First Time Caller

by Keith Goldschmidt

“First time caller” resides at the intersection of murder, politics and talk radio. An insidious killer claims his first victim in the pristine Wisconsin Northwoods and then roams the country. Along the way, he baffles investigators with his bizarre methods. The FBI suspects the killings are the work of a radical organization. A rural Wisconsin sheriff and small-town newspaper editor are not so sure. Their skills lulled into complacency after years of working in rural Wisconsin, the pair struggles to regain confidence. The sheriff, goaded and ridiculed by the FBI, is haunted by the unsolved rape and murder of a six-year-old girl years earlier. He must dig deep to rebuild his confidence with the help of his newspaper buddy, who unceremoniously left the Washington scene and landed at a small, weekly paper. With conservative, talk-show king Benny Maroon the first target, the political intrigue attracts national media and the local population rallies to protect its own. Seasoned journalist Keith Goldschmidt captures the magnetic lure of Wisconsin’s Northwoods and the people who call it home in this captivating thriller. As the body count rises, the local community is torn, and the nation’s blogosphere erupts into a frenzied cacophony of conspiracy theories. Fans of C.J. Box and Harlan Coben and those who enjoy their mysteries a little hard-boiled will find much to enjoy in Goldschmidt’s first novel.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2018

Reviews

[J. Schlenker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original idea and a good title. Enter the world of conservative talk radio--a rather crowded occupation which is getting whittled down fast by someone who identifies himself as a first time caller. But all is not as it seems, as a small time sheriff and local news reporter try to solve the crime. At about seventy percent of the book, the killer is identified, and I'm thinking why would the author do this, but there was more yet to come. There is lots of fast paced action and twists. People who enjoy reading mystery and crime novels will like this book.

[J.C. Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author had me at Emil. Any man who loves fishing, loons and a northern lake has already taken a step into my heart, and so it was with Emil. Within two pages, I was furious that someone killed the man. Then I was tearing down a twisted path marked by murder and conservative talk show hosts and the issues, political and otherwise, created by the Internet. And I completely believed Kyle Sandowski and Sheriff Brickel, tired journalist and family-man cop respectively, and utterly loathed the killer. Good versus evil. Great ending. Great characters. I picked up the book (on amazon.ca) because, like me, Keith Goldschmidt was a journalist. I was intrigued by what he might create, and was thrilled to find it was a fantastic read with a well-wrought plot. Well done. Please do more.

[Kevin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner. Keith Goldschmidt writes a compelling whodunit involving small town and national law enforcement, media, and politics. Lots of action and interesting twists. Don't overlook this fun read.

[Kay Friedrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that holds you from beginning to end. A great read, found myself sprinting to the end in the final chapters.

[Karri Bliek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read with good plot twists.

[Carrie Knutson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murder of political shock jocks who use fake rhetoric to steer the election makes this a thought provoking book. The murders are, of course, blamed on liberals. This first murder takes place in a small town in Northern Wisconsin, where a local police officer helps to unravel the mystery.