View the complete line of books in the CW McCoy and the Brinker series of crime novels, as well as a few of my nonfiction works, at Amazon and other fine retailers.
Tag Archives: assassin
Month of Mayhem
Next week kicks off a Month of Mayhem, with a look at the places that shaped Brinker’s story in his debut crime novel Mr. Mayhem—all in preparation for the return of the defrocked journalist and PR whiz this fall in the sequel, Mr. Magic.
Brinker returns a kinder, gentler guy who draws inspiration from his girlfriend Carly, a mate he calls The Buddha and the landscapes of the Greater Lehigh Valley. But in the meantime, he’s still stalking the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Each day in August, visitors on social media view the scenes that inspired Brinker’s day job and his extracurricular work, as well as the ones that fueled his loves and addictions. Here’s a look at some of the sights that became models for the novel.
1959 Cadillac hearse used by Col. Mabry when the modern version breaks down.
Stroudsburg, Pa. funeral home that inspired Brinker’s workplace, Mabry & Sons.
The house on Sarah Street in Stroudsburg, Pa. where Eddie Maps allegedly killed his wife and daughter plays a seminal role in Mr. Mayhem.
Corner house in Stroudsburg, Pa. served as a model for the home of the first victim.
Brinker’s mascot, Pecan Man, haunts Mabry & Sons funeral home.
One of most famous taverns in the Burgs, Rudy’s served as model for Willy’s Tavern.
The intersection at 7th & Main in Stroudsburg, Pa., plays host to politicians and other fatalities.
The Water Gap Trolley became the model vehicle for Brinker’s Magical Murder Tour.
A walk on the dark side with ‘Mr. Mayhem’
Sued by his publisher for libel, Brinker is reduced to promoting trolley tours of crime scenes. The tour business is dying. There aren’t enough murders to draw a crowd.
A good serial killer would help.
When his doctor asks for aid in euthanizing terminal patients, Brinker hires an assassin named Angel, who reigns chaos and fame on the sleepy resort town.
But as Angel’s demands soar with the body count, Brinker wonders whether he’ll become the latest addition to his own list.
For better or worse, Mr. Mayhem, the first in the Brinker series of crime thrillers, comes alive in this video.
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What if serial killers had agents?
A doctor wants to euthanize his terminal patients. A disgraced journalist wants a better job than flogging tours of crime scenes. The tour business is dying. There aren’t enough murders in this sleepy town to draw a crowd.
A good serial killer would help.
So begins Mr. Mayhem, the new crime thriller that fittingly goes on sale on Black Friday.
For a man known only as Brinker, the trouble starts when he’s fired for reporting his publisher’s DUI. Reduced to doing PR for a funeral home and its trolley tour of murder sites, Brinker despairs of ever restoring his pride, or his bank account. Compared to journalism, PR is degradation, an excuse to lie for a living. His addiction to prescription medication only fuels that rage.
When his doctor asks for a hand in dispatching hopeless patients, Brinker hires a wildly successful assassin named Angel, who brings chaos and fame to this backwoods town. But as Angel’s demands soar with the body count, Brinker wonders whether he’ll become the latest addition to his own list.
With Mr. Mayhem, I’ve tried to turn the suspense genre on its head. Fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian Flynn will enjoy the double- and triple-crosses that give the book its dark edge. And readers who like a little sugar with their spice may come to think of Brinker as the king of the comic sex scene.
Mr. Mayhem is set in the snowy mountains of Pennsylvania, from whence I come. Published by Allusion Books, the novel is available in print and ebook formats through Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, my website and bookstores that place orders through Ingram. The audiobook version is due by the end of December.
What a way to end the year.
Jeff Widmer 