DEAD MAN BELOW DECK, J.E. Rohrer

Dead Man Below Deck, A Village Mystery by J.E. Rohrer has all the things a good mystery needs: a plot that doesn’t stumble along, a resolution that doesn’t jump out at you on page one, and good characters with depth beyond the printed words. It is the last that Mr. Rohrer delivers with the most success. Ed Schumacher and his wife, Betty, are college professors spending their summer in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. From the book’s beginning, we get a good idea of the kind of man Ed really is. A dead body found near his condo doesn’t distract him from the more important matter at hand, which is getting his first, daily cup of coffee. Throughout the tale, we learn that Ed would be much better off if he thought before speaking. But time and again, this concept eludes Ed and he gets deeper into trouble. A pipe smoking, caffeine addicted, “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, Ed Schumacher is an endearing amateur sleuth. When he starts following an obviously wrong lead, you want to grab him and face him in the right direction. This kind of connection with the readers is what brings them back again and again. As for me, I am a newly-minted devoted fan who can't wait to see what Ed Schumacher does next!  Link for eBook