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When UC-San Diego Professor Marcus George discovers the body of an outspoken, overbearing colleague in a faculty office, he becomes entangled in a murder investigation and reluctantly finds himself playing amateur sleuth. His partner, attorney Bob Abramson, is coping with a family tragedy—and, as his 40th birthday approaches, facing personal demons as well.
Winter
combines the suspense of a murder with a profound observation of character, as Bob and Marcus face their most difficult time as a couple.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2025
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
H.N. Hirsch
8 books8 followersH N Hirsch was a professor of political science for 40 years. When he retired, he realized a lifetime ambition to write mystery novels. The first, "Shade," was published in 2022. The sequel, "Fault Line," will be published June 1, 2023.
Visit his website at scribble-and-scratch.com
Visit his website at scribble-and-scratch.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 26, 2025
Winter (Bob and Marcus Mysteries 4)
By H.N. Hirsch
Published by Pisgah Press, 2025
Five stars
What sets this series apart from, say, the Meg Perry mysteries, is that each installment represents a substantial time jump in the lives of Bob Abramson and Marcus George. Marcus meets Bob in the first book. In this book, Bob is about to turn forty, and Marcus is nearly fifty. Plus, they have an adopted Chinese daughter named Lily. They have been together eighteen years.
Syncing this with my actual life, I am the same age as Marcus, and in the year 2000, in which this is set, we had a five-year-old adopted Chinese daughter. As in the previous books, this is, thus, a “historical” novel, but set in the relatively recent past; a past I lived through and thus have vivid memories of. This is simply to disclose that I do not have a normal editorial detachment in reading these books.
This is particularly relevant in “Winter,” because the central theme of the entire mystery plot is fidelity. The secondary motif is the importance of parents to their children, and the love of children for their parents. Every bit of the emotional punch of this story is drawn from those two themes.
And it’s a bit of a sucker-punch. Love wins, I hasten to say, but not without a fight. Except, of course, for the murder victim.
Once more, Marcus gets himself involved in a murder, quite by accident, and drags Bob into it because he has legal skills. In this one way Marcus is rather like Jamie Brodie in the Meg Perry books—forever stumbling onto corpses and turning his life upside down. But Hirsch’s goal is more about digging into the way people change over time—the way relationships and friendships change over time.
The story is intimate, poignant, and somewhat appalling, depending on your personal viewpoint. Bob and Marcus are the constant that keeps your faith in humanity going.
Bob and Marcus are great characters. They are strong, vulnerable men, successful and yet constantly unsure of themselves in the face of the remarkable human nastiness they see around them. As in all the books, Marcus’s family is barely mentions, while Bob’s family is truly THEIR family.
By H.N. Hirsch
Published by Pisgah Press, 2025
Five stars
What sets this series apart from, say, the Meg Perry mysteries, is that each installment represents a substantial time jump in the lives of Bob Abramson and Marcus George. Marcus meets Bob in the first book. In this book, Bob is about to turn forty, and Marcus is nearly fifty. Plus, they have an adopted Chinese daughter named Lily. They have been together eighteen years.
Syncing this with my actual life, I am the same age as Marcus, and in the year 2000, in which this is set, we had a five-year-old adopted Chinese daughter. As in the previous books, this is, thus, a “historical” novel, but set in the relatively recent past; a past I lived through and thus have vivid memories of. This is simply to disclose that I do not have a normal editorial detachment in reading these books.
This is particularly relevant in “Winter,” because the central theme of the entire mystery plot is fidelity. The secondary motif is the importance of parents to their children, and the love of children for their parents. Every bit of the emotional punch of this story is drawn from those two themes.
And it’s a bit of a sucker-punch. Love wins, I hasten to say, but not without a fight. Except, of course, for the murder victim.
Once more, Marcus gets himself involved in a murder, quite by accident, and drags Bob into it because he has legal skills. In this one way Marcus is rather like Jamie Brodie in the Meg Perry books—forever stumbling onto corpses and turning his life upside down. But Hirsch’s goal is more about digging into the way people change over time—the way relationships and friendships change over time.
The story is intimate, poignant, and somewhat appalling, depending on your personal viewpoint. Bob and Marcus are the constant that keeps your faith in humanity going.
Bob and Marcus are great characters. They are strong, vulnerable men, successful and yet constantly unsure of themselves in the face of the remarkable human nastiness they see around them. As in all the books, Marcus’s family is barely mentions, while Bob’s family is truly THEIR family.
June 12, 2025
When Marcus discovers the body of a colleague at the university, he once again is at the center of the investigation. This couldn’t come at a worse time. Stressed to the breaking point, will Marcus and his partner Bob overcome the trials they’re facing, or will it tear them apart?
Winter is a gripping murder mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. The descriptive narration pulls the reader into the story. As the mystery unfolds, H N Hirsch’s writing skills are unmatched. The investigation is realistic and intricate with a fairly large list of suspects.
But Winter is so much more than a mystery. The two main characters, Marcus and Bob, are what drives this story. It’s been wonderful watching their relationship grow over the years. They are a gay couple who love each other dearly. Their experiences as a gay couple in society is reflective of the political landscape and changing viewpoints. The characterization of these characters throughout the book is insightful and add depth to the overall story.
If you’re a mystery reader and looking for your next binge-read, pick up Winter.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Winter is a gripping murder mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. The descriptive narration pulls the reader into the story. As the mystery unfolds, H N Hirsch’s writing skills are unmatched. The investigation is realistic and intricate with a fairly large list of suspects.
But Winter is so much more than a mystery. The two main characters, Marcus and Bob, are what drives this story. It’s been wonderful watching their relationship grow over the years. They are a gay couple who love each other dearly. Their experiences as a gay couple in society is reflective of the political landscape and changing viewpoints. The characterization of these characters throughout the book is insightful and add depth to the overall story.
If you’re a mystery reader and looking for your next binge-read, pick up Winter.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
September 16, 2025
too many questionable typographical errors in digital edition
Story appeared rush probably why these errors occurred. Had trouble sometime understanding who was talking by the weird cop breaks. And a couple of times the sentences were out of order making the paragraphs cryptic and challenge to understand.
Story appeared rush probably why these errors occurred. Had trouble sometime understanding who was talking by the weird cop breaks. And a couple of times the sentences were out of order making the paragraphs cryptic and challenge to understand.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews