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Red Thread
t is a sweltering summer morning in New Jersey and an appalling sight awaits Ben O’Shaughnessy…
When he arrives in ‘The Embroidery Capital of the World’ to drop the roughs off for some new products, he soon finds the body of a young sketcher, her slender form tilted sideways, her hands balled up into fists.
And that’s not all - her mouth is crudely stitched shut with red embroidery thread.
Ben, who also writes a gossip column as ‘Mr Knowbody’ for the Jersey Journal, is shocked and pained.
But nobody appears to want to find out who murdered Nikki and why – no one except him that is.
Though the embroidery business paid the rent, Ben’s secret life as Mr Knowbody kept him sane.
Could Mr Knowbody unknot the thread?
He certainly has more than a passing acquaintance with the seedy underbelly of glamour capitals like New York and his is a world where everyone is fighting to keep their head above water.
It is a world of ultimate human exploitation, where the trappings of civilised life – local politicians, businessmen, law enforcement, the Church – are exposed as merely skin deep when Mr Knowbody starts poking his unwanted nose in.
And when Nikki’s mother Hazel doesn’t seem to react when she learns of her daughter’s death, Mr Knowbody can’t help wondering…what secret could she be hiding?
Red Thread is a riveting read, peppered with the humour and satisfyingly taut structure of Ernest Hemingway.
Mark Rogers is a writer and artist whose literary heroes include Charles Bukowski, Willie Vlautin and Charles Portis. He lives most of the year in Baja California, Mexico with his Sinaloa-born wife, Sophy. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Village Voice and other publications and his travel journalism has taken him to 54 countries.
When he arrives in ‘The Embroidery Capital of the World’ to drop the roughs off for some new products, he soon finds the body of a young sketcher, her slender form tilted sideways, her hands balled up into fists.
And that’s not all - her mouth is crudely stitched shut with red embroidery thread.
Ben, who also writes a gossip column as ‘Mr Knowbody’ for the Jersey Journal, is shocked and pained.
But nobody appears to want to find out who murdered Nikki and why – no one except him that is.
Though the embroidery business paid the rent, Ben’s secret life as Mr Knowbody kept him sane.
Could Mr Knowbody unknot the thread?
He certainly has more than a passing acquaintance with the seedy underbelly of glamour capitals like New York and his is a world where everyone is fighting to keep their head above water.
It is a world of ultimate human exploitation, where the trappings of civilised life – local politicians, businessmen, law enforcement, the Church – are exposed as merely skin deep when Mr Knowbody starts poking his unwanted nose in.
And when Nikki’s mother Hazel doesn’t seem to react when she learns of her daughter’s death, Mr Knowbody can’t help wondering…what secret could she be hiding?
Red Thread is a riveting read, peppered with the humour and satisfyingly taut structure of Ernest Hemingway.
Mark Rogers is a writer and artist whose literary heroes include Charles Bukowski, Willie Vlautin and Charles Portis. He lives most of the year in Baja California, Mexico with his Sinaloa-born wife, Sophy. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Village Voice and other publications and his travel journalism has taken him to 54 countries.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 31, 2026
★★★★★
Mark Rogers has written a crime novel that grabbed me from the opening scene and refused to let go. Ben O'Shaughnessy is a fascinating protagonist who makes a living in the embroidery trade while secretly writing a gossip column as "Mr Knowbody" for the Jersey Journal. When he discovers the body of a young sketcher with her mouth stitched shut using red thread, he becomes determined to uncover the truth when nobody else seems to care.
What I loved most is how this book packs so much into a lean 172 pages. It has the taut, muscular prose reminiscent of Hemingway, yet it is peppered with dark humor, especially the subplot involving Ben's insane neighbor Vic. The world of Union City, New Jersey, is vividly drawn, and the portrayal of the garment trade feels authentic and lived in. The plot moves at a satisfying pace, taking you through a world of exploitation where politicians, law enforcement, and even the church are exposed as merely skin deep.
Rogers is a writer and artist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and Village Voice, and that literary pedigree shows. This was a top read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot recommend it enough to fans of hardboiled crime fiction.
Mark Rogers has written a crime novel that grabbed me from the opening scene and refused to let go. Ben O'Shaughnessy is a fascinating protagonist who makes a living in the embroidery trade while secretly writing a gossip column as "Mr Knowbody" for the Jersey Journal. When he discovers the body of a young sketcher with her mouth stitched shut using red thread, he becomes determined to uncover the truth when nobody else seems to care.
What I loved most is how this book packs so much into a lean 172 pages. It has the taut, muscular prose reminiscent of Hemingway, yet it is peppered with dark humor, especially the subplot involving Ben's insane neighbor Vic. The world of Union City, New Jersey, is vividly drawn, and the portrayal of the garment trade feels authentic and lived in. The plot moves at a satisfying pace, taking you through a world of exploitation where politicians, law enforcement, and even the church are exposed as merely skin deep.
Rogers is a writer and artist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and Village Voice, and that literary pedigree shows. This was a top read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot recommend it enough to fans of hardboiled crime fiction.
March 17, 2020
Very interesting story line and characters. The narrator can be humerous but rather long winded at times. The story itself is creepy (the good kind of creepy) and the ending is a total surprise.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews