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Not Born of Woman
Send a Monster to catch monsters!
The year is 1939 just after a massive Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A serial killer is loose, leaving strange occult symbols on the foreheads of murdered young women.
Adam Paradise works as a private investigator with an office over MORT’S drugstore on Fifth Avenue, but Adam also has a secret; he is almost two hundred years old, assembled from the parts of dead bodies by VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN!
The reality of his existence became a legend and then a fictionalized book by Mary Shelley. After being abandoned in the Arctic by his creator, he spent many years in solitude educating himself.
Now he has returned to the world of mankind and has allied himself with many of the downtrodden and outsiders of society. He is determined to try and understand humanity as well as to find out what his place is in the scheme of things.
Adam’s state of being—alive but created from the dead—gives him the ability to see the shadows of once-living beings—that some call ghosts—though he cannot communicate with them.
In this case VANDOMA KALDERASH, a Romani, comes to Adam and asks him to recover a family heirloom, The KOSHTI BOK necklace that her brother used to cover a bet with a loan shark. It is reported to have occult powers.
Things get complicated when the loan shark sells it to a fence who is then found hideously murdered. It soon becomes apparent the series deaths of the young girls are tied into the pursuit of many occult objects, including the Koshti Bok.
Adam has his mismatched hands full as he tries to navigate a maze of deceit and murder that eventually leads him to a building in the Nazi summer retreat Camp Siegfried on Long Island.
He finds himself in the middle of a conflict between evil vs. evil with the life of Vandoma in peril, in a battle that will determine the fate of the entire civilized world and may cost Adam the very humanity he so aspires to achieve.
***
"No one but Teel James Glenn could bring us a protagonist quite like private eye Adam Paradise. A giant of a man, with a scarred body and a kind heart, Paradise is the quintessential outsider, and a keen observer of the human condition. He is also a man made from the parts of other men, a literal Frankenstein’s monster. Working out of a second-story office, above a drug store in New York City in 1939, Paradise agrees to help a young Romani woman recover a family heirloom. As Paradise works the case, he is confronted by mobsters and Nazis, before coming up against an adversary even more imposing than Paradise himself. Glenn effortlessly crosses and combines genres, respecting and exploiting their tropes, to weave a story that is both familiar and at the same time brand spanking new. Not Born of Woman is a thoroughly entertaining read." - Jeff Markowitz
“In Not Born of Woman Teel James Glenn proves a master of pulp crossed-genre mashups full of originality and verve. This book deserves some recognition.” - Lee Murray, multiple Bram Stoker Award® winner and Shirley Jackson Award winner
“An original and ingenious gumshoe epic, Not Born of Woman is what would happen if Raymond Chandler and Mary Shelley had a baby that went on to play Sam Spade on the silver screen. The characters jump off the page, and the story moves faster than a bolt of lightning racing down a laboratory lightning rod. Paradise Investigations is going to be the next series everyone is talking about.
The year is 1939 just after a massive Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A serial killer is loose, leaving strange occult symbols on the foreheads of murdered young women.
Adam Paradise works as a private investigator with an office over MORT’S drugstore on Fifth Avenue, but Adam also has a secret; he is almost two hundred years old, assembled from the parts of dead bodies by VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN!
The reality of his existence became a legend and then a fictionalized book by Mary Shelley. After being abandoned in the Arctic by his creator, he spent many years in solitude educating himself.
Now he has returned to the world of mankind and has allied himself with many of the downtrodden and outsiders of society. He is determined to try and understand humanity as well as to find out what his place is in the scheme of things.
Adam’s state of being—alive but created from the dead—gives him the ability to see the shadows of once-living beings—that some call ghosts—though he cannot communicate with them.
In this case VANDOMA KALDERASH, a Romani, comes to Adam and asks him to recover a family heirloom, The KOSHTI BOK necklace that her brother used to cover a bet with a loan shark. It is reported to have occult powers.
