A Simple Murder

by Phillip Thompson

Former ATF Agent Wade Stuart is content to while away his days in Hawaii as freelance reporter. But when he reports on a murder aboard the Marine base on Oahu, he discovers a sinister plot to kill hundreds of innocent tourists. Also available in paperback.

Paperback

First published November 15, 2011

About the author

Phillip Thompson grew up near the East Mississippi town of Columbus, birthplace of Tennessee Williams. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ole Miss before serving in the Marine Corps for 12 years. As a Marine, he served in California and Hawaii, aboard the USS Missouri, and in combat during the Persian Gulf War with the 1st Marine Division. He also spent the better part of two years traversing the island nations of the South Pacific as the lead planner for the 50th Anniversary of World War II in the Pacific.

Since leaving the service, he has worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Mississippi and Virginia, and his journalistic work has been featured in newspapers across the Deep South and the East Coast. He wrote as a freelancer for Civil War magazine and The Washington Times and worked as a staff cartoonist for 10 years at Marine Corps Times. He has also worked as a defense analyst; media spokesman; consultant; speechwriter and Senate aide.
Phillip Thompson is the author of novels, "Enemy Within," "A Simple Murder" and "Deep Blood." His short fiction has appeared in "O-Dark-Thirty" the literary journal of the Veterans Writing Project; "Thrills, Kills 'N' Chaos," "Out of the Gutter Online," "The Shamus Sampler II" and "The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature." He attended the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference as a fiction writer in 2003.

He also authored the non-fiction account of his Gulf War experience "Into the Storm: A U.S. Marine in the Persian Gulf War."

He lives in Virginia. Find him online at http://kudzucorner.wordpress.com.

Reviews

[Frederick John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit slow and tedious. Then again, I once lived in Hawaii on Oahu. The author is correct regarding the animus that exists with the native Hawaiians and the non-Hawaiian residents (the "haoles"). One can easily experience the bias if one spends any time at all on the other side of the Oahu island, away from Waikiki and the tourist areas. If you are white, or Asian (esp. Japanese) you are not liked or wanted. The story itself began as a seemingly interesting mystery but began to drag about midway through the book. The denouement was pretty predictable with no real surprises or plot twists. Seems Mr. Thompson wrote it as a send-up to Hawaii and its history vis-a-vis the United States.

[Kathy Gammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lot to Report

This fast-moving, suspense filled novel combines the well-ordered world of a Marine base, the hectic schedule of a newspaper reporter, and the undercurrents of the sovereignty groups of à thousands of years old civilization, all set against the backdrop of the rolling, foam-capped azure waves of the Pacific. Toss in a fiery ATF agent.trying ro find her way in a new aasignment, and the result is another page-turner!

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wade Stuart is at it again on the other side of the country.