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The Duesenberg Caper
Roger Corea returns with a second novel, after the wonderful Scarback, once again creating memorable characters and a plot that draws you in. Present-day Andrew, called "Punt", narrates the story of a wild and sometimes frightening adventure in Sicily, some 30 years before, when he and his wife Ada became entangled in mystery and intrigue in the world of priceless antique cars. Punt and Ada are very likeable, you can tell that even they are somewhat perplexed as to how exactly they got themselves into this situation, and they are surprised to be suddenly acting the parts of sleuths. The ancillary characters are well-drawn and interesting, I was picturing them as I read the book, knowing what actors I'd cast in the roles if it were to be made into a movie. Amid the action and suspense there's also humor. No spoilers here but there is a certain misfortune which keeps befalling Punt and Ada, which is funny after a while, and you'll find yourself saying, as they presumably were...no! Again? How many times is this? This story also contains one of the best puns ever, at the very end. You won't see it coming.
There is much detailed description of rare and hugely valuable antique cars, and Roger Corea is an expert. But this is definitely not dry cataloguing of features, suitable only for the collector.His descriptions of the cars are just as vivid and engaging as those of the people and the Sicilian landscapes. I have absolutely no knowledge of antique cars, and it never interested me, but I found myself going to Google images and looking up photos of the cars in the novel (and they are remarkable!).
There is much detailed description of rare and hugely valuable antique cars, and Roger Corea is an expert. But this is definitely not dry cataloguing of features, suitable only for the collector.His descriptions of the cars are just as vivid and engaging as those of the people and the Sicilian landscapes. I have absolutely no knowledge of antique cars, and it never interested me, but I found myself going to Google images and looking up photos of the cars in the novel (and they are remarkable!).
Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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About the author
Roger Corea
7 books14 followersABOUT ROGER COREA
Education and Experience
Not only is writing a natural outgrowth of Roger’s formal education; it is also a product of his own life’s experience. A Bachelor’s Degree in English from St. Bonaventure University and graduate courses at the University of Rochester provide a solid foundation. But Roger’s most meaningful “education” comes from teaching English literature and a thirty-year field leadership position with Ameriprise Financial. He calls these experiences his writer’s “apprenticeship” citing the best preparation for writing novels is learning about people. Mark Twain’s quote, “Never let your book learnin’ interfere with your education”, is his favorite.
Writing Philosophy
Roger writes about subjects he is passionate about. His novels have three consistent threads woven through them:
First, he is passionate about developing characters. All three of his books have vivid, real characters that seem to leap to life from the pages. They confront crisis with creativity, unpredictability, and high energy. They don’t always “win” but during their struggle, they achieve a certain greatness.
Secondly, he is passionate about his plot and storyline. If he is writing a thriller, he believes every page should be thrilling, every action should have a purpose; every deed should have an impact.
Finally, all three books have memorable surprise endings!
Summary of Roger Corea’s Three Books
Scarback – There Is So Much More To Fishing Than Catching Fish.
This award-winning novel tells the story of a man’s attempt to unite a friend with his estranged family during a hunt for a legendary fish. Dominic, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, has friends, who are big, loud personalities, full of zingers and colorful slang.
Dominic’s best friend, a generous local bartender named Augie, thinks he may have found a new family to fill the hole in Dominic’s life: his original family, the one who left Dominic at the orphanage decades ago.
Set in the 1950’s, the story revolves around a fishing trip in Canada to catch Scarback, a 55-pound Northern Pike with a $1 million bounty. The reader will laugh and cry at the humorous, often heart-wrenching events that take place and be totally consumed by someone with a heart bigger than life itself!
The Duesenberg Caper
A vacation in Sicily turns deadly when young schoolteachers Andrew and his wife Ada find themselves commissioned to solve one the oldest mysteries in the car world: the whereabouts of the priceless 1935 Duesenberg SJ Emmanuel owned by King Victor Emmanuel of Italy that has been missing for decades. Andrew and Ada are drawn into a world of high-stakes intrigue when they become immersed in the dangerous landscape of Sicily s mafia. In a land of high rollers where the money flows, Andrew and the feisty Ada must contend with a series of riddles that turn into potential landmines, risky complications, and the pursuit of the most notorious crime boss in Sicily.
Classic car enthusiasts rejoice! The story is lush with the rarest and costliest cars money can’t buy! Shrouded in enigma, the intoxicating Sicilian countryside is a catalyst for this electrifying thriller to unfold.
GTO
Antonio Grimaldi is fraught with desperation. He has only two choices: steal the most valuable Ferrari ever made and spend the rest of his life in prison, or have his wife and seven year old son killed by a vindictive assassin.
The story begins with the priceless Ferrari GTO prototype being delivered to Genoa by two valued members of Enzo Ferrari’s inner circle, Antonio Grimaldi and Giancarlo Bandini. The GTO will be placed inside a watertight container aboard the SS Andrea Doria.
SelectBooks of New York will publish GTO in mid-2016.
Education and Experience
Not only is writing a natural outgrowth of Roger’s formal education; it is also a product of his own life’s experience. A Bachelor’s Degree in English from St. Bonaventure University and graduate courses at the University of Rochester provide a solid foundation. But Roger’s most meaningful “education” comes from teaching English literature and a thirty-year field leadership position with Ameriprise Financial. He calls these experiences his writer’s “apprenticeship” citing the best preparation for writing novels is learning about people. Mark Twain’s quote, “Never let your book learnin’ interfere with your education”, is his favorite.
