Missing Parts

In Missing Parts, a powerful and thought-provoking novel, the unbreakable bond of friendship is tested when Lacey Pierce encounters her childhood best friend, Mimi Faraday, in a Boston homeless shelter. The story delves into the complex factors that contribute to resilience in the face of mental illness and life’s challenges, exploring why some individuals thrive while others struggle.

Lacey and Mimi’s story begins in a charming New England town during the transformative 1960s and 70s, where they attend a prestigious prep school. After Mimi’s wedding to Chapin, the couple embarks on a life of community service in Newfoundland, while Lacey joins the Peace Corps in Africa, all young, idealistic, and full of promise.

Fast forward to the summer of 1995, when Lacey’s world is shaken by the discovery of Mimi among the homeless at a soup kitchen in a Boston cathedral. After a quarter-century in Newfoundland, Mimi has returned to Boston, destitute and living in a halfway house for abused women in Cambridge. The novel masterfully traces the parallel journeys of these two women over the intervening decades, revealing the twists and turns that led them to their current circumstances.

Missing Parts is a standalone fiction that explores the enduring power of friendship, the impact of life’s choices, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Through Lacey and Mimi’s story, readers are invited to contemplate the complex interplay of factors that shape our lives and the lives of those we hold dear.

Money Is Sweeter Than Honey

“It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” 
― Bertrand Russell

For other people, Dohan Choudhury is just a weird Bangladeshi immigrant halfway to lunacy as he throws away every opportunity. He is unemployed, he hates businessmen and pawnbrokers, he makes fun of the police, he talks to rivers and trees, and he burns money.

At least, that is what Dohan is in a glance.

The truth is Dohan Choudhury is an idealist who is also a loving husband, a doting father, a poet and writer, and a highly educated man who finished his PhD in Columbia University. He is a man full of dreams, aspirations, ideals, and hopes he was so optimistic to use when he landed in America… until the rampant capitalism, oppressive materialism, pro-American objectivism, tyrannical stereotyping, and severe alienation sucked out all the positivity in Dohan’s life. In a few years, these negativities defining the world poisoned Dohan’s mind, heart and soul… along with his relationship with his family and relatives who are all corrupted by money and high reputation.

Will Dohan be able to free himself from the veil of pretension and greed in the society, or will he succumb to the devils of worldly possessions… just like how everybody else did?

Monty and the Rabbit

Julia Montgomery (Monty) and Paddy Assenfeld (Rabbit) meet one fateful night at an Irish bar called The Lucky Slut. Their initial encounter is marked by sharp-tongued banter and fiery tension, ending in an angry parting. Days later, their paths cross again, and Julia quickly takes charge of Paddy’s fate, dragging him headfirst into a life of crime.

Their partnership begins with the robbery of a local launderette and escalates into chaos when Paddy is unexpectedly drawn into the Mafia, becoming a sicario – a hitman. Together, Monty and Rabbit navigate a thrilling world of danger and deceit, their criminal escapades bound by an unwavering devotion to each other.

Moving Stills

‘How did I go from a bold, sassy teenager to a woman afraid to get out of bed?’ laments Paula, 30 and desolate. These 38 strikingly diverse stories reveal the origins of her pain, then lead us through her sometimes difficult, often exhilarating journey toward health. Although inspired by events in her own life, Ms. Slatkin has created in Paula a vibrant fictional narrator. The writing is fast-paced, forthright, and laced with sometimes startling situations. Humour abounds. Paula is an honest spirit, and some stories deal openly with raw emotional experiences. The narrative texture, though rich in dialogue, is poetic in its use of imagery. Despite some difficult subject matter, there is an uplifting zest and vigour throughout the collection.

Murder and the Fairchild Legacy

When billionaire Houston socialite Richard Fairchild is found dead under suspicious circumstances, his wife Mariah refuses to accept the police verdict of suicide. Desperate for answers, she recruits small-town radio owners Delilah Morgan and Norma Davis to investigate. She offers the struggling entrepreneurs compensation they can’t refuse – $20,000 each, a bailout for their failing station, and an all-expenses paid trip to Mariah’s Hill Country resort.

At first reluctant, Delilah and Norma soon find themselves embroiled in the glitzy Houston elite circles the Fairchilds inhabited. With a list of suspects who had motive to kill Richard, the duo follow a trail of lies, affairs, and shady business deals. The stakes grow ever higher as it becomes clear the Fairchild legacy – and their own lives – are in danger. From Texas hill country horse ranches to slick Houston high-rises, Delilah and Norma uncover adultery, blackmail, rivalry… and murder. But will the radio sleuths solve the mystery before the killer silences them too?

