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Monk Buttman Mystery #2
A Twinkle in the Eyes of God
Having successfully survived the Marshan affair, Monk Buttman is looking forward to nothing more than a peaceful life filled with days at the beach. However, an unexpected call from his estranged daughter, Rebekah, pulls Monk back to Virginia and back through his past, something he doesn’t want to do. But family ties run deep, and before Monk can think it through, he, Agnes, and Rebekah, find themselves on the road searching for Rebekah’s runaway husband, encountering ghosts and angels, God and love, and murder along the way.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2020
19 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
David William Pearce
10 books48 followersAn engineer for 40 years, Mr. Pearce, following open heart surgery, decided to pursue his muse and write. After completing a debut novel, Mr. Pearce so enjoyed the experience that he began writing the Monk Buttman series. When not writing, Mr. Pearce is the accomplished recording artist, Mr. Primitive. He and his wife live in Kenmore Washington.
The true unabridged tale of how I came to write the Monk Buttman story.
Originally, I had planned to write a relationship story.
Fresh off the success of actually finishing a book, I dove right into the next one. Having always been fascinated by the idea of true love, love at first sight, soul mates; all that sort of bunk, I was raring to go. And I had characters and a broad plot outline bouncing around inside my head. Yet, when I sat down at the computer to begin writing, staring at the methodical cursor blinking at me, I had that quintessential writer's moment...
I got nothing.
Now it is a writing shibboleth, that ye shall write every day even if you ultimately end up sending it to deletion hell. With that in mind, I remembered that one of the main character's friends at work wanted to be a writer and had come up with a great idea. "I'm going to write gritty detectives novels, you know, pulp fiction, and I've got the perfect title: Monk Butman, hard-boiled private dick!" he says.
"That's terrible. Nobody's going to read that!" the main character replies.
Which made me laugh, but it also got me thinking. How would that go if one was actually going to write about a guy named Monk Buttman?
First, it would be serious, I'd write it straight up, no gimmicks or jokes. Monk was someone just doing a job. In this case, doing side work for a large LA law firm. People might laugh at the name, but Monk wouldn't care: it's just a name. And he was ok being a nobody doing grunt work. The rest of the world could kill themselves trying to make it, Monk was happy with just enough to afford him a simple hand-me-down life with no pressure, no commitments, no unhappy wives, uncommunicative daughters, any of it.
The fun in writing it, naturally, is that, no matter how Monk tries, trouble finds him.
Second, nothing about Monk would recommend him for detective work. That's the fun of the above title. And he knows this. He's not a former cop or agent, he didn't learn multiple ways to kill a guy in an elite branch of the military. He was a farmer. He's not a tough physical guy.
Monk has to get by on his wits.
I started writing...and I'm writing still.
The true unabridged tale of how I came to write the Monk Buttman story.
Originally, I had planned to write a relationship story.
Fresh off the success of actually finishing a book, I dove right into the next one. Having always been fascinated by the idea of true love, love at first sight, soul mates; all that sort of bunk, I was raring to go. And I had characters and a broad plot outline bouncing around inside my head. Yet, when I sat down at the computer to begin writing, staring at the methodical cursor blinking at me, I had that quintessential writer's moment...
I got nothing.
Now it is a writing shibboleth, that ye shall write every day even if you ultimately end up sending it to deletion hell. With that in mind, I remembered that one of the main character's friends at work wanted to be a writer and had come up with a great idea. "I'm going to write gritty detectives novels, you know, pulp fiction, and I've got the perfect title: Monk Butman, hard-boiled private dick!" he says.
"That's terrible. Nobody's going to read that!" the main character replies.
Which made me laugh, but it also got me thinking. How would that go if one was actually going to write about a guy named Monk Buttman?
First, it would be serious, I'd write it straight up, no gimmicks or jokes. Monk was someone just doing a job. In this case, doing side work for a large LA law firm. People might laugh at the name, but Monk wouldn't care: it's just a name. And he was ok being a nobody doing grunt work. The rest of the world could kill themselves trying to make it, Monk was happy with just enough to afford him a simple hand-me-down life with no pressure, no commitments, no unhappy wives, uncommunicative daughters, any of it.
The fun in writing it, naturally, is that, no matter how Monk tries, trouble finds him.
Second, nothing about Monk would recommend him for detective work. That's the fun of the above title. And he knows this. He's not a former cop or agent, he didn't learn multiple ways to kill a guy in an elite branch of the military. He was a farmer. He's not a tough physical guy.
Monk has to get by on his wits.
