Biedermeier: his identity, both mistaken and true

by Vincent McCaffrey

Otto Biedermeier, the Hollywood icon and B-movie legend, was murdered by his wife, Mysterious Circumstances. Tom Lenz, a film historian and the director’s biographer, wants to update his 20-year-old monograph as well as to pay his respects.

After meeting again with Ms. Circumstances, a former circus performer whose specialty of magic tricks on the high wire had made her briefly famous before capturing the heart of the filmmaker, Tom Lenz has his doubts.

Once, I had asked,“Why? Does it matter? No one seems to care. People apparently want to be lied to. That’s what politics is. That’s why they go to the movies, isn’t it?”
Otto was firm in his answer. “Truth matters. You have to look for it. What our children know is our only legacy. That’s why I make my movies.”

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2021

About the author

Since the publication of his debut novel Hound in 2009, reviewers have compared McCaffrey's ​writing to John Dunning, Cliff Janeway, Lisa Lutz, Ross Macdonald, Woody Allen, and Raymond Chandler. Vince's novels have been reviewed by Publisher's Weekly, Crime Spree Magazine​​, Time Out Chicago, Gumshoe Review, Author Magazine, and Library Journal. His work has been praised by fellow authors Paul Tremblay ( The Little Sleep ), Kelly Link ( Pretty Monsters ), and Anne Fortier ( Juliet ). Hound was declared a "Must-Read Book" by the Massachusetts Book Awards.​

In his other career, McCaffrey is the proprietor of Avenue Victor Hugo Books, a fixture of Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay for 29 years. At one time, the cavernous bookshop held over a quarter-million magazines and over 150,000 used books. Awarded “Best Used Bookstore” multiple times by Boston Magazine, it was truly a book lover's paradise. During its years on Newbury Street, Avenue Victor Hugo also played host to Fiction, Galileo, and Gala​xy magazines, all published by McCaffrey.​

Recently, Avenue Victor Hugo has reopened its doors in the town of Lee, New Hampshire, just minutes away from the University of New Hampshire. This rebirth of a classic bookstore has been praised by Foster's Daily Democrat , The Boston Globe , and WGBH Boston.

Vince has published several novels. Hound and Slepyng Hound to Wake , two mystery novels about the darker side of bookselling, were published by Small Beer Press. The Dark Heart of Night, and The knight's tale: a story of the future are available through Amazon. The first three chapters of both of these novels are available FREE using the links above.

John Finn , Vince's most recent novel, about a man so lost in his study of the past he may end up losing his life in the present, is also available through Amazon.

Fortunate husband, father, grandfather, and dubious wit, Vince now lives in Lee, New Hampshire and still sells books on weekends.