In addition to the Hank Retzer mysteries, I've written short stories, screenplays and other fiction over the years. Some have found homes in print; others are still looking for places to publish.
Hank Retzer Mystery
Introduces Hank Retzer, hardboiled Private Investigator in 1956 Los Angeles, as he becomes embroiled in the case of the Missing Singer. Learn more
Hank Retzer Mystery
The second Hank Retzer mystery is currently in progress. Hank is assigned to watch out for his childhood movie hero who has been tarnished by booze, gambling, and time. Hank is left on his own to solve two murders and clear his hero's name. Learn more
Hank Retzer Mystery
This book is destined to be the third Hank Retzer mystery novel. The story involves cheating husbands, foreign agents, and missing atomic secrets. The main story arcs have been decided but writing hasn't commenced. Learn more
A schoolgirl has been kidnapped and her mother is frantic, but her father is reluctant to call in the police. Hank is hired instead and is tasked with sorting through the few meagre clues to track down the kidnappers before harm befalls the girl. Along the way he senses that not all is right between the father and daughter. The father decides to pay the ransom himself, ignoring Hank's advice. The handoff is a disaster, but can Hank manage to save the girl and right the family relationships?
Not currently available to read.
The oil boom in Alberta in the 1950s has brought people, wealth, employment, and, criminal enterprise intent on tapping into all those windfall riches. Hank is hired to ferret out the fraudsters working inside an oilfield services company. He quickly unravels the plot using good, old-fashioned sleuthing, but is brought to the realization that stopping the bleeding has both an accounting and human component.
Not currently available to read.
Published in A Whale of a Tale: Anthology of the Sea, Filidh Publishing
Young newlyweds are enjoying a row out on the ocean when they come across an old man in an old-fashioned dory. He spins them a yarn about a magical creature that came out of the sea and swallowed up his beloved. Back on shore, the harbourmaster pooh-poohs the old man's tale, but leaves a trail of hints that makes them doubt his veracity.
Stories written for the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge.
January 2026, Round 1
It’s the opening years of the new century, and Iggy and Nigel’s world is bursting with opportunities their light fingers can’t resist — until they’re ensnared by another one being torn apart by war. Read story
January 2025, Round 1
Hank and Maeve, both in their winter years, enjoy one another’s company, and really like each other, but their nosy friends keep raising doubts about their intentions. Read story
January 2024, Round 1
Everyone wants to live forever, and that’s just what the Forever Corporation is promising, if you can afford to buy your way into the Forever Village on Mars. Martian Engineer Johnny Danforth smells a rat, however, and the corporation does what it takes to keep him from spilling the beans. Read story
January 2020, Round 1
Emma, restauranteur and chef, is taking some away time from her lifeless marriage when she meets Frank, a most enchanting and handsome food critic. They have a lot in common and hit it off immediately, but she’s uncomfortable that she’s uncertain if it’s just a summer fling, or if she wants it to be something more, especially since she hasn’t made up her mind about her marriage. Read story
January 2020, Round 1
Fairy played hooky from school so that she and Frog could go on another grand adventure in the Dark Forest. What she discovered there changed her, and the real world, forever. Read story
January 2019, Round 1
No one denied that Dr. Aiden James ran a tight lab, but neither did anyone suspect that he ran two labs, one of which held a deep, dark secret that would vindicate his great-great-granduncle’s name. Read story
Stories written for the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge.
September 2019, Round 1
Sometimes winning at all costs is everything, but can it ever truly be without consequences? A cautionary tale, perhaps. Read story
July 2019, Round 1
He did the crime and he was found out, but his victims won’t leave him alone, continuing to torment him from beyond the grave. Read story
A collection of short fiction. Stories that are available to read will link to their individual pages.
A dystopian story about being in a long term quarantine during an outbreak of a deadly disease. This was written during the COVID epidemic in 2020. Read story Also see my COVID Rant screenplay.
Another dystopian story about a disease outbreak, but this is about a strange side-effect of a mutating, deadly virus. Also written during the COVID epidemic in 2020. Read story
Some of my too numerous to mention screenplays that I've written over the years.
Mystery / Short / 2021
The mob boss calls in their top shelf, forensic accountant when the wheels start falling off one of their operations. She gets things sorted out but the subordinates in charge of the operation forgot one of her conditions for making the journey. She's not happy, the boss is not happy, and the peons will pay the price. Read screenplay
Drama / Short / 2021
Two strangers are thrown together at the wake of their mutual nemesis. They are the only ones of the many that he antagonized over the year that bothered to show up to gloat over his coffin. Together they find a way to get revenge, even if the gesture is juvenile, ultimately, futile. Read screenplay
Drama / Western / Short / 2020
An old cowboy reflects on his life and loves as he nears the end of his time on earth. He reminisces about the good times he's shared with his trusty steed, and the women he lost because he was too afraid to take a chance. Read screenplay
Action / Short / 2020
A silly story about what happens when one provice might take a laissez-faire approach to combating deadly compared to its neighbours. One side working diligently to keep the super-spreaders out, and the other working mischievously to contaminate the other. Read screenplay