BOOK ON TOUR #AFTER PEARL #HISTORICAL CRIME FICTION #SANTA FE WRITERS PROJECT PUBLISHERS #BOOK REVIEW #STEPHEN G EOANNOU

 

MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

After Pearl is a captivating historical mystery set in 1942, during the turbulent months following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The novel follows Nicholas Bishop, an alcoholic private investigator and shell-shocked WWI veteran, who wakes up in a seedy hotel room with a hangover, a foggy memory, and two bullets missing from his revolver. Worse still, lounge singer Pearl DuGaye is dead, and Bishop is the prime suspect.

As he stumbles through a haze of forgotten days, Bishop—assisted by the sharp and capable Gia Alessi, a loyal sidekick who may or may not still be on his payroll—dives into a web of deceit and danger. His investigation leads him through Buffalo’s underworld, rubbing shoulders with crooked politicians, high-society elites, and an underground group of American Nazis. All the while, he’s haunted by flashbacks from the Great War and shadowed by a one-eyed dog named Jake.

The pacing is tight and energetic. The mystery unfolds gradually but never drags, with twists that feel earned and surprises that deepen rather than distract. Eoannou builds suspense with the steady hand of a seasoned crime writer, keeping readers unsure of what’s real, what’s imagined, and who is truly guilty.

The dialogue crackles with authenticity, and every scene is loaded with texture—from the dingy speakeasies and jazz clubs to the smoke-filled police precincts and the opulent estates of the city’s elite.

THANKS TO PARTNERINCRIME TOURS AND Publisher ‏ : ‎ Santa Fe Writer's Project for an advance copy for my honest review.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

From award-winning author Stephen G. Eoannou, After Pearl will take you back in time...

1942. War rages in Europe. Pearl Harbor still smolders. And alcoholic private eye Nicholas Bishop wakes up on a hotel room floor with two slugs missing from his .38 revolver. The cops think he' s murdered lounge singer Pearl DuGaye, mobsters think he saw something he shouldn' t have, and Bishop remembers nothing... Together with his indomitable assistant Gia Alessi, who he may or may not have fired, a WWI vet who often flashes back to 1918, and a one-eyed female dog named Jake, Bishop tries to piece together the events that took place during his disastrous five-day bender. Along the way, he stumbles across a dirty politician, a socialite and her unfaithful husband, and a cabal of American Nazis who are undoubtedly up to no good. Written in the spirit of classic noir, Eoannou adds his own unique voice and flair to the genre in this, the first action-packed outing of the Nicholas Bishop Mysteries...

Author Bio:

Stephen G. Eoannou

Stephen G. Eoannou is the author of the award-winning short story collection Muscle Cars and the novels Rook, Yesteryear, and After Pearl. He holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MA from Miami University. He has been awarded an Honor Certificate from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Best Short Screenplay Award at the 36th Denver Film Festival. His latest novel, Yesteryear, was awarded the 2021 International Eyelands Award for Best Historical Novel, The Firebird Book Award for Biographical Fiction, and Shelf Unbound’s Notable Indy Books of 2023. He lives and writes in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of his work.

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