Poetic Justice: A Rascal Todd Mystery Featuring Brody Thompson

by Dan Antion, Willow Willers

Trevor Barcroft enlists the help of crime and mystery writer Brody Thompson to help solve his father’s murder — a murder the police and the FBI have been ignoring for five years. Trevor is convinced he knows who killed his father. Brody doesn’t agree, but he becomes convinced that there is much more to the story than anyone is sharing. He takes a strong interest in the murder and a series of related crimes.

Rascal Todd wants to help, but her editor keeps her away from the story. Why? What was Wilson Barcroft doing at Gateway Park the night he was killed? Who is the mysterious Poet? What do the odd bits of poetry he has spread around tell us? Is the Poet still alive? Will he survive? Will Brody and Trevor find the answers—will they survive?

Join Rascal and her friends and coworkers as they try to help from the sidelines without becoming targets in an ever-growing list of deadly crimes. Real life turns out to be far more dangerous than any fiction Brody could create as the history of a war long over comes back to haunt the city of Pittsburgh.

Consistent with previous books by this author, this is a character-driven story with an ensemble cast. Some characters will be familiar to readers of Antion’s other novels. Some are new faces that you might just come to love. The addition of poetry by Willow Willers provides an interesting mechanism driving this story forward, and driving Brody Thomson into dangerous territory.

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Dan Antion was born outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up and attended college in the area around western Pennsylvania. Dan has written and published the popular No Facilities blog since 2011. A lifelong interest in writing became a reality after he retired from a successful 42-year-long career in information management.

Knuckleheads, published in June 2022, is the first book in the Dreamer’s Alliance Series. This story introduces the main characters in this series, in which the next two books will follow in late summer and early winter 2022.

Dan lives in Connecticut with his wife, a few pets and all the wildlife they can feed.

Reviews

[Sally Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Bridge to Nowhere and been introduced to Rascal Todd, the intrepid young reporter, I was looking forward to finding out about her next adventure and revisiting other interesting characters from previous books. I certainly was not disappointed, and in addition in this story, she shares the stage with another equally fascinating character, the former cop turned thriller writer Brody Thompson.

Both of them become involved in an investigation into a murder several years earlier which seems to have been side-lined by the police. The victim’s son is looking for answers and feels Brody’s credentials make him the ideal person to turn to for closure. However, there are certain parties who definitely do not want the secrets of the past brought to light, leading to those who seek to do so finding themselves in danger.

This is a clever plot, with many twists and turns but the reader is provided with a well thought out scavenger hunt as both Brody and Rascal and her colleagues at the newspaper carefully research and share their findings, wary of revealing their involvement. For one of them, a near fatal accident, makes it clear those guarding their secrets will do anything to prevent them being revealed.

This is another cleverly constructed mystery by Dan Antion which draws you in from the first page, but in this story, there is an additional element provided by the poetry of Willow Willers, which really offers the reader a portal to the past and highlights the reasons why there is such a resistance to revealing the truth. I found these poems poignant and deeply moving as they reflect on the aftermath of war for those who were affected by their experiences.

War is fought by the young but is orchestrated behind the scenes, not just by governments but those who see conflict as an opportunity to make fortunes. Even many decades after the Vietnam War there are still those who carry the physical and mental scars with many feeling the need to live outside of society.

At the end of the book the authors passed along this message.

“The authors would like to thank you for reading this book. In addition to wanting to craft the story, both Dan and Willow feel that parts of this story needed to be told”.

And I agree with them and can highly recommend Poetic Justice to lovers of intricate mysteries with great characters and plenty of surprises along the way.

[Marsha Ingrao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived through the Vietnam era, Dan Antion and Willow Willers’ novel, Poetic Justice, carved a special place in my heart as I read it.  As Dan wrote in his dedication, “to the people who lost their lives in Vietnam… and the people who returned from service but did not receive the honor, respect, appreciation, and medical care they deserved.” 

It seems that digging up old, case-closed mysteries is always a recipe for disaster. This one was ripe for disaster. Led along by the poet’s cryptic clues, the hero of the story stumbled along in a maze of dead ends and threats on his life. Yet he persisted, despite the fact that he had no reason, no connection, no vindictiveness in his pursuit of solving the mystery. I really liked Brody Thompson and his dedication. He wasn’t without fear, but he was fearless. 

