CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: Fast Times Big City by Shelly Frome Guest Review and Excerpt Done by Laura!

Fast Times Big City by Shelly Frome

Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books (Feb 6, 2024)

Category: Manhattan Mystery

Tour dates: February 2-29, 2024

ISBN: ‎ 979-8886330267

Available in Print and ebook,

Approx. 330 pages

About the book!

In a bind, Bud Palmer finds himself at the crossroads when just about everything was on the verge. Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day. Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever.

But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless "Big Apple" was up for grabs, on the brink, at a dicey turning point.

Praise for Shelly Frome

“This is a great mystery that had me guessing at what was really happening. I was sucked in and held tight until the reveal. A couple great twists and turns had me thrown off balance and guessing the whole time.” (Moon Games by Shelly From)-JBrounder Reviews

“It is full of action, adventure, mystery and suspense. It is not one that I could easily predict. The twists and turns kept on the edge of my seat. I never knew what would happen next.” (Moon Games by Shelly Frome)-AmyBooksy, Locks, Hooks, and Books

“The cover of this book shows what looks like a beautiful and peaceful place to live, but looks can be deceiving. Lies, bribery, and deceit are running rampant in this little town. Twists and turns are around every corner. Well written mystery”(Secluded Village Murders by Shelly Frome)- Lisa’s Writopia

“An entertaining story that has enough quirky characters, intrigue, suspense, humor, and drama that easily draws the reader into Emily's amateur sleuth adventure. This cozy mystery is full of devious plot twists and turns that will easily keep you guessing.

The Secluded Village Murders is an intriguing whodunit tale that cozy mystery fans will want to add to their reading list.” (Secluded Village Murders by Shelly Frome)- Kathleen Higgins-Anderson, Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Fast Times Big City Excerpt

Getting as overtired as can be, he opted for the radio once again and the show tunes station. Within minutes another song from West Side Story came filtering into his room. This time the star-crossed lovers put the images on the poster to words, yearning for “a special place,” claiming if they held on tight they could take each other there. Somehow, some day, somewhere.

Even after he switched the radio off, the sweet melody and yearning lyrics stayed with him. But soon faded and dovetailed into the dread of what might await him under these pressing circumstances. He finally let go of it all and sank into a fitful sleep.

© Shelly Frome

Fast Times Big City

Review by Laura

'At that moment, Bud wished that he could just set the record straight. It was obviously established that Rick was a flaky grifter and granting him even the shadow of a doubt was out of the question. Moreover, if anything happened to him, Bud kept reminding himself that his mother would be inconsolable.”

Oh, family. Sometimes you love them, sometimes you want to kill them. Such is the case for Bud Palmer, a level-headed sports reporter who, like many of us, has that one relative who keeps getting himself into trouble. But, also like many of us, Bud feels an obligation to help his uncle Rick for the sake of his own mother, Rick's sister.

In this case, however, helping Rick may be a little more dangerous than Bus is used to. This time, Rick has angered a local gangster who is out for money or blood—whichever comes first. Uncle Rick appears to have accidentally colluded in the thievery of a briefcase from Al Escobar, the gangster, during a poker game.

Now, Al wants the briefcase back, and he's willing to send Bud all the way to New York City to find the Marilyn Monroe lookalike who apparently stole it. Adding to the pressure, Bud only has two days to find this woman amongst the teeming masses of people in the city.

'Fast Times, Big City,' is, at times, both hilarious and totally thrilling!

The plot was well-paced, and the 1950s setting was beautifully done. Shelly Frome seems to have quite the gift for writing immersive historical detail. I couldn't believe how realistic and well done the setting was, without bogging anything down with too much detail. I am very excited to hear more from this author in the future!

Award winning author, Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications.

His fiction includes

Sun Dance for Andy Horn

Lilac Moon

Twilight of the Drifter

Tinseltown Riff

Murder Run

Moon Games,

The Secluded Village Murders

Miranda and the

D-Day Caper.

Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting, Shadow of the Gypsy is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth.

He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Website:

http://www.shellyfrome.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/shellyfrome

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/shellyFrome