Things get complicated when the loan shark sells it to a fence who is then found hideously murdered. It soon becomes apparent the series deaths of the young girls are tied into the pursuit of many occult objects, including the Koshti Bok.
Adam has his mismatched hands full as he tries to navigate a maze of deceit and murder that eventually leads him to a building in the Nazi summer retreat Camp Siegfried on Long Island.
He finds himself in the middle of a conflict between evil vs. evil with the life of Vandoma in peril, in a battle that will determine the fate of the entire civilized world and may cost Adam the very humanity he so aspires to achieve.
***
"No one but Teel James Glenn could bring us a protagonist quite like private eye Adam Paradise. A giant of a man, with a scarred body and a kind heart, Paradise is the quintessential outsider, and a keen observer of the human condition. He is also a man made from the parts of other men, a literal Frankenstein’s monster. Working out of a second-story office, above a drug store in New York City in 1939, Paradise agrees to help a young Romani woman recover a family heirloom. As Paradise works the case, he is confronted by mobsters and Nazis, before coming up against an adversary even more imposing than Paradise himself. Glenn effortlessly crosses and combines genres, respecting and exploiting their tropes, to weave a story that is both familiar and at the same time brand spanking new. Not Born of Woman is a thoroughly entertaining read." - Jeff Markowitz
“In Not Born of Woman Teel James Glenn proves a master of pulp crossed-genre mashups full of originality and verve. This book deserves some recognition.” - Lee Murray, multiple Bram Stoker Award® winner and Shirley Jackson Award winner
“An original and ingenious gumshoe epic, Not Born of Woman is what would happen if Raymond Chandler and Mary Shelley had a baby that went on to play Sam Spade on the silver screen. The characters jump off the page, and the story moves faster than a bolt of lightning racing down a laboratory lightning rod. Paradise Investigations is going to be the next series everyone is talking about.
- GenresHorror
227 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2024
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Teel James Glenn
205 books37 followersTeel James "T.J." Glenn has a long career as a performer, teacher, and stunt expert. He has sold several screenplays and is the author of the fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 4, 2024
NOT BORN OF WOMAN by Teel James Glenn is the most recent riff on Mary Shelley’s seminal nineteenth century novel, FRANKENSTEIN. And what a clever addition this genre-bending work is. Glenn eschews the Boris Karloff-version of a grunting, lumbering monster and, instead, looks to the original, where “the monster” is an articulate, thinking being.
Glenn fast forwards our hero to 1939 New York, complete with a shiny new name, Adam Paradise, and a shiny new profession: Private Investigator. It’s the classic set-up to the classic gumshoe noir novel complete with a seedy second floor office and a visit from a beautiful woman in trouble. But he doesn’t leave it there. Throughout the book Glenn takes these noir elements and combines them with ghosts, the supernatural, horrific murders, and a mystery that begs to be solved. In the center of it all is Adam Paradise; articulate, well-read, philosophical, and saddened by the inhumanity of man.
NOT BORN OF WOMAN is a commentary on what it means to live as “other”—something that Adam Paradise understands better than most. And as a man alone, Paradise is forever asking himself the big questions that burden us all. Why am I here? Who can I trust? What is my purpose? Where is acceptance? This is a being who feels deeply. Through his encounters, he grows attached to people as never before. One can’t help but root for him in his search for acceptance and peace.
Adam Paradise, is joined by a full cast of memorable characters. Romanies, Nazis, thugs, a serial killer, a terrified priest, lone sharks, and women in distress. This motley group travels in and around a world of dark corners, hidden in alleyways and sketchy smoke-filled buildings; all following clues and ancient symbols in an effort to retrieve a necklace imbued with magical properties. Phantoms of the dead are swirling around the living and there are threats of supernatural evil on the horizon, with the worst of history, and its subsequent horror, threatening to repeat itself.
I loved the nods to Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane, but also Edgar Rice Burroughs and Edgar Allen Poe. The writing is clear and succinct. The supernatural elements are, at times, frightening and at other times, sumptuously drawn. The pacing is brisk. And the story can’t be put down. Lucky for us, Teel James Glenn has written an ending tailor-made for a sequel. We can only hope that NOT BORN OF WOMAN is the start of a new multi-book series.
Glenn fast forwards our hero to 1939 New York, complete with a shiny new name, Adam Paradise, and a shiny new profession: Private Investigator. It’s the classic set-up to the classic gumshoe noir novel complete with a seedy second floor office and a visit from a beautiful woman in trouble. But he doesn’t leave it there. Throughout the book Glenn takes these noir elements and combines them with ghosts, the supernatural, horrific murders, and a mystery that begs to be solved. In the center of it all is Adam Paradise; articulate, well-read, philosophical, and saddened by the inhumanity of man.
NOT BORN OF WOMAN is a commentary on what it means to live as “other”—something that Adam Paradise understands better than most. And as a man alone, Paradise is forever asking himself the big questions that burden us all. Why am I here? Who can I trust? What is my purpose? Where is acceptance? This is a being who feels deeply. Through his encounters, he grows attached to people as never before. One can’t help but root for him in his search for acceptance and peace.
Adam Paradise, is joined by a full cast of memorable characters. Romanies, Nazis, thugs, a serial killer, a terrified priest, lone sharks, and women in distress. This motley group travels in and around a world of dark corners, hidden in alleyways and sketchy smoke-filled buildings; all following clues and ancient symbols in an effort to retrieve a necklace imbued with magical properties. Phantoms of the dead are swirling around the living and there are threats of supernatural evil on the horizon, with the worst of history, and its subsequent horror, threatening to repeat itself.
I loved the nods to Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane, but also Edgar Rice Burroughs and Edgar Allen Poe. The writing is clear and succinct. The supernatural elements are, at times, frightening and at other times, sumptuously drawn. The pacing is brisk. And the story can’t be put down. Lucky for us, Teel James Glenn has written an ending tailor-made for a sequel. We can only hope that NOT BORN OF WOMAN is the start of a new multi-book series.
November 12, 2024
Teel James Glenn’s mystery horror mash-up Not Born of Woman is a fresh, approachable, and engaging take on what a sequel to Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel Frankenstein could be. Smart, self-educated, caring and mystified by humanity, the creature, now self-named as Adam Paradise, has spent several decades in Arctic isolation living on an ice-bound ship filled with an impressively stocked library and gold treasure, is back among alleged civilization, namely 1930’s New York City, attempting to understand humanity and his place in the world by using his size, power, sophisticated mind, and an impressively empathetic heart to help those in need. The result is an addictive read that mixes classic mystery, private eye, and horror tropes with a wealth of philosophical and literary references, a rich cast of fully formed New Yorkers that includes cops, gangsters, store owners, a trans neighbor, gypsies, and Nazis.
To create a quick read that builds on a classic, is fueled by essential thoughts, is paced like a thriller, and offers a way to love a long beloved character in a new way is an impressive accomplishment indeed. Teel James Glenn delivers all this as a page-turner of a ripping fun read.
Most highly recommended.
To create a quick read that builds on a classic, is fueled by essential thoughts, is paced like a thriller, and offers a way to love a long beloved character in a new way is an impressive accomplishment indeed. Teel James Glenn delivers all this as a page-turner of a ripping fun read.
Most highly recommended.
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January 19, 2025Frankenstein's Creature v. Nazis
This has a high concept premise: What if Frankenstein's Creature landed in NYC and became a P.I. hired by a a young Romany woman to retrieve her tribe's amulet? The hero, Adam Paradise in this incarnation, is a deeply intellectual, brilliant man with a streak of goodness as high as his 7 feet height. Lots of old-fashioned pulp magazine action (for pulps, think Indiana Jones), Nazi villains you loathe,,and a strong supporting cast make this a fun read.
