Killer Surf

by Chris Forman

Ian Porthos Wallace, that kilt wearing food writer and photographer from Port City, is involved in another murder mystery when he trips over a body on the beach while on his morning walk. When he looks close he realizes it is the body of Brenda Dexter, his neighbor. His first reaction, vomit. His second, call 911. Ian helps his friend Detective Jim Halstead solve the murder by looking into Brenda's past and by interviewing his quirky neighbors. There is the stripper, the two old ladies who order products from infomercials and the guy who sits on his porch all day in his bathrobe smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. Join Ian for some mystery, suspense, humor and some good eating as he tries to solve a mystery and plan a wedding.

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2011

About the author

It was a dark and stormy night. Okay, never start a book like that but you can start a life like that. I was born in 1955 in the middle of hurricane season. Now it wasn’t night, but I hear it was dark. Okay if I was born in 1955 that makes me . . . oh crap 58.

Well the first eighteen years were typical of a teenager growing up in the early 1970's and I graduated from Valley Central High School in June of 1973, roughly in the top third of the class. I then went on to Orange County Community College and did so well there that they requested (okay demanded) that I take some time off from school. That was in 1974 and I took them so seriously that I stayed away for 25 years.

I met my lovely wife Teresa one enchanted evening in a place called Gobeo’s. A local bar in Middletown. We were married on August 13th 1977, my birthday, and we celebrate our thirtieth anniversary this year. We have four children. Two are married and two are at home. All are college graduates. We also have five grandchildren. The names of my children and grandchildren have been used in my books.

I have had many careers in my life and I’ll try to list them here. Many of them have had a tremendous influence in my writing.

Pearl diver (dish washer) at my step-father’s restaurant
Custodian at the local phone company while in school
Men’s clothing salesman
Coffee route salesman
Uniform rental driver
Bread man (route driver) for Millbrook and Freihofer bread.
Truck and power equipment salesman
Retail store manager
Professional photographer
Teacher’s aide
Teacher

This all got to be such a pain when I had to fill out job applications (list previous work experience) Back in 1998 I decided to return to college and finish my degree. Four years later I had a Masters in education and I now teach social studies at the same high school I graduated from.