TIMOTHY J LOCKHART chats to Paul Burke about UNLUCKY MONEY, Norfolk Virginia, hardboiled crime and Brit Grit.

UNLUCKY MONEY When Chinese American private-eye Wendy Lu takes on her first murder case, she doesn’t realize how dangerous it’s going to be. Probing into the murder of Susan Fontaine, the wife of her client, wealthy real-estate developer Whit Fontaine—the primary suspect in the case—Wendy fights to prove he was framed. Wendy used to be a cop but quit after a rookie mistake caused the death of her partner. Now she leads a more traditional life, dealing with her guilt, feeling she has disappointed her parents. Yet despite hostility from Fontaine’s arrogant business partner, opposition from the police, and violent threats on her life, she perseveres in the case.And that’s when Wendy discovers things that Fontaine, his partner Tom McKenna, and even Ryan Connolly, the police detective in charge of the murder investigation, would like to keep secret—that Fontaine-McKenna Associates is using criminal-syndicate money to finance the casino the firm wants to build. Now she is forced to use everything she’s learned just to stay alive.

Timothy J. Lockhart is a lawyer and former U.S. Navy officer who worked with the CIA, DIA, and Office of Naval Intelligence. In addition to his novels Smith, Pirates, A Certain Man’s Daughter and Unlucky Money (all from Stark House Press), he has written articles and book reviews for a variety of publications, including Naval Intelligence Quarterly, Naval War College Review, and The Virginian-Pilot. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.

Recommendations
Crime:
George V Higgins The Friends of Eddie Coyle
James M Cain The Postman Always Rings Twice
Elmore Leonard Glitz
Elliott Chaze Black Wings Has My Angel
Charles Williams, Daniel Woodrell, Megan Abbott, Jim Thompson, Vicki Hendricks, Ted Lewis, Derek Raymond, Mark Timlin.
Nick Triplow Getting Carter
Military history:
Ian W Toll Pacific Crucible (vol1 of trilogy)

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Crime Time

Paul Burke writes for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover, NB Magazine and the European Literature Network.

Produced by Junkyard Dog

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