Cold War boils in new novel

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As back-to-back hurricanes ravage the rural town of Pennsboro, the family suffers an irredeemable loss. Georgia becomes mired in a haze of medication and TV. Marsh retreats into work and fantasies of the redhead next door. Wil, a precocious boy with a fondness for a girl with almond eyes, suspects his parents are possessed by the aliens from his favorite movie.

Adding to their private grief is the collision of consumerism and the Cold War, and the rising threat of Soviet missiles that may render obsolete America’s last hope for defense, the newly completed Distant Early Warning Line.

With the launch of Sputnik, the family’s anguish comes to a head. As the Andersens watch the first man-made satellite write history across the sky, they wonder if they, and the world, will ever find peace.

Based on true events, Distant Early Warning portrays the fears and dreams of a generation as it navigates the promise and perils of mid-century America. The book is available here.

Fifth CW McCoy book launches

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Did CW McCoy’s father kill her mother and brother and nearly take her life? The question has haunted the former detective for nearly thirty years. When friend and mentor Walter Bishop discovers that police have arrested a suspect, CW reluctantly revisits her roots to uncover the hard truth about her family—no matter the cost.

Confronted by hostile sources and a city ravaged by a string of arsons, CW questions everything she’s come to believe about that night. Did her father commit the crime, or was he framed? Did he disappear, or was he murdered? And what about her own history with conflict? Does the family’s violent streak run in her veins, too?

In her fifth outing (after Permanent Vacation), CW rushes headlong into her most troubling case, one that will change her life forever. With Burning Man, she faces the greatest challenge of all—coming to terms with a past that continues to blaze.

Burning Man is available through bookstores and online at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

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Jeff Widmer is the author of the CW McCoy and the Brinker series of crime novels, as well as Born Under a Bad Sign, a novel of the Woodstock era, and several works of nonfiction.

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Praise for Jeff Widmer

CW is a great character. Widmer easily brings the town of Spanish Point and its colorful cast of characters to life. An entertaining mystery romp.

— Kirkus Reviews

A writer who knows how to put the reader in the action is a rare thing. Jeff Widmer does it with every character and every scene.

— Anna Schmidt, The Peacemakers

Jeff Widmer takes you on a wild ride in the murderous tour bus in a uniquely dark and twisted story that touches on euthanasia, addiction, greed, sex, and more. And then there’s Brinker. . . .

— Louise Machinist, My House Our House

Reading Jeff Widmer’s novels is like gliding on Hans Brinker’s silver skates—the writing is smooth and sharp, with a cutting edge throughout.

— Screenwriter Michael Downend

‘Finding Woodstock’ available as paperback

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Finding Woodstock, twelve personal reflection on the Sixties with original photography, is now available in paperback. A companion to the novel Born Under a Bad Sign, the collection of short essays provides the backstory to a generation that is still trying, in the words of Joni Mitchell, to get back to the garden.

The book is available through bookstores and online at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and other retailers.

The Sixties reflected in ‘Finding Woodstock’

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Woodstock, Vietnam and the Tocks Island Dam—all hot button issues that divided a nation and a town. The Sixties were filled with a mix of conflict and hope, with madness and music, and the Delaware River became ground zero for that fight.

In Finding Woodstock, Jeff Widmer reflects on one of America’s most turbulent times as he examines the promise of a generation and the decade that shaped our lives. A companion to the novel Born Under a Bad Sign, the collection provides the backstory to a generation that is still trying to get back to the garden.

Finding Woodstock is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and other retailers.

Celebrate Woodstock at 50 with new novel

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On the 50th anniversary of Woodstock comes a gripping story of love and obsession, set in one of the most turbulent times in American history.

It is 1969, capstone of a tumultuous decade, and life in the rural town of Pennsboro is about to explode. A dam that would flood the valley pits neighbor against neighbor. Protesters riot. Buildings burn. Amid the chaos, two lovers risk everything to fight for their dreams.

Elizabeth Reed feels conflicted. She loves photography, the river the government wants to dam, and a musician who can’t settle on any one person or place. Hayden Quinn, the guitarist Rolling Stone calls the next Jimi Hendrix, feeds a single obsession—to play Woodstock, the biggest concert of his life. He presents Elizabeth with a terrible dilemma: does she stay to save her family farm, or relinquish her dreams to follow Quinn into the unknown?

With saboteurs targeting everyone she loves, Elizabeth must face the greatest risk of all—whether to trust herself.

Rich in unforgettable characters, brimming with social insight and historical detail, Born Under a Bad Sign is a dramatic and nuanced portrait of love and loss in the Sixties—a coming-of-age story for an entire generation.

Scheduled for release on May 1, the novel is available for preorder through bookstores and online at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Come hell or high water

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From the author of the McCoy and Brinker crime series comes a novel of treachery and greed on Florida’s luxury coast.

In the tony resort town of Spanish Point, sea levels are rising. So is the body count. Both threaten the lifeblood of the Gulf Coast, the real estate industry, and its agents. That includes CW (Candace) McCoy.

In her fourth outing (after Peak Season, Tourist in Paradise and Curb Appeal), the former detective is still reeling from the murder of her fellow real estate agents. She relishes a fresh start—a new agency, a stellar property and a second chance at love. But when she’s attacked near Spanish Point’s hottest condo project, she knows there’s more at play than road rage.

The massive redevelopment will generate untold wealth. It also will expose thousands to the risk of storm surge. Despite nonstop protests and allegations of fraud, the city greenlights the project.

As tragedy strikes, CW launches her own probe, without her friend and mentor Walter Bishop, who’s feared lost at sea. Who approved the project? Who tampered with evidence? And who’s eliminating its opponents? Despite warnings from the authorities, she presses the city elite for answers, jeopardizing her job, alienating friends and lovers and triggering a political backlash that will reach the statehouse.

CW knows who’s guilty. She just has to prove it—before someone sends her on a permanent vacation.

Permanent Vacation is available from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

Praise for Jeff Widmer
“CW is a great character. Widmer easily brings the town of Spanish Point and its colorful cast of characters to life. An entertaining mystery romp.” Kirkus Reviews

“A writer who knows how to put the reader in the action is a rare thing. Jeff Widmer does it with every character and every scene.” Anna Schmidt, Last Chance Cowboys series

“Jeff Widmer takes you on a wild ride in the murderous tour bus in a uniquely dark and twisted story that touches on euthanasia, addiction, sex and more. And then there’s Brinker. . . .” Louise Machinist, My House Our House

“Reading Jeff Widmer’s novels is like gliding on Hans Brinker’s silver skates—the writing just flows. It’s smooth, sharp and with a cutting edge throughout.” Screenwriter Michael Downend

The return of CW McCoy

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While showing a mansion in the tony resort town of Spanish Point, former police detective CW (Candace) McCoy discovers the naked body of a rival real estate agent, a black bra wrapped around her neck. A rival agent, the woman has filed a wrongful-death suit against CW. And now the woman’s dead, in a mansion near the tony resort town of Spanish Point, Florida . . . just in time for the showing.

The murder is the least of CW’s problems. Her career is faltering. The hot new cop she’s dating may face assault charges. Both her best friend and mentor question her judgement. And back-to-back hurricanes threaten to flatten the coast.

As the bodies mount, CW must uncover the truth about her friends, her lover and a serial killer who specializes in murdering female agents . . . before she becomes a victim herself.

The third outing for CW (after Peak Season and Tourist in Paradise), Curb Appeal is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo, as well as bookstores everywhere.