Straight From the Author's Mouth

Cotton Mathers
Created by Jude Peters (pseud. of Peter Higgins)

"I've read your site's working definition of "private eye"several times, and I'm still not sure if my charater qualifies," wrote Jude Peters, referring to his self-published novel. "Although COTTON MATHERS is not a professional private eye,with a seedy office, a long-stemmed "dame" of a receptionist, and a bottle of vile rotgut stashed in his bottom desk drawer, he has long fantasized about being Sam Spade when he grows up. Moreover, he is somebody deeply interested in "helping others out," another of the site's criteria for defining 'detective'."

The idea of a bored Memphis college professor (named after the infamous Puritan preacher and witch hunter, no less) dreaming of being a hard-boiled P.I., and then getting in "entangled in a seamy web of corruption, illicit sex, and blackmail after a well-known Elvis impersonator he interviews for a scholarly article is murdered" sure sounds good to me.

Jude Peters is a 1991 graduate of what was then Memphis State University. Guilty Employers is his first novel.

UNDER OATH

• Jude Peters' Guilty Employers is an unexpectedly strong first mystery novel--I'm always impressed when someone surprises a laugh or two out of me. And One of the problems I see in so many PI novels (espeically first novels) is a lack of DETECTING. Here we have Cotton Mather, part
  time detective and part time college professor looking into the death of an Elvis impersonator. He (Cotton) actually investigates his way to the solution.
  
  Plus, the guy writes very well (which you expect from a college professor, but which is not always the case). A little self-conscious at first--trying too hard for the clever metaphor--but getting better and
  better as he goes on.
  .
  Great job of blending scenery and local color with the story, GOOD characterization, nice poignant touches here and there, plenty of action--though a bit slow moving (slowed down by too
  much reflective aside) in parts.
  .
  All in all, nicely done. This is one that could easily appeal to a wide audience, and, in the old days, woyuld have gone mainstream publishing with no problem. This is a perfect example of someone who should try and translate his self-published work into a traditional publishing contract. He's got all the right moves."
  (Diana Killian, Wicked Company)

NOVELS

• Guilty Employers (2000). Buy this book

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith. Thanks to Jