Arizona Mystery Writers – G.A. Ivins Page

The Homicidal Detective:

“Guilty Conscience”

This mystery features a detective from Memphis who receives an anonymous request to kill a man, along with $30,000 in partial payment and detailed instructions on how to accomplish the deed. The money looks very green, and being anonymous, our hero cannot very well return it, so he begins to set up the contract hit, keeping his eyes open, with no intention of following through. But his target turns up dead, and the detective suddenly feels the need to leave town. He escapes to rural setting in South Carolina where he builds a new life, blending in with the local aristocrats under the protection of a relative, a local judge. But the past has a way of coming back to bite you.

The story is told in the first-person, by the detective himself, with wit and keen observation, as we watch through his eyes as the story unfolds. It’s a light and fun read, with plenty of clues and a happy ending. What more could you want?

“A killer of a story…”

Reminiscent of the 40’s suspense and mystery stories—A detective falls for a beautiful dame, kills her husband (or does he?), and spends time hating himself for it. Told from the protagonist’s first-person viewpoint, the story unfolds methodically, with clues scattered like a dead man’s bones.

Is the detective truly homicidal, or is he guilty of a dalliance with another man’s wife, but innocent of murder? Read the story and find out.

“The Homicidal Detective” gives insight into the mind of a …”

“The Homicidal Detective” gives insight into the mind of a killer. Here’s a dangerous type who walks the streets. He has the same needs and desires as the “average Joe” with one crucial difference. With the mind of a detective, he channels his predatory urges in a positive direction.

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Got this for my kindle when the book first came out. Ended up being a great decision for several reasons. I don’t normally read short stories but as we were going on a long road trip, it seemed like a good idea. It was. Each story kept my interest as the miles went on. Then I could take a break and come back to a whole new story. Having lived many years in Arizona, I was also interested in some of the vivid descriptions of the areas where the stories were taking place. The characters were well developed in a quick manner so the reader could relate. I believe readers of all ages could enjoy these intrigues

“Great short stories”

Some great stories, all good reads. I have definitely will continue to follow Ivins when he publishes more. The Kindle edition was well formatted. The live table of contents helped me to be able to move through the book with ease. Filled with laugh out loud short stories and some very cool crime and detective stories. This is a great price for this collection. Intrigues Among Us is an easy and enjoyable read.

“Human, please!”

When I read a story, I like to feel as if I am reading about real human beings; not necessarily that the characters always think, speak or act exactly as real human beings, but that they exhibit those frailties, powers, reasoning and intuitions that human beings exhibit – sometimes unpredictable but always with a strain of truth. The characters must be real to me, even though they may have powerful positions in life they must still live, in the long run, within the same sensory, emotional field as those in more lowly stations; as they saying goes, “they are only human”. I like to feel like I could walk into a scene, as T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock says, merely to advance the plot, and when I recognize a strain of myself in a character’s reaction, I know the story is human and I become further involved into the story’s development. These stories accomplished the necessities this for me. If you like to feel and empathize with some parts of humanity, instead of just reading a story as a piece of detached entertainment, you would do well to read Ivins’ book.

“Spring 2014 Reading Picks” from Calliope magazine

SPRING 2014 READING PICKS

Intrigues Among Us, by G. A. Ivins, 265 pgs., ISBN: 978-1492736684, $12.39 paperback; $3.99 Kindle e-book. Available through Amazon.com. Website: http://www.gaivins.com.

Long-time SIG member, George (Tony) Ivins has taken the stories he has written over the years and combined them into a worthy collection. Two of these pieces have appeared in Calliope: “Arrangement Eighty-Six” and “The Hadstrom Messages,” both still my favorites in this collection.

Each story ends with some kind of a twist—some that the reader can anticipate, and others that surprise. Many of the tales result in the perpetrator unwittingly outsmarting himself—the dark, absurdist part of the collection. Other stories range from oddly comedic to bordering on horror. Two lured me in like bait set inside a trap: “A Window of Opportunity,” tells the story of a woman who is looking for excitement, who dreams of letting herself go with reckless abandon and how she believes that “the best is yet to come.” The poignant ending left me contemplating mortality and what happens when you don’t live life to the fullest. “Sylvia Walks,” begins simply enough: a young girl and her dog on an errand to pick up something for her mother at the neighborhood grocery store. Sylvia is thrilled to be on her own, out in the April morning air. She picks up the package and she and Rowdy, her dog, start for home. The dog races ahead of her and is struck by a truck, which takes off. Sylvia calls to the dog and he tries to get up, but ends up tumbling into a muddy irrigation ditch. What happens after that will shock the sensibilities of most animal lovers.

George Ivins designed the cover art, which itself is intriguing—giving the reader a hint of the contents inside. The large font size and spacing makes for easy reading, especially for those with impaired sight. All in all, a good read for those who enjoy speculative writing.