Dave Vizard's Blog

When you discover that a story idea is too good to be true, you just gotta jump on it.

That's what happened when I heard rumors about a human smuggling ring operating in the Thumb region of Michigan. The facts, according to the rumor, could be found in Bay City, MI, federal court.

Of course, I made a beeline for the court, quizzed the clerks over coffee & donuts for a half hour before they revealed the case of Maria Gonzales, an American born citizen with roots deep in Texas and Mexico. She became infamous for making runs to Laredo, Texas, and bringing back a U-Haul cargo van filled with undocumented workers. Once in Michigan, the illegals would be hired out to farmers across the region who needed cheap day labor.

The smuggling ring involved hundreds of undocumented workers and dozens of farmers. When ICE discovered the elaborate ruse, they busted up the ring. Maria Gonzales went to prison, and the farm ringleaders were fined millions of dollars.

My eyeballs almost popped out of my head as I read the federal court documents. It was all right there, laid out in black and white with testimony from all parties involved. I copied the files with help from the clerks (on a sugar and dough high).

I interviewed farmers in the Thumb region and even found some undocumented workers shopping at Walmart. Four years of Spanish at Wayne State paid off. I was able to interview them about life and work on the farm while in hiding.

Biggest revelation from those interviews: Some farmers were locking undocumented workers in their barns and tool sheds at night for fear of them wandering away. I was shocked. What if a fire erupted from a cook stove or heater?

Once I had compiled all the information I needed, I sat down and wrote "A Place for Murder." Real people, real places, real events, real issues - just real good fiction. The Nick Steele Mystery Series. Get your copies today on Amazon.
A Place for MurderDave Vizard

Review by Sneha Ahuja, Book Reviewer | Literary Influencer | Content Creator - originally posted on LinkedIn

Mackinac Murder is the kind of mystery that starts off calm and cozy, and then, you’re knee-deep in secrets, lies, and murder. A maintenance supervisor dies in what’s supposed to be a horse-riding “accident.” But reporter Nick Steele? He’s not buying it, and honestly, neither will you once the clues start piling up.

Nick heads to Mackinac Island, you know, that picture-perfect tourist spot, and suddenly it’s less about fudge and ferry rides, more about cover-ups and blackmail. The deeper he digs, the darker it gets. Every lead opens another can of shady secrets, and it’s a total page-turner.

What makes this story click is the mix of mystery and newsroom hustle. Nick’s not just chasing a story, he’s chasing the truth, and he’s ready to tick off a few powerful people to get it. It’s got that classic investigative thriller vibe with a modern, fast-paced punch.

The whole thing unravels into a high-stakes blackmail plot that’ll have you side-eyeing everyone. Dave Vizard serves suspense, smart writing, and just the right dose of small-town drama.
Mackinac Murder: Crude IntentionsDaveVizard

Later this week, I am meeting with the Sand Point (MI) Book Club. They invited me to their lunch meeting because one of my novels, "Murder so Sweet," was selected as their read for the month.

I love meeting with devoted readers who scour my work and then pick my brain about it. This will be no different. They are smart with sharp wit and humor.

But I wanted to mention this book and our upcoming review of it because it is a testament to my intersecting careers. I've been a writer and journalist most of my life, and I've been a licensed Realtor for the last 15 years or so.

The idea for "Murder so Sweet" generated from my work as a real estate agent. I spotted a scam alert from one of my real estate associations about a ring of predators that stalked female agents through their online profiles and then set them up for sexual assault in the guise of a family home showing.

The alert prompted me to ask questions about assaults on agents – both men and women. Shocking. Hence, the main character in "Murder so Sweet" is Natalie O'Brien, an agent in Bay City, MI, who is trapped by predators and assaulted. She fears reporting the brutal assault would end a fledgling real estate career, her only income for two daughters – her husband killed in Iraq.

Finally Natalie tells big brother and little sister what happened. The siblings are outraged, and Larry, a former Army Ranger, says "lets hunt them down and kill them." The sisters did not object. These first two acts of murder create a blood lust that launches the O'Brien family into a group known as the Vigilant Vigilantes – but who are popularly referred to in whispers and hushed tones as the Vagina Vigilantes.

I reread "Murder so Sweet" over the weekend so it will be fresh in mind for the meeting with the Sand Point Book Club, as well as others. I have eight novels in the Nick Steele Mystery Series, each available on Amazon or directly from the author/publisher, who would be me! Nothing artificial about any of the works – real people, real places, real life issues. Just real-good fiction.
Murder, So SweetDave Vizard

Mackinac Murder by Dave Vizard
- a review by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books

Dave Vizard’s series of mystery novels featuring reporter Nicke Steele of the Bay City Blade has put Bay City, Michigan on the literary map. The novel, as well as the entire Nicke Steele series, showcases Vizard’s ability to realistically portray a veteran journalist working a story combined with a riveting and unusual mystery.