Writing Philosophy
Roger writes about subjects he is passionate about. His novels have three consistent threads woven through them:
First, he is passionate about developing characters. All three of his books have vivid, real characters that seem to leap to life from the pages. They confront crisis with creativity, unpredictability, and high energy. They don’t always “win” but during their struggle, they achieve a certain greatness.
Secondly, he is passionate about his plot and storyline. If he is writing a thriller, he believes every page should be thrilling, every action should have a purpose; every deed should have an impact.
Finally, all three books have memorable surprise endings!
Summary of Roger Corea’s Three Books
Scarback – There Is So Much More To Fishing Than Catching Fish.
This award-winning novel tells the story of a man’s attempt to unite a friend with his estranged family during a hunt for a legendary fish. Dominic, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, has friends, who are big, loud personalities, full of zingers and colorful slang.
Dominic’s best friend, a generous local bartender named Augie, thinks he may have found a new family to fill the hole in Dominic’s life: his original family, the one who left Dominic at the orphanage decades ago.
Set in the 1950’s, the story revolves around a fishing trip in Canada to catch Scarback, a 55-pound Northern Pike with a $1 million bounty. The reader will laugh and cry at the humorous, often heart-wrenching events that take place and be totally consumed by someone with a heart bigger than life itself!
The Duesenberg Caper
A vacation in Sicily turns deadly when young schoolteachers Andrew and his wife Ada find themselves commissioned to solve one the oldest mysteries in the car world: the whereabouts of the priceless 1935 Duesenberg SJ Emmanuel owned by King Victor Emmanuel of Italy that has been missing for decades. Andrew and Ada are drawn into a world of high-stakes intrigue when they become immersed in the dangerous landscape of Sicily s mafia. In a land of high rollers where the money flows, Andrew and the feisty Ada must contend with a series of riddles that turn into potential landmines, risky complications, and the pursuit of the most notorious crime boss in Sicily.
Classic car enthusiasts rejoice! The story is lush with the rarest and costliest cars money can’t buy! Shrouded in enigma, the intoxicating Sicilian countryside is a catalyst for this electrifying thriller to unfold.
GTO
Antonio Grimaldi is fraught with desperation. He has only two choices: steal the most valuable Ferrari ever made and spend the rest of his life in prison, or have his wife and seven year old son killed by a vindictive assassin.
The story begins with the priceless Ferrari GTO prototype being delivered to Genoa by two valued members of Enzo Ferrari’s inner circle, Antonio Grimaldi and Giancarlo Bandini. The GTO will be placed inside a watertight container aboard the SS Andrea Doria.
SelectBooks of New York will publish GTO in mid-2016.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 24, 2016
THE DUESENBERG CAPER by Roger Corea is a action filled suspense novel custom made for the classic car lover in all of us.
When a young American couple gets drawn into a hunt for the fabled lost 1935 Duesenberg SJ Emmanuel, once owned by the King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, they are rapidly in over their heads. Andy “Punt” Robinson and his more than capable wife Ada, school teachers on vacation in Sicily, follow their fascination with classic cars into a fabulous show of the self same. Shortly thereafter the cars are stolen and the pair team up with a retired Italian racer, his daughter and grandson and are on the hunt for not only the stolen cars but also the fabulous lost Duesenberg.
This collective have to face the Cosa Nostra and a lethargic Italian police force while doing their best not to get killed along the way.
This book features so many classic cars your head will swim and your fingers will ache from the extensive on-line searches you’ll be making just to see the classics mentioned. Without exception all are sleek beautiful models of the art of automobile design that will have you salivating. I myself will be heading over to Auburn, Indiana for a trek through the Cord Duesenberg Museum.
While I previously have had no real love for old cars, this fascinating and thrilling book has gotten my curiosity up and, after viewing so many photos, I can’t wait to get to the real thing. Also I’d like to read more of Punt and Ada’s adventures, knowing that there is a 40-year gap between this story and today so there should be plenty more where this came from.
I did win this book through Goodreads.
When a young American couple gets drawn into a hunt for the fabled lost 1935 Duesenberg SJ Emmanuel, once owned by the King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, they are rapidly in over their heads. Andy “Punt” Robinson and his more than capable wife Ada, school teachers on vacation in Sicily, follow their fascination with classic cars into a fabulous show of the self same. Shortly thereafter the cars are stolen and the pair team up with a retired Italian racer, his daughter and grandson and are on the hunt for not only the stolen cars but also the fabulous lost Duesenberg.
This collective have to face the Cosa Nostra and a lethargic Italian police force while doing their best not to get killed along the way.
This book features so many classic cars your head will swim and your fingers will ache from the extensive on-line searches you’ll be making just to see the classics mentioned. Without exception all are sleek beautiful models of the art of automobile design that will have you salivating. I myself will be heading over to Auburn, Indiana for a trek through the Cord Duesenberg Museum.
While I previously have had no real love for old cars, this fascinating and thrilling book has gotten my curiosity up and, after viewing so many photos, I can’t wait to get to the real thing. Also I’d like to read more of Punt and Ada’s adventures, knowing that there is a 40-year gap between this story and today so there should be plenty more where this came from.
I did win this book through Goodreads.
Want to Read
February 14, 2016I will be finishing this book today. I am really enjoying it. It has some action and suspense. There is a lot of history which is very interesting. Can't put it down . Great read.
September 2, 2016
A car-lovers dream with a playful mystery!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews