About the Author

James A. Walsh is a retired academic who has become an author-in-training. His genre is crime fiction. He prefers to call them “entertainments” rather than novels. His first effort produced “Death For The Provost”(2008). His second was “NEX Pro Bono” (2010). The third entertainment was “Occasion Of Syn” (2012). Entertainment four is “Clerical Errors” (2014). Entertainment five is “Resurrection” (2015), 2 Tales of the City is Entertainment six and King’s Odyssey is the latest of the Entertainments. Links are provided to sample chapters or prologues of each. The author has two registered Pseudonyms, Braxton Bradford Ruff and Lewis Kendall Kern.

Second Acts

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Life-altering challenges loom over several people at Thornton University. Montego O’Higgins is approaching retirement in an orderly fashion when his Dean presses him into service as Acting-Chair of Chemistry. Henry Baldwin, a larcenous Vice President for Business, feels the F.B.I closing in on him and he is looking for an escape. The University President, Brother Crispin, the so-called chosen one of God, is experiencing a serious crisis of faith and he, too, plans an exit. Professor Piqua in Religious Studies is preaching and practicing Plural Marriage and will face the University Hearing Board. The Executive Vice President and the Assistant Registrar, both enmeshed in a Baldwin-scheme to sell grades, are seeking an honorable way out. An Assistant Dean for Women, in her spare time, is running a very successful “Pleasure Palace” just off campus. Her house of cards is about to collapse. This Entertainment looks at how these people, and others, deal with adversity.

King’s Odyssey

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Arnold P. King is an Account Manager for a high-end investment firm. 0ne Friday, before leaving for the weekend, he finds that his accounts are short by $8 million. He cannot find what happened to the money. Later that night, on his drive home, several people try to kill him. They are amateurs, and he escapes. Surely, they will try again. He must run and hide.

A handful of friends and acquaintances shelter and protect him, while he, to figure out what is going on. The pursuers track him down and make one more attempt on his life. Again, they fail. and this marks a sea change. The Moneyman who wants King dead, decides that the amateurs are incompetent. It is time for professionals. God’s Judgment (G.J.) is hired.

Meanwhile, Bergen Sawyer takes charge of King’s security detail. Another unsuccessful attempt is made on King’s life, and he is again forced to run. when G.J. kidnaps their wives, King and Sawyer agree to a trade, the women for King. The swap takes place smoothly but then King manages to kill one of his captors and escape.

Since G.J. has made this personal, Bergen resolves to find and punish him and his associates. How will Bergen go about It? Will he be successful? Will the missing money be recovered? Will King be able to resume a normal life?

ISBN: 978-0-578-20797-1

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2 Tales of the City

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In the city of Harrison, there are two venerable institutions that shun publicity and fiercely protect their anonymity. Their activities, at times, stray across the boundaries of what is legal and/or what is moral. Of course, they only stray to pursue the greater good. One of these institutions is an order of Roman Catholic nuns, The Order of St. Stephen, Stoned. The other institution is The Tribunes of Harrison.

The two amusements herein examine how these institutions react in moments of stress and how they deal with adversity.
ISBN: 978-0-578-19473-8