I started writing...and I'm writing still.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 21, 2020
A Mystery Marked by Humor and Redemption
Late in David William Pearce’s soul-searching and entertaining new novel A Twinkle in the Eyes of God: A Monk Buttman Mystery, Monk explains, “I was hurtling toward the one place on earth where I had no desire to be.” In his journey across America, Monk will have to confront some big choices about commitment, family, and even redemption.
Yes, a smart and fascinating mystery will unfold about a religious group and growing pile of dead bodies, but the bigger ghosts Monk and those around him must consider and reconsider are ones from the past. For Monk and for his daughter Rebekah, the past means contemplating the impact that a religiously conservative, communal life had on their individual identities. For the reader, that means hard, intriguing truths surface and irrational, immoral behaviors are given the kind of refreshing airing rare in murder mysteries – an examination that turns palpably profound because it is void of self-righteousness.
If this description sounds too heavy, I have misrepresented the novel’s nature as A Twinkle in the Eyes of God is filled with humorous interactions between Monk and his girlfriend Agnes; plus it has its share of romantic entanglements and diversions. A witty writer with a gift for delivering nuanced tones, Pearce manages to capture the gravity of religious belief while puncturing through the hypocrisies that accompany a strengthened spirit and a weakened flesh.
The novel steadily builds as Monk seeks to sort out his relationship with Rebekah and to solve the increasingly spiraling sequence of crimes. The concluding revelations are fascinating and deliciously clever, leading to a crackingly tense confrontation in the climax. Ultimately, Pearce has given much for the reader much to contemplate and even more to look forward to from Monk Buttman as this second installment hints that this series will only grow funnier, richer, and deeper.
Late in David William Pearce’s soul-searching and entertaining new novel A Twinkle in the Eyes of God: A Monk Buttman Mystery, Monk explains, “I was hurtling toward the one place on earth where I had no desire to be.” In his journey across America, Monk will have to confront some big choices about commitment, family, and even redemption.
Yes, a smart and fascinating mystery will unfold about a religious group and growing pile of dead bodies, but the bigger ghosts Monk and those around him must consider and reconsider are ones from the past. For Monk and for his daughter Rebekah, the past means contemplating the impact that a religiously conservative, communal life had on their individual identities. For the reader, that means hard, intriguing truths surface and irrational, immoral behaviors are given the kind of refreshing airing rare in murder mysteries – an examination that turns palpably profound because it is void of self-righteousness.
If this description sounds too heavy, I have misrepresented the novel’s nature as A Twinkle in the Eyes of God is filled with humorous interactions between Monk and his girlfriend Agnes; plus it has its share of romantic entanglements and diversions. A witty writer with a gift for delivering nuanced tones, Pearce manages to capture the gravity of religious belief while puncturing through the hypocrisies that accompany a strengthened spirit and a weakened flesh.
The novel steadily builds as Monk seeks to sort out his relationship with Rebekah and to solve the increasingly spiraling sequence of crimes. The concluding revelations are fascinating and deliciously clever, leading to a crackingly tense confrontation in the climax. Ultimately, Pearce has given much for the reader much to contemplate and even more to look forward to from Monk Buttman as this second installment hints that this series will only grow funnier, richer, and deeper.
April 2, 2020
Overall Rating = 4
Storyline & Concept = 4
Writing & Delivery = 4.5
Cover Marketability = 3.5
Editorial = 4
A Twinkle in the Eyes of God definitely caught me right out of the gate. Monk Buttman is your everyday guy who is forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances. A sarcastic lady’s man that will relate to you on many levels, Monk will keep you entertained while trying to find out what happened to his estranged daughter’s husband. When a dysfunctional group is forced to work together, it is always interesting to see who’s going to be the commanding voice. Monk Buttman makes it clear who is in charge - the normal, everyday guy we can all relate to.
Sublime Line: “Highly recommended to any fans of humor mysteries with a complex cast.”
Storyline & Concept = 4
Writing & Delivery = 4.5
Cover Marketability = 3.5
Editorial = 4
A Twinkle in the Eyes of God definitely caught me right out of the gate. Monk Buttman is your everyday guy who is forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances. A sarcastic lady’s man that will relate to you on many levels, Monk will keep you entertained while trying to find out what happened to his estranged daughter’s husband. When a dysfunctional group is forced to work together, it is always interesting to see who’s going to be the commanding voice. Monk Buttman makes it clear who is in charge - the normal, everyday guy we can all relate to.
Sublime Line: “Highly recommended to any fans of humor mysteries with a complex cast.”
April 9, 2020
Second book in the Monk Buttman series. Became engrossed in the relationship aspect of the book, with Monk, his daughter, and two, hmm, possible three girlfriends. Enjoyable read, that really held my interest.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews