SUBTLE FELONIES

October 04, 2023

SUBTLE FELONIES

by Austin S. Comacho

GENRE: mystery/thriller

Is retired basketball star Xander Brown missing, or kidnapped? His crazy family and dangerous friends draw DC detective Hannibal Jones into a deadly chase to find – or rescue – a complex man. In public, Xander is a husband, father, partner, friend, but who is he in private? Which role took him away? The search moves at breakneck speed across the posh suburbs and angry alleys of the nation’s capital, forcing Hannibal to confront tough truths and deadly risks. Will DC’s troubleshooter save a life or lose his own?

Read an Excerpt:

Hannibal saw the five inches of stainless-steel arcing toward his stomach and managed to swing his right arm down fast enough to stop Cawfee’s arm, wrist against wrist. He gripped Cawfee’s knife hand with both of his own and twisted hard. It didn’t break Cawfee’s grip on the weapon, but he did release Hannibal’s jacket, waving his free arm to keep his balance.

Hannibal let go and jumped back away from Cawfee. Wrestling with a knife in the hand of a bigger man was a losing proposition. He back pedaled, trying to get more distance from that knife, but Cawfee kept charging at him.

“I seen your gun,” Cawfee said, “but I saw how you acted around the women and I figured you wouldn’t go around strapped here at the house. Not so stupid now, huh?”

At that moment, Hannibal felt stupid, thinking Cawfee might make the rational choice. Now he faced a man who looked like he knew what he was doing with a blade, making short feinting slashes at Hannibal. He would have to wait until Cawfee committed before he tried to disarm him.

Cawfee’s eyes lit up and he leaped forward faster than Hannibal thought he could. The blade swished past in front of him, but he lost his footing and fell. His back thudded into the turf and Cawfee dropped on top of him, switching his grip to stab down. Hannibal crossed his forearms, stopping Cawfee’s arm between his fists. Cawfee applied all his weight, forcing the knife down to within an inch of Hannibal’s throat. Both men panted hard with the opposing effort, Hannibal gearing up to push hard to one side.

Then there was a short whoosh and a loud crack sound. The impact sounded to him just like a man driving a ball down the fairway.

About the Author:

Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel, Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies and he is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the directors of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference - now in its 10th year. The 8th Hannibal Jones mystery, Subtle Felonies, is scheduled for a September 27 release.

Q&A With the Author:

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The best part of writing a mystery is building the puzzle. I love planting the clues, and making the personalities of the characters integral parts of hiding the clues in plain sight building to the big reveal at the end.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?
I'm currently working on a thriller series about an African American female professional assassin. Lots of action and a lot of fun to write.

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?
Subtle Felonies is the 8th Hannibal Jones mystery and this series will continue as long as I can type.

How long have you been writing?
My first novel was published 24 years ago. I have another thriller series and dropped a standalone called Beyond Blue along the way, plus short stories in several anthologies

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Subtle Felonies was a major emotional investment for me, and I am very eager to hear some reader feedback. Oh, and thank you for having me on your cool blog!!