The story had an equally opposite bad guy in the person of Professor Austin McGuire, also known as Miggs. You couldn’t like him no matter how you tried, but was he the murderer?  When he got upset at the Rascal, the reporter who quoted him legally, for not asking permission, he lost any respect he might have earned from me. 

The poems drove the story. They became the personification of the homeless man who wrote them and left them in strategic locations. He piqued their curiosity and made them work hard to figure out the mysteries behind this case - or at least he kept me wondering what was going to happen next. 

For mystery lovers, this is a top-notch read.  I also love the cover and the story behind it.

[Jan Sikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing some of the same characters in this story that I met in the previous book, "Bridge To Nowhere." It was like visiting with old friends at the newspaper office. But the major characters in this story are new. I immediately liked bestselling crime writer, Brody Thompson. Up until now, he's only written murder mysteries, not been involved in one. But he can't resist the intrigue of solving a real crime, and offers to help Trevor find out who had murdered his father. There are a lot of breadcrumbs to follow throughout the story and each one reveals a new possibility. Another character I enjoyed meeting was Trevor's mother, Arlene, who has a plethora of secrets to protect. I won't share what they are, but will tell you she is a strong character with an even stronger motivation for all the lies.
But the most intriguing and mysterious character is simply known as The Poet. He is a complex character. His poems are honest and disturbing with strong messages for those who exploit others. He focuses most of his poems on the Viet Nam war and how the soldiers were used a guinea pigs for testing of chemicals such as agent orange. The poems are impassioned and Willow did a great job creating them. They add so much to the depth of the story.
At one point, I thought I'd figured who the bad guys were, only to be disappointed that I wasn't right. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing. The stakes are high, and there are a lot of players at the table. If you're a fan of murder mysteries with intriguing characters, you are sure to enjoy Dan and Willow's new collaboration.

[Colleen Chesebro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brody Thompson, a best-selling author, agrees to help Trevor Barcroft figure out who killed his father, who had served in Vietnam. Shortly after their first meeting, Trevor is attacked. That tragedy causes Brody to deepen his conviction to find out what happened to Trevor’s dad.

Trevor’s mom is another wonderful character. She’s in hiding on an Alzheimer’s ward, holding on to her own dark secrets from the past. She assists Brody by providing some historical details Trevor didn’t know about.

When strange poems start showing up, Brody hears about the man called the Poet, who has been in hiding for years. Something happened years ago, and the truth is dying to come out!

The poetry, sprinkled throughout the book, is penned as messages from the character called “The Poet.” The poetry drew me into the mind of a man who carries the secret of how the soldiers were used as guinea pigs for the testing of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. It’s a frightening proposition! Willow Willers did an amazing job with the poetic clues!

I liked the idea of a fiction author serving as a sleuth in a murder mystery. Brody found the truth to be stranger than fiction! This was a fabulous mystery. I thought I’d figured out who the killer was, but in the end I was totally surprised.

I think I gained weight reading this book!! One thing about Dan Antion’s books, the characters are always eating!

If you’re looking for an unusual (poetic) mystery, you will enjoy Poetic Justice.

[Alex Craigie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetic Justice is one of a series of books that centres on a newspaper office and its intrepid journalists who delve deep into mysteries and crime. In this one, the newspaper plays second fiddle to a crime writer called Brody Thompson who is hired by Trevor Barcroft to solve the murder five years ago of his father.
Brody is reluctant to take on the case, but as it becomes clear that people want this closed case to remain that way, his interest is piqued and he uses his intuition and the sleuthing skills acquired from his books to start digging for the truth.
The main players from the past all have time in Vietnam in common. I was touched by Brody’s references to those who had fought for their country, putting their lives and mental health on the line, yet denied the welcome back expected after such a brutal campaign. One of the elusive characters is a homeless man who served time in Vietnam and is referred to as The Poet. He has left cryptic poems (hauntingly written by Willow Willers) in different places and Brody has to try and interpret them to solve the mystery of several deaths.
This is a lively Whodunnit and the pace is just right. There’s excitement, danger, romance and some delicious humour. This is the first book I’ve read from the series, but now I feel I need to go back and get to know the characters from the start.

