Bobby Underwood

Just like the terrific “The Turquoise Shroud” and its follow-up novel “The Long Gray Goodbye”, these 3rd and 4th installments of Bobby Underwood’s Seth Halliday mystery series hit their own home runs.

In “Eight Blonde Dolls”, Private Investigator Seth and his wife Caroline decide to dock their boat and set up a new home on Key Largo. All is bright and sunny as we watch love grow between the lovely couple. Romance in the hands of this gifted writer is like listening to the best of Sergio Mendez & Brasil.

But, of course, the bliss is interrupted by a new murder mystery that takes Seth to Dubrovnik, Croatia, then Monte Carlo and Miami. If you’ve never been to these places, Underwood paints a picture of them with words that make you want to hop on a plane and experience each locale for yourself.

The mystery itself is as creepy as anything you could find in the strangest FBI files. Throughout this thriller, Seth has plenty of help from loyal friends we’ve met in the two previous novels. These fully-developed characters add lots of humor, action, and color to the story.
We also learn more of Seth’s history, and what we learn packs a wallop as hard as a George Foreman shot to the ribs.

There were some scenes that just blew me away because of how well-written they were. One of them was an interrogation of a suspect by a female detective. I don’t believe I’ve ever read an interrogation scene so superbly drawn.

As with all of Underwood’s books, the dialogue is the cream of the crop. A lot of people consider Hemingway the master of dialogue, but he has nothing over Underwood. The dialogue here is so smooth and realistic, it could carry the story by itself.

This is another gem of a novel in the Seth Halliday series. It’s a great mystery full of humor and romance that you won’t want to put down.

In “A Candy Red Christmas”, we find Seth and his lovely wife Caroline spending Christmas in South America with their great friend Harry and his sister when they decide they want Candy to join them. (Candy is the superb, multifaceted character around whom the mystery of “Eight Blonde Dolls” revolves.)

“She laughed, and to my ears it sounded like the lilting refrain from a tune imbued with timeless innocence. Maybe that was what Candy had to find again -- her innocence -- even though it had been shattered. Certainly it could never be like that again for her, but only something remembered. But maybe it would be enough. For a lot of us, it has to be enough, I thought.”

Even though this book can stand alone, I’d advise reading the previous books first, because you’ll be well acquainted with this fine cast of characters, and the emotional impact of this one will be even greater.
There are scenes here that are written so vividly tender, I was deeply and pleasantly moved beyond what normal fiction is capable of.
One particularly lovely scene had Seth and Candy visiting the giant Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

“You tell yourself it’s just a statue, remind yourself it has become one of the most recognizable tourist attractions in the world, but it does no good once you are there. You feel humbled, small, as though He is real, and you are glimpsing heaven. The sheer size of Christo Redentor inspires awe. You want to look out at the magnificent vista of Rio de Janeiro at night, vibrantly alive with lights. But something keeps drawing your eyes back behind you, upward toward life eternal.”

What Underwood did in this book (and all of his others) was to take some relatable characters who you grow to care about, and put them in a hard world that closely resembles our own. Then through friendship and love, he lets them find their way toward redemption and healing.
I thought the previous novels in this series were great, but this one gave me a little something extra. It lit a few candles, pushing aside the darkness so hope could shine through.… (más)

Bobby Underwood dedicates this superb collection of old-fashioned noir stories “For All Those Who Dream In Black and White”.
I’m certainly one of those, and all the tales herein provided a most welcome, nostalgic journey into the past. I take this collection as a tribute to the classic noir which Underwood rightly describes as “...more about atmosphere, mood and story than the vulgarity, expletives, graphic violence and brutality, and dismal hopelessness…” of modern noir. But it’s much more than a tribute. It’s topnotch classic noir in its own right. In this reader's opinion, it’s even better.

Included in this volume are five unique stories, each taking place in the 1940s. For any fan of nostalgia and the literature, films, and radio shows from that era, this is a book full of gems.

WORLD FULL OF DREAMS
This narrative plunges the reader onto a Spanish Riviera beach shortly after WWII.
Join the young lovers, Jack and Amy, as the waves caress the shoreline. Let the story lap at the edges of your consciousness, teasing you with the promise of romance but concealing a twist that's as unexpected as a bullet in the dark. Underwood's noir undertow is more than a current; it's a riptide that drags you into the depths of passion, and what that passion may be capable of.

IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE YOU WAKE
The year is 1947, and Nick Fallon, our 33 year-old protagonist, dreams of literary acclaim. With the flicker of talent illuminating his path and a devoted wife by his side, he strides confidently toward the goal of success. Yet, when the cruel hand of betrayal reveals his wife's dalliance with another, the very ground upon which he walks threatens to crumble beneath his feet, plunging him into the depths of a living nightmare.

HURRICANE
“It was too soon and we really didn’t know each other well. But it felt like we did. An Italian guy in our company had a word for what I was feeling about Ann. I couldn’t remember what it was but it was something like being struck by lightning in the heart. Ann was the warmest, softest lightning I’d ever been struck by. The kind of lightning that made me want to stand out in a storm holding a metal pole.”

