Target

by Robert Wangard

Pete Thorsen is looking forward to a quiet vacation at Clear Lake. That changes when he meets Cara Lane for dinner one evening and she turns up dead the following day in mysterious circumstances. Eyed as a suspect, bad things start to happen when Pete pokes around in self-defense. He's hassled in a bar and told to mind his own business, then put under siege in his law firm when an anonymous tip comes in to his archrival. To cap it off, he's run off the road one night and left for dead. All alone and with the body count mounting, Pete seeks solace in his beloved oldies as he sorts out conflicting leads and goes down blind alley after blind alley. Slowly he begins to zero in on the killer. It all comes together one dark night when a stunning twist of events changes his life--forever.

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2010

About the author

Robert Wangard writes the Pete Thorsen Mystery series. The first book in the series, TARGET, debuted in 2010, followed by MALICE in 2012, DECEIT in May 2013, and PAYBACK in 2014. STALKED, the fifth in the series, was released in May 2015. Wangard is also the author of an anthology of short stories, HARD WATER BLUES.

Called a "great series" and "excellent" by one professional reviewer, the series features Pete Thorsen, like Bob a former Chicago lawyer, who now lives on a scenic lake in northern Michigan. Another reviewer said that "mystery enthusiasts are sure to be satisfied with [Wangard's] gripping story and expertly developed characters."

PAYBACK was recently named a Finalist for ForeWord Review's 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year. ForeWord covers small and independent presses nationwide.

How does a corporate lawyer who spent his days and many nights working on cross-border M&A deals morph into a crime-fiction writer? By chucking a successful career and doing what he wanted to do. Bob knew it was time to switch when he found himself stealing an hour every morning from a hundred page merger agreement to work on writing assignments for a fiction course he was taking.

Bob's experiences before he entered the practice of law helped shape his perspective on the human character. He drove a Jeep for a U.S. Army CID investigator, stoked blast furnaces in a Milwaukee steel plant, sold encyclopedias door-to-door, and worked on an artificial breeding farm where he led wild-eyed 2,000 bulls out to do their thing.

Besides the Pete Thorsen Mystery series, Bob is the author of HARD WATER BLUES, a crime-fiction anthology published in 2011. Pete Thorsen is featured in some but not all of the stories. In one, a hapless soul narrowly dodges death when he meets a woman in a legendary watering hole on its closing night. In another, a successful businessman has the best day of his life ruined by an e-mail that raises questions about his past. A reviewer said of the anthology that "Wangard has a talent for building a reservoir of suspense in the span of a few pages and then letting the dam break with a 'gotcha' ending."

Bob is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and other writers' organizations.

Reviews

[Bridget Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crystal lake and frankfort

[Katie Baeverstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Northwest Lower Peninsula Michigan!
This is a fun murder mystery that brings in so many real and true landmarks, in the setting of a somewhat unbelievable and silly crime novel. Great beach read!

[Donna Kremer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was surprising that this book was the author’s first novel because he pulled off seasoned writing of scenes and characters. He must have been a meticulous lawyer because the details in Target all lined up at the end with a few loose ends which I suppose lead to his second book. The references to my up north haven, where this book was based, made this more enjoyable. It’s disappointing that Mr Wangard has passed so my gratitude for his work cannot be expressed.

[Ceciliahill55 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I knew the author. I found the book to be a very enjoyable read - kind of a who-done-it mystery, and although it wasn't completely engaging, it was a good story, easy to read and not too complicated. Kudos to you, Mr. Wangard, for a book well done!

[Maudieq · Rating 3 out of 5]

I met Robert Wangard at a book signing in the Petoskey book store, McLean & Eakin. He was very charming and a delight to talk to. Even suggested other authors I might like. I enjoyed "Target"and will carry on with his series.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast paced mystery set in northern Michigan.

[Chris Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of books are excellent if you haved lived or vacationed in the Beulah/Frankfort Michigan area. It was like a vacation to the area for me.

[Cassidy Stoneburner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book! I feel at times it dragged on, but overall enjoyed it. I wondered the mystery the whole time!