It starts with a knock at the door – something reclusive ex-detective Garrison Gage hates. When it's his teenage neighbor, whose girlfriend has gone missing just before Thanksgiving, Gage gets reluctantly pulled back into his old line of work - and ends up facing some fears of his own in Oregon's dark woods...Includes an extended preview of THE GRAY AND GUILTY SEA, also featuring Garrison Gage.*****JACK NOLTE is the mystery and suspense pen name of award-winning writer Scott William Carter. Critics raved that The Gray and Guilty Sea, the first book featuring the crippled and curmudgeonly Garrison Gage, was "irresistible" and "a fascinating character study." Under his own name, Carter's first novel, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a "touching and impressive debut" and won the prestigious Oregon Book Award. Since then, he has published nine novels and over fifty short stories, his fiction spanning a wide variety of genres and...

Garrison Gage, #4.

In this "fast-paced adventure filled with thoughtful life lessons" (School Library Journal), becoming a real boy is just the beginning. Since he changed, Pino has struggled to live a quiet life with his father Gepetto. But a boy who used to be a wooden puppet doesn't fit in well with the other villagers. When Pino creates a replica of Gepetto's late wife and brings it to life, the two are chased out of their village by an angry mob demanding the resurrection of their own loved ones. On the run with a dying Gepetto, Pino must face a world that would seek to use—and misuse—him for his powers. And when Pino discovers that his abilities are slowly transforming him back into a puppet, he faces a choice: strike a deal with those who only want to use him, or stand up for who he really is.

A curmudgeon. An iconoclast. A loner. That's how people describe Garrison Gage, and that's when they're being charitable.After his wife's brutal murder in New York, and Gage himself is beaten nearly to death, the crippled private investigator retreats three thousand miles to the quaint coastal town of Barnacle Bluffs, Oregon. He spends the next five years in a convalescent stupor, content to bide his time filling out crossword puzzles and trying to forget that his wife's death is his fault. But all that changes when he discovers the body of a young woman washed up on the beach, and his conscience draws him back into his old occupation - forcing him to confront the demons of his own guilt before he can hope to solve the girl's murder. Publisher's Note:  A newly revised edition of The Gray and Guilty Sea was published in June 2014, correcting minor typos and formatting errors.Review"It was a shrewd marketing move ... to entitle his first mystery novel The Gray and Guilty Sea. It makes it nearly irresistible for an old John D. MacDonald fan like me . . . Recommended." - Brandywine Books"The Gray and Guilty Sea is quite an enjoyable novel that engages a reader on multiple levels." - Stimulated Outlet Book Reviews "Outstanding debut crime novel set on the Oregon coast and starring a misanthropic former detective ... as much a fascinating character study as it is an original story." - Michael J. Totten, author of Resurrection"Scott William Carter makes it look easy." - Chizine.com From the AuthorNever miss a new Garrison Gage book: Sign up for the new release mailing list by going to this link (copy/paste into browser): swcarter.com/news The Garrison Gage Mystery Series (in chronological order):A Plunder By Pilgrims (short story prequel)The Gray and Guilty SeaA Desperate Place for DyingThe Lovely Wicked Rain