Two Needed Killing

Needed Killing #6

by Bill Fitts

When James F. Crawford retired from the university he didn't expect to become a private investigator. But Provost Rufus George wanted Crawford to investigate a suspicious death--and he wouldn't take no for an answer. Turns out, Crawford has a knack for solving crimes. With his dog and cat as the perfect sounding board, he talks through the specifics of each case--posing questions to Tan and The Black and answering them himself. If you like your mysteries with a side of humor, give the Needed Killing Series a try. Asked to help an old lady get her family home back from greedy developers, Crawford reluctantly agrees. Mrs. McGillicuddy is thrilled. "I can't tell you how excited I was when Frank told me I'd get to meet a real detective. I just love murder mysteries." When Ms. Mac convinces Crawford to pretend to solve a mystery, he finds himself caught up in the most perplexing case of his career.

Genres: Mystery

334 pages, Paperback

Published April 6, 2018

About the author

I used to say that I grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when, in truth, I only started growing older there. After nineteen years I left to go to college and, for the most part, spent the next twenty years aging somewhere else—New Jersey, Florida, Panama Canal Zone, Massachusetts, and Georgia. Then I returned to Tuscaloosa and continued the maturation process for another twenty-six years. In 2015 my wife and I moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where I hope to continue growing older for a good long time.

The locations I’ve lived in have had more influence on my mystery novels (the Needed Killing Series) than on the fantasies (Song of Narne). The town of Shelbyville in the NKS is based in large part on Tuscaloosa with some wrinkles from other locations thrown in to keep things interesting—and keep the inhabitants guessing. That’s not to say that the places I’ve been aren’t reflected in the fantasies—but most of the geography of Narne is imaginary.

While growing older, I’ve tried my hand at a number of jobs—newspaper collator, darkroom technician, farmhand, factory worker, sailor, salesman, underwriter, account executive, accountant, systems administrator, information specialist--and professional writer. As an author I find that those earlier experiences contribute to what happens in my novels—again more in the not-as-fictional mysteries than in the fantasies. There’s just not enough magic in the real world.

Interestingly, the event that crystallized my decision to start writing full-time is one that I haven’t used in any of my novels. The tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, destroying an eighth of the town—including the back half of my house—hasn’t made it into any of my novels. Shelbyville and Narne have both been spared.

On the other hand, the support, encouragement, and editorial assistance my wife provides have been part of every novel since the beginning.

I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

For more information about my writing, visit my website http://www.billfittsauthor.com/.

Reviews

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I've sort of said before, part of what keeps me reading this series is the wryly accurate way the towns and university are described. While the book would be especially interesting to anyone who lives and works in Tuscaloosa or Northport, much about the town-and-gown dynamics would be familiar to adults in any college town. Also, I realized with this book that I particularly like the way the Needed Killing series gives what I would term a traditionally masculine voice/perspective to the cozy genre. And of course, as someone who occasionally finds toys floating in her cats' water dish, I love the animals! Oh yeah: There was a mystery, too. :-)

[Tiffany Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read.
A change from usual cozy mysteries because the lead was a man but every bit as good as others.
Crawford discovers a dead body one morning while walking his cat.
Who does the dead body belong to? How did it get there surrounded by a car?
Who is responsible for body?
All of these questions and more are answered in book

[Jan Mage · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a terrific series. Love the small southern town, academia, and of course the cat! They work stand alone, but it is helpful to start with Book 1.

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sixth book in the Needed Killing series takes the reader on a twisty trip through Shelbyville and its university with James F. Crawford, private eye. Two unscrupulous individuals need killing this time, and figuring out who did the deeds presents Crawford with an intricate puzzle. Familiar characters are joined by several new ones with interesting backgrounds and memorable attitudes. There is a distinctly aquatic theme to the story. Even Crawford's cat, The Black, develops a fascination with water. I heartily recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries.

[IMHO · Rating 4 out of 5]

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