[Teagan Geneviene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather than reviewing with the standard “summary,” I’m going to focus on one character, because this is such a character-driven story. Brody is certainly an appealing character. Naturally Rascal Todd is too, as well as her boss Bernie. However, I’m choosing Trevor Barcroft (although Trevor’s mom is wonderfully unique – you see that it’s a difficult choice). Trevor’s family backstory makes him an even more relatable character. The part about his mother particularly, since I know several people who have unexpectedly found themselves as carers for loved ones with that and similar difficulties. The interactions between Trevor and Brody feel real in that they are solid, matter-of-fact. And the cow… you’ll have to read and find out.
Happily, Rascal Todd is also on hand. The genuineness of this young woman character (I loved that she remarked about parallel parking) helps balance the guys as well as the characters (which I won’t name) who are… disingenuous. In fact with all the characters and the many intriguing elements of this story together, it’s easy to understand why readers everywhere are raving about this book.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best-selling mystery author Brody Thompson is asked to help solve a real-life murder. Curious, Brody agrees to help Trevor figure out who killed his father and soon finds himself not only searching for a murderer but also in danger. After Trevor is attacked, Brody becomes more determined to find out what is going on. He runs across a character that held my attention or The Poet, who has been in hiding for years. The Poet communicates and leaves clues through poetry. Brody was a strong character who interacted with familiar characters from the past and met new ones, like Trevor’s mom. Journalist Rascal has a backup role in this story, but she is still there, along with her demanding kitty and the newsroom. The setting is woven nicely into the story, along with many delicious-sounding meals. I now want a pastry from the story. I found myself rooting for Brody and eager to find out more about The Poet. This can be a standalone read, but it’s nice to already be familiar with past characters. An engaging whodunit that had me guessing until the end.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic Justice is a complicated thriller, but an important one leading back to "a war we never even tried to win" and reasons buried decades earlier. The characters are also complex, including the Poet who was in hiding and clues he left as short poems. Solving all the tangles was made more difficult by "pressure from miles above and years before," as one character put it.

Also fascinating is the story at the end of how Willow Withers was brought on board as the coauthor of this compelling story. (My husband, who has Parkinson's) is a veteran of the Vietnam war, so I was especially interested in this story.)

[Gwendolyn Plano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writers Dan Antion and Willow Willers collaborated on this investigative mystery, creating an intriguing story. Trevor is trying to find out who killed his father, and he turns to Brody Thompson, a bestselling crime writer, for help. Readers follow these two and the mysterious Poet as the story unfolds. The mystery grows deeper, the settings more diverse, and the complexity more intense – until the climactic conclusion. This was an engaging read, and if you enjoy secrets and riddles, this is a book for you.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic Justice is a catchy and layered mystery in which fiction and reality collide.

It builds into a tightly woven, dialogue-rich investigation that digs deeper than a simple whodunnit: probing motives, loyalties, and moral compromises that drive each character.

Guided by the cryptic musings of a hidden poet and shadowed by institutions eager to bury the truth, Trevor and Brody navigate a past tangled in secrets, guilt, and dangerous knowledge. Told with wit, emotional tension, and noir undercurrents, this novel balances suspense with introspection. Brody’s reluctant involvement, Trevor’s persistence, and the looming mystery of the poet’s silence make for a compelling read, a meditation on grief, justice, and the cost of uncovering truth.

Perfect for readers who enjoy smart crime fiction with heart and psychological depth.

Enjoyed on Audibles and KU.

From Poetic Justice:
"Okay. If he doesn’t want the story to come out as news, maybe you can work it into a book. But one way or another, I want this story to be told. I want someone to leave a written legacy for the good men who died along the way."

"Death from the Sky poem:

Death came from the sky
The roar, the smell as the jets fly
Orange and napalm blowing in the wind.
LBJ said yes to the continuation
Medling Nixon delayed cessation.
Those who made the fires of hell
Rubbed their hands as all went well.
Where's the answers where's the truths.
Where in hell are our wasted youths.
Hide the bodies hide the burned
Hide the lessons never learned
Take the truth and bury it deep
I am still here and I know the secrets they keep. "