Danger and romance mingle to create a tension-filled blend that keeps the pages turning long after the storm has passed.
Set against the backdrop of the tropical paradise of Indigo Cay, "Hurricane" immerses the reader in an atmosphere that’s felt to the bone. Underwood's mastery lies not only in his vivid descriptions of the physical landscape but also in his ability to evoke the psychological terrain of his characters.
As the storm approaches, danger and tension rise like floodwaters, threatening to wash away the fragile peace of this island paradise. But romance is a key ingredient in any Underwood story. He deftly weaves together the threads of suspense and romance, leading the reader on a highly entertaining journey toward the cathartic climax.

THE LEAFY GLADE
“She had a special spirit, and it radiated outward so that I felt like I was wrapped up in sunshine whenever she was near. When she wasn’t, it was like an eclipse.”

We’re taken back to a small Indiana town of the 1940s, which magically lives again through Underwood’s hypnotic prose. The writer disappears, leaving us an unobstructed view of a place, time, and people that are more real than our neighbors. Underwood, with his deft hand at storytelling, conjures a world so vivid and alive, you can practically smell the corn fields and hear the train’s whistle.

The characters are complex and utterly compelling. Their voices carry the echoes of a bygone era. From the haunted protagonist and the sweet, beautiful girl he loves, to the richest family in town, consisting of an egotistical, baseball hero, his powerful father, and his pretty, coquettish sister, Underwood populates his world with people who leap off the page and into your imagination, leaving an indelible mark long after the final page is turned.

DARK CORRIDOR
WWII vet, Neale Morrison, returns from the war without a memory of his past. When he tries to get on with his life, he soon realizes he’s being followed everywhere he goes by a mysterious stranger. If that isn’t enough to put him on edge, he also finds two women competing for his attention.

“It was a Bob Feller fastball that had caught me flat-footed.”

Even if you don’t know who Bob Feller was or are not familiar with the intrigue, romance, and patriotism of the 1940s, this is a story you shouldn’t miss. Bobby Underwood writes with such an accurate voice for the period, you’d think he was there, and better yet, that you were.… (más)

“She had a special spirit, and it radiated outward so that I felt like I was wrapped up in sunshine whenever she was near. When she wasn’t, it was like an eclipse.”

What a humdinger of a tale Bobby Underwood has spun within the confines of his new, noir shot novelette, THE LEAFY GLADE! Forty-seven pages packed so full of atmosphere, a lesser writer would have used 150. It reads so smoothly, it feels more like 20.

We’re taken back to a small Indiana town of the 1940s, which magically lives again through Underwood’s hypnotic prose. The writer disappears, leaving us an unobstructed view of a place, time, and people that are more real than our neighbors. Underwood, with his deft hand at storytelling, conjures a world so vivid and alive, you can practically smell the corn fields and hear the train’s whistle.

From the first page, Underwood's prose casts a spell, drawing us deep into the heart of a mystery that crackles with tension and intrigue. The tale unfurls sharply, but naturally, allowing the reader to take a breath or two, and enjoy the wonderful anecdotes of a time that is no more.
I was especially struck by this line:
“America was baseball, and baseball was America.”
You’d be hard-pressed to sum up an era any better than that.

But it's not just the plot that captivates—it's the atmosphere, thick as molasses, that seeps from every sentence. Underwood has a knack for evoking the sights, sounds, and smells of a time long past, transporting readers to a world that no longer exists.

And then there are the characters—flawed, complex, and utterly compelling. Their voices carry the echoes of a bygone era. From the haunted protagonist and the sweet, beautiful girl he loves, to the richest family in town, consisting of an egotistical, baseball hero, his powerful father, and his pretty, coquettish sister, Underwood populates his world with people who leap off the page and into your imagination, leaving an indelible mark long after the final page is turned.

In THE LEAFY GLADE, Underwood proves once again why he's one of the finest storytellers of his generation. With his lyrical prose and keen eye for detail, he crafts a noir/mystery masterpiece that's as haunting as it is unforgettable. So do yourself a favor and dive into the murky depths of THE LEAFY GLADE—just be sure to keep one eye over your shoulder. You never know what secrets might be lurking in the shadows.… (más)

This is exactly the kind of science fiction I enjoy--science takes a backseat to the drama unfolding within its pages, and it’s filled with a romantic atmosphere encapsulated in a unique story with characters I care about.
Underwood takes us on a nostalgic journey reminiscent of the sci/fi pulps from the golden era. Like the best of those stories, beneath the surface, there lies an allegory, a mirror reflecting the chaos of our own reality where madness seems to have run amok.
Within this superbly written novelette, the stars twinkle overhead, the scent of distant galaxies fills the air, and Underwood's prose enchants. "Red Heaven" is not merely a story; it's a symphony of emotions, a journey through the cosmos that is the possibilities of the human experience.… (más)