When Eric Stapleton, a Bay City man, is killed in a freak horse-riding accident on Mackinac Island it marks the second time in three months he made it into his hometown paper. Three months earlier his 16-year-old daughter threw an overnight, alcohol fueled party for her girlfriends. Stapleton supposedly monitored the party and had a lot to answer for when Sherry Conway, one of the party goers, disappeared that night and has never been found. Furthermore, Stapleton’s job is monitoring Line 5, a highly controversial oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. Nick Steele is sent to cover the story on Mackinac Island while his fellow reporter and friend Dave Balz will see if he can find a connection to the disappearance of Sherry Conway.

Steele quickly discovers the island police report on Stapleton’s death is at odds with the evidence. Steele concludes it wasn’t an accident but murder and wonders if his job somehow figured in his death. The two reporters relentlessly dig into Stapleton’s past, his job, friends, and the few clues on Mackinac Island nor can they unearth any new leads on Conway’s disappearance. Eventually their hard work and dogged pursuit of a story pays off when a slim lead results in one startling revelation after another. The main plot line will keep you reading late into the night. But the subplots, minor characters, and the personal problems facing the two reporters are equally involving and mirror the life and death story they are trying to unravel.

Dave Vizard, a retired award-winning journalist, is a natural-born storyteller. So, before cracking the cover find a comfortable chair. You’re going to be there for a while.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: davidv1652@gmail.com

Traverse City, Michigan—Faced with the prospect of retirement, some folks consider embarking on a new career, perhaps one that’s a far cry from their original vocation. Others make serious work of creating a bucket list. Finally, some put up their feet and embrace a couch potato lifestyle. Dave Vizard, author of Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions from Mission Point Press, opted to stay in his lane, embracing post-career opportunities as a novelist.

Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions is Vizard’s eighth novel in his Nick Steele Mystery Series. Nick, a hardworking journalist, finds himself on Mackinac Island, one of America’s great summer destinations, where a man’s death in a horse-riding accident is shrouded in mystery. He deduces something evil is afoot and chases the story across Michigan, unraveling mysteries that reveal a horrifying blackmail plot.

“I’ve been a writer pretty much my whole life. My first writing job was kicking out high school sports features when I was sixteen, making five bucks for each feature accepted. From there, I wrote for every paper that would hire me through the Marines and college until I landed a dream job as the labor reporter for The Flint Journal. In all, I’ve had a forty-year love affair with journalism and the written word so when it came time to retire from newspapers, I figured I’d end up writing something, somewhere.”

That idea of “something, somewhere” became a journey of sorts for Vizard and Steele as the veteran journalist fleshed out his lead character. “Nick is a combination of the best news reporters I’ve worked with or been connected to from my forty years of working in newsrooms. He’s hardworking to the point of being a high-functioning workaholic. He’s smart, cunning, and driven to get to the bottom of every story he takes on. Nick cares about the people he writes about and doesn’t rest until he finds justice for them,” Vizard said.

Vizard wrote his first Nick Steele adventure, A Formula for Murder, to check off something on his bucket list. “That was supposed to be a one-shot novel. I started writing it as my journalism career was wrapping up. I’d always wanted to write a novel, but never broke myself away from running a newsroom to sit down and write it,” he recalled. The Nick Steele Mystery Series has given Vizard the opportunity to keep his research and investigative skills as a journalist sharp while Nick tackles issues such as human trafficking, illegal immigration, and homelessness. And Nick’s travels across Michigan to Key West, Florida, mirror Vizard’s own. “About six years ago, my wife and I visited Key West. I was appalled by the way the homeless were treated—by the cops, local government, businesses, and residents. Suddenly I had an idea for another novel and we returned to the area so I could live and mingle with the homeless. The result? My fifth novel, Murder, Key West Style.”

While Vizard anticipated the Nick Steele Mystery Series could “go on forever,” he shared an insight. “This series has been great fun and I’m delighted so many have enjoyed my stories. I believe the last story I write will be my obituary, and I hope to finish it just before they shut the lid at my planting,” he said.

Events
Vizard is appearing at a book signing to launch Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions at the Lemon Tree Marketplace during the annual Holly Berry Fair in Caseville, MI, on Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lemon Tree Marketplace is located at 6604 Main Street. Copies of the book will be available.

About the author
Dave Vizard is an award-winning journalist with a four-decade career as a reporter and editor at The Flint Journal, Bay City Times, and True North magazine. He now writes from the home he shares with his spouse, Barbara, near Lake Huron in Michigan’s thumb region.

About the book
Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions
Dave Vizard
209 pages; 6 x 9 inches; B/W
Murder Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-961302-86-0, $17.95 (Softcover) ISBN: 978-1-961302-85-3, $26.95 (Hardcover) Mission Point Press, October 29, 2024

Copies are available in bookstores and online. For more information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at davidv1652@gmail.com.

Morel mushroom hunting in Michigan is almost a cult-like annual event.

Thousands head into the northern woods each spring in search of the tasty, coveted treat. But serious hunters know that picking the WRONG kind of mushroom can be deadly.

This is the backdrop for "Under the Ashes," a legal thriller by Michigan author Charles Cutter. Set in Northwest Michigan cities of Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Traverse City, Cutter's protagonist is defense lawyer Burr Lafayette, a smart and witty sleuth who is tasked with figuring out who killed a well-known local radio station co-owner by switching a restaurant dish spiced by morel mushrooms with the deadly variety.

Plenty of colorful suspects in the case, each with their own good reason to take out the radio station manager.

Lafayette is a somewhat unconventional attorney who has colorful associates and a drinking problem that puts him and others in danger. In fact, the lawyer's drinking and driving luck runs out with a deputy sheriff and he ends up in jail, needing the judge overseeing the murder case to spring him for court.

I like the way Cutter handles this very prevalent social issue by drawing attention to alcohol abuse without glorifying or suggesting it's OK.

Clean and smooth writing, clever dialogue, fast-paced – all tied into a very compelling mystery that's the latest installment of Burr Lafayette series. I highly recommend. 5-Stars.
Under the Ashes: Murder and MorelsCharles Cutter
Under the Ashes: Murder and Morels (Burr Lafayette Mystery)

Just finished reading a clever and cunning courtroom drama in the Jersey Girl series. But don't let the drama tag fool you. The novel is funny and, at times, a little crazy. Follow defense attorney Sandra Moss as she and her zany team defend a movie director against charges that he sabotaged the movie set, causing a stunt man's death. While reading, I couldn't help but think of the 'Rust' movie-set death involving Alec Baldwin. Creepy similarities. I enjoyed sleuth Sandy Moss, whose voice in the story reminded me of Jessica Fletcher of 'Murder, She Wrote' fame. The mystery kept me guessing and the side story – Sandy's courtship by a movie star Patrick McNabb – was charming. Smooth and clean writing. Good storytelling. A very enjoyable read beginning to end. This novel is just one arrow in Copperman's quiver of 28 books. Will certainly go for another. E.J. Copperman

I enjoyed Jennifer Murphy's 'Scarlet in Blue,' though I must admit reading about people who have schizophrenia gives me the creeps.

That's because folks who have the mental disorder can seem fine one moment, then flip the switch the next, and start having wild hallucinations – sometimes violent and unpredictable. In this novel, Scarlet, a mother has the affliction and she spends much of the book running away from a shadowy man with her daughter, Blue, in tow. They run from city to city until they land in Grand Haven, Michigan, where the mom's murder plot takes place with Henry, her psychoanalyst, and the story comes together.

Scarlet is a gifted painter and Blue, a teenager, has pure talent as a pianist. Blue watches her mom fade in and out of reality and does her best to be a normal high school girl, with the heavy burden of her mother's eccentric and crazy behavior – as well as the very-real possibility of inheriting schizophrenia –hanging over her.

I like the way Murphy tells this story. It is told from alternating points of view: Scarlet, Blue, and Henry take turns giving their take on events in the story.

The novel also allows Murphy to display her rich knowledge of art, music, and psychiatry. Readers get heavy and enlightening background info, blended seamlessly into the story, on all three areas.

This book is a Notable Michigan Book Award winner and worthy of such recognition. It's a 5-Star production.
Scarlet in BlueJennifer Murphy

I recently finished Sharon Emery's remarkable memoir that offers healing and understanding to those who have suffered crippling loss and face disability.

Her opening line packs a wallop: "I am the mother of a dead child," and her story continues through eye-opening accounts of how she has conquered her own disability – a severe stutter while building a successful career in communications.

Her story is pure inspiration. It provides healing and understanding to those coping with death and facing limitation – which is, basically, all of us.

Full disclosure here. I know Sharon Emery and worked with her when she worked for the Booth News Service in Lansing and I was managing editor of The Bay City Times. She's truly a wonderful woman – smart, clever, and quick witted.

I am so delighted she decided to share her journey through life. She provides wisdom, insight, and heart-wrenching stories about her family, including the loss of her daughter and the early deaths of her siblings.

This memoir is a Michigan Notable Book Award winner and is attracting rave reviews. Add me to the list. It's a must-read for all who are trying to find solace when dealing with devastating loss. It's would also be a thoughtful and meaningful gift to grieving loved ones.

It's Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy AnywaySharon Emery