by Kevin R. Doyle
GENRE: mystery
Released from prison for one murder, only to be arrested for a second, Sheila Hampton has no one to turn to save Sam Quinton, local private eye, who sets out to prove her innocence and uncover the knot of corruption that entangled its victim for over two decades.
Excerpt:
After a short time of hushed talking, Bernie and Sheila leaned back in their chairs.
“Who’s he?” Sheila Hampton said, pointing at me.
“This is Sam Quinton, my investigator. I’ve employed him to help us in this matter.”
“You mean like a detective?”
“Yes,” Bernie replied.
Sheila squinted at me for a minute. “He looks like a bouncer who had a rough night.”
“Wrestler, actually,” I put in. “Long ago. But I’ve also done some nightclub bouncing in my time as well.”
“A wrestler? Jesus Christ, Mr. Lyman. What kind of freak show are you putting on here?”
I shifted a bit against the wall and thought about whether to respond.
“Sheila, Mr. Quinton’s been a professional investigator for several years. Believe me, he’s as effective a man as we could have.”
She looked me over for a second, then turned back to Bernie. “You actually think you’re going to need some muscle on this thing?”
“It’s possible,” Bernie replied. “After all, if you didn’t kill Harris —”
“I didn’t, goddammit!”
“Then there’s some reason someone wants to frame you. They have the gun they believe killed him, and they already have your prints on it. If you’re telling me the truth, there’s no way to avoid it. Someone wants to put you away again.”
About the Author:
Q&A With the Author
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
As a rule, the Sam Quinton books are a bit lighter in tone than my other works. Heel Turn was written during a rather intense time for me, as well as most other people. I ingeniously arranged my schedule to where I was writing four books over a two-year period, as well as working as a high-school teacher when Covid hit, i.e. figuring out remote learning. With all the craziness going on at the time, it was nice several times a week to take time to write a couple of hundred words of a book, and a character, that wasn’t taking itself too seriously.
Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?
Absolutely. I have two more coming out in the relatively near future. Later this fall will see the release of The Anchor, a standalone mystery being released by Night to Dawn Magazine and Books. It revolves around a local television news anchor who acquires a stalker, and he decides to show his affection by killing off her competition and co-workers.
Plus, I’ve just sent in to Camel Press the final copy for the next Sam Quinton piece, Clean Win. In that one, a high official in the police department comes to Sam needing help on a politically sensitive case. No release date yet, but based on past experience I’m assuming it will come out sometime next spring.
Actually, last September I signed the papers with Camel Press to continue the Sam Quinton books through book number six. Clean Win is number four, and while I haven’t started working on the next one yet, I do have a title and very rough outline of an idea in my head.
Finally, later on this year should see the rollout from Books in Motion for audiobook versions of the three books in the Group series: The Group, When You Have to Go There, and And the Devil Walks Away.
Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?
Not so much in the literary sense, but this is a big year for me. If everything falls into place just right, at the end of this school year I’ll be handing in grades and locking up my room for the final time. After a quarter century of teaching English, it’s time to wrap things up and move on to the next phase of life.
How long have you been writing?
I began writing short stories at the age of nineteen. My first short story, “The Prime Ingredient,” appeared in 1986 in a little magazine called Starsong, circulation of about two hundred. This was back in the days when most of the “littles,” as they were called, were produced on old mimeograph machines in someone’s basement. My first “book” an e-book novelette called One Helluva Gig, came out in 2012, and my first actual novel, The Group, appeared a year later.
Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Just that support and interest is appreciated. I’m hoping that with retirement looming I’ll be able to continue churning out fiction for some time to come. And if the quality ever slips, please let me know.
Web site: kevindoylefiction.com
Facebook: facebook.com/kevindoylfiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473241.Kevin_R_Doyle
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Heel-Turn-Kevin-Doyle/dp/1603812954
GIVEAWAY
Kevin R. Doyle will be awarding one physical copy of the book, U.S. only to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHi, please pardon my tardiness. I was unexpectedly on the road the last few days and am just now getting caught up. Wanted to thank you for hosting this interview.
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