The author has put in a lot of hours in research.from the Fund in America to the Romany language and the feeling of 1930s New York. And anyone who can pop out three quotes from the Jesuit anthropologist and theologian Teilhard Dr Chardon and not long after do.the same with Nietzsche gets my vote. But don't worry. The author never lets historical research and philosophy get in the way of the action.
This has a high concept premise: What if Frankenstein's Creature landed in NYC and became a P.I. hired by a a young Romany woman to retrieve her tribe's amulet? The hero, Adam Paradise in this incarnation, is a deeply intellectual, brilliant man with a streak of goodness as high as his 7 feet height. Lots of old-fashioned pulp magazine action (for pulps, think Indiana Jones), Nazi villains you loathe,,and a strong supporting cast make this a fun read.
The author has put in a lot of hours in research.from the Fund in America to the Romany language and the feeling of 1930s New York. And anyone who can pop out three quotes from the Jesuit anthropologist and theologian Teilhard Dr Chardon and not long after do.the same with Nietzsche gets my vote. But don't worry. The author never lets historical research and philosophy get in the way of the action.
June 17, 2025
Not Born of Woman is a thoroughly enjoyable noir-style mystery.
It's a relatively short book, and I devoured it in a day.
I picked it up after hearing the author read the first chapter at a conference.
He fills the story with fascinating details of the world at the moment of the book's setting. It's a time of great upheaval, and gives an excellent opportunity for punching nazi's, always an enjoyable aspect of any book!
The mystery is well constructed and fair.
I look forward to the next books in the series.
It's a relatively short book, and I devoured it in a day.
I picked it up after hearing the author read the first chapter at a conference.
He fills the story with fascinating details of the world at the moment of the book's setting. It's a time of great upheaval, and gives an excellent opportunity for punching nazi's, always an enjoyable aspect of any book!
The mystery is well constructed and fair.
I look forward to the next books in the series.
August 27, 2024
An original and ingenious gumshoe epic, NOT BORN OF WOMAN is what would happen if Raymond Chandler and Mary Shelley had a baby that went on to play Sam Spade on the silver screen. The characters jump off the page, and the story moves faster than a bolt of lightning racing down a laboratory lightning rod. Paradise Investigations is going to be the next series everyone is talking about. It's smart, sharp, and authentic, but most of all...it's alive!
February 8, 2025
Glenn’s novel is an inspired mix of noir with a pinch of SF. Yes, the much-put-upon monster is now a gumshoe with sense of community and purpose—but out there, in the rest of the world, there are a lot of immoral characters with purposes of their own. The book is filled with flavor and paced like the page-turner it is, and Frankenstein is the kind of detective I’d like to hire. He can get out of any situation, really, and boy are there situations! Put on a jazzy hat and savor the setting.
July 21, 2025
I’m so glad this is the first book in a series, I need more of Adam Paradise’s investigations. This had all the allure of a classic noir and all the love to transport its readers back in time with is vivid setting. The horror of it kept me hooked, each turn of the page brought a new twist of the story and a new spine chilling detail to make the reader feel a part of the investigation. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the next one!
December 17, 2024
Not Born of Woman is Teel James Glenn's take on crime noir, with nazi's and magic, monsters and...Adam. Without giving anything away, this is a fantastic novel, with twists and surprises at every turn, right up to the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and can't wait for Adam's next tale.
November 28, 2024
I just finished Not Born of Woman by Teel James Glenn and loved it! This was such an engaging read that it hooked me in immediately. And you won't guess whodunnit no matter how hard you try! This will be a blockbuster series, I cannot wait for Book 2 to come out! Highly recommend!!
January 11, 2025
Frankenstein's Monster (going by the name Adam Paradise) moves to NYC in the 1930s and becomes a private eye. In trying to track down a Romani woman's necklace, he finds himself entangled with the rising Nazi movement in America at the time.
With a synopsis like that, how can you lose?
With a synopsis like that, how can you lose?
January 2, 2025
Not Born of Woman was the book I didn't know I wanted until I read the synop. Very well written, entertaining read. Another winner from Crossroads Press. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews