New mystery novel has authentic Alaska color

PORT CLINTON — There's a reason the scenes seem real when fictional Alaska private detective Sidney Reed is doing surveillance on a murder suspect or interacting with Alaska state troopers at a chilly crime scene.R.J. Norgard, the Port Clinton author who has just published his first mystery novel, "Trophy Kill," worked for years as an investigator in Alaska, tracking philandering spouses and researching crimes for criminal defense attorneys. Before that, Norgard was an intelligence officer for the U.S. Army."Trophy Kill," available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook from Huron's "Bottom Dog" publishing company, is getting good notices."Norgard does a solid job of making genre conventions feel fresh," Publishers Weekly wrote. "In this accomplished novel, Norgard brings his own experience as a local-newspaper reporter and a private investigator to bear on a mystery that he imbues with a palpable sense of place," Kirkus Reviews proclaimed.The book's hero, Reed, is spending much of his time in his apartment, mourning the death of his wife and refusing to work. But a beautiful woman armed with wads of cash shows up at his door and persuades him to get back into the detective business.The woman's husband has been disappearing for no apparent reason, and her husband died in a hunting accident. Or was it murder?Richard Norgard says he hasn't gone through the trauma endured by his detective hero. But Norgard admits, "There's a lot of me in him."The scenes detailing how a private investigator works, including the tips on how to stake out and trail a suspect, are all based on real experiences. The coffee shop Reed frequents is fictional, but many of the locales are real, Norgard said.Alaska makes a great location for mystery novels, Norgard said."People crave things about Alaska," he said. "There's a fascination to that land up there.""Trophy Kill" is the first of a projected series. The next book, "Road Kill," should be out next year, Norgard said.To learn more about Norgard and his work, visit rjnorgard.com.R.J. Norgard