Murder on Wolf Owl Bank

In the small Newfoundland fishing village of Slate Harbour, a profound disturbance erupts between two families. The murky waters of jealousy, stirred by suspicion, transform their normally calm seas into tumultuous waves of hatred. Under brooding skies and against swelling seas, the inevitable storm begins to rage, while villagers watch as two boats head out towards a ferocious tempest of vengeance.

At sea, amidst sharks circling the blood of revenge, two feuding fishermen refuse to ease their animosity. One man’s course is swayed by a priest, whose words fade swiftly in the roaring wind. The other remains driven by an unyielding hatred. Their precarious worlds are upended by an unexpected storm that emerges from the darkest point on the compass. In this furious ocean, both captains struggle against the sea’s mercy.

Back at the home port, families keep vigil for the two vessels. In the relentless rain, prayers are answered for one family, whose boat returns with a skipper bearing a shattered spirit. Meanwhile, another family waits in vain, never to see their skipper or the boat with the broken jib again.

Left in the aftermath of retaliation, the feud brews yet more dark clouds of revenge. Shaken by grief and desperation, a secret is inadvertently revealed. But it’s too late to stem the tide of vengeance, and too late to prevent… Murder on Wolf Owl Bank.

Murders in the Cascades

During a lucid moment, an Alzheimer’s patient tells amateur sleuth Biodina d’Angelo that 40 years ago he killed his lumberyard partner in the Cascades of Washington state. Biodina begins searching historical records, and a clever fraud scheme is uncovered, along with news articles about a missing lumberyard owner. Along the way, her intuitive nature and nosiness helps her uncover another murder of a well-respected record producer. Will the murderess be a starstruck performer, a jealous wife, or a vindictive assistant?

Mustard Earring

In Mustard Earring, emotions and logic intertwine as the book delves into the themes of personal values, inner struggles, anxieties, and unfortunate circumstances. While the narrative primarily takes place in the past, it also sheds light on hidden truths and realities, making for a sensitive and thought-provoking read. The book explores the search for happiness and comfort in a world filled with injustice and unaccountable actions. Through the author’s perspective, readers will gain insight into the objects of desire that shape our lives and the way we perceive the world around us.

My Mistakes and You

She grew up with a desire for her words to be read, unconcerned about whether others could relate to what she had to say.

She yearned to pour out her soul, even if it meant her cup would overflow.

She sought acceptance despite her flaws and mistakes.

Her words were written in the hope that others would understand the reasons behind her tears, which gave birth to rivers and lakes.

This book is for those who do understand.

Here is My Mistake and You.

Nama

When we write the story of one person, we tell the story of all people who have lived through all times, across the entire geography of the universe. We borrow from the history of life and its footprints, emerging from the deep past and leading into the ever-receding future. One life is a mirror for all, in a very important sense, though not in every sense. In Nama, an ancient Native American woman recounts the mystery of life, weaving the tapestry of life – of birth and death, of brave battles to be won, dreaming of love and justice, of creating a heaven on earth. She sings of grief over loss of love, of greed and rivalry that tear us apart, pushing us to harm, and even to kill. Yet she is also firm in her trust in the affirmation of life. Battles are never lost, lives are never given in vain. She preserves her faith in the redeeming power of grace and self-expansion and is willing to wait patiently for future generations to pick up the cross and find the path of emancipation for imprisoned humankind. Should we join her march?

No Borders for Truth

Two disparate souls, a young Iranian woman with a promising nursing career, and an American collegiate athlete seeking a career in the intelligence field, meet by happenstance. Realizing their mutual passion to serve others, the two connect intellectually and romantically, not knowing they are both connected to secrets that will force their worlds to collide and reveal truths unknown to not only both of them, but also the world. 

No Borders for Truth explores love and loss within family and country, and the richness of the great people of the enduring nations of Iran and America. Through the characters of Richard Holmes and Shideh Ghasemi, the reader peers through a window of real people sharing human commonalities despite culture differences, transcending current stereotypes and biased cultural assumptions. 

No Life Like It: Book One

Jack Leywood joins the Canadian Navy and quickly makes a name for himself as a crack student being the first in his class. His luck changes when he discovers the joys of racing sail with one of his ship’s officers. His temper flares when he and his pal discover a young girl dead of an overdose and the germ of an idea forms: he would take on the drug lords of the Union Corse sending heroin ashore in New Brunswick. Then using his racing ketch as a base, his friends join him to begin taking down the yachts dropping off the white death and finally attracts the attention of Charles DeGaulle who decorates him for bravery and the dragons are born.