Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.
I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.
This is Season 4, A Word Before Dying. This season contains original stories written just for you and built around that classic mystery theme of the last word spoken by the dying victim.
Episode 2 is about family matters. This is Finding Hiawatha by Frank Zafiro
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Razing Stakes – De La Cruz Casefile #3
The first day of summer is the last day of a young accountant’s life. Colin McHenry is out for his regular run when an SUV crosses into his path, crushing him. Within hours of the hit-skip, Cleveland Homicide Detective Jesus De La Cruz finds the vehicle in the owner’s garage, who’s on vacation three time zones away. The setup is obvious, but not the hand behind it. The suspects read like a list out of a textbook: the jilted fiancée, the jealous coworker, the overlooked subordinate, the dirty client. Razing Stakes, book #3 in the De La Cruz casefile series, from Down & Out Books. Ask for it from your favorite bookseller. Amazon Link HERE
Frank Zafiro
Frank Zafiro writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. As a former police officer, he has lived one side and seen plenty of the other, and his work reflects that authenticity. For police procedurals, check out his River City series. For hardboiled tales on the criminal side, give SpoCompton a try. And if you like private investigator stories, then Stefan Kopriva mysteries are for you. Find out more about his work at frankzafiro.com or on his Amazon Author page.
Down & Out Books.
Mystery and thriller lovers seek out Publisher Down & Out Books. They like to live at the grittier end of the spectrum. There are no cozies here. https://downandoutbooks.com/
Episode Materials
Cast of characters
Here’s a list of suspects (basically everyone except Stefan and Anna) in the order of appearance
Jameson Burrish – our dead guy. He had money.
Sadie Burrish – Dead guy’s only daughter. She inherits everything.
Arnzel Burrish – nephew of our dead guy. Arnzel lived with his uncle and cousin from the time he was nine
Patricia, the Housekeeper – worked for Burrish for decades
List of reference sites
Not all of these are equally good and I’m not advocating or any, just giving a list of the ones we checked out.
https://thatoregonlife.com/2021/11/pacific-northwest-native-americans/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Turtle
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Little-Turtle
Frank Zafiro
Like I said at the beginning, Frank Zafiro writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. As a former police officer, he has lived one side and seen plenty of the other, and his work reflects that authenticity. For police procedurals, check out his River City series. For hardboiled tales on the criminal side, give SpoCompton a try. I read “At Their Own Game” and recommend it to people to like their stories hard core. I won’t say I liked it, I will say I couldn’t put it down. Even now, a year plus after reading it, the story comes back to my mind from time to time.
And if you like private investigator stories, then Stefan Kopriva mysteries are for you. Finding Hiawatha is a short story for Stefan. There are three full length stories Waist Deep, Lovely, Dark and Deep, and Friend of the Departed. Goodreads reviewers rated the stories between 3.91 and 4.38. Here are a few reviews from Stefan’s fans:
One reviewer said “What a great read. Retired cop with a past of both heroism and disdain. Great characters with a superb plot and plenty of action. A different plot in that we are dealing with "barely" child pornography and the underworld street activities. This author is superb in everything he writes.”
Another said, “Frank Zafiro knows how to develop a character complete with accurate and believable insights and feelings. 'Waist Deep' is a well written story with twists and turns you never see coming. Ex-cop Kopriva gets under your skin and stays there.”
And finally, “Fastest moving book that I've read in a while. Enough action to keep the story interesting and moving. Things were not contrived to end up nicely tied in a pretty bow, so the story had a more real feel to it. Good book!”
Frank also hosts his own Podcast called Wrong Place, Write Place. He interviews authors from all subgenres in the mystery / thriller / crime genre. It’s a great place to find new storytellers and get to hear the inner workings of their imaginations.
Find out more about his work at frankzafiro.com or on his Amazon Author page.
That wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Become a member of our Body Bag Brigade by financially supporting this season with a one-time donation. Pay what you can. Interested in advertising on Mysteries To Die For? Check out our website. Information is in the show notes and on our website TGWolff.com/Podcast.
Mysteries to Die For is written by TG Wolff with contribution from Jack Wolff. Hiawatha was written by Frank Zafiro. Music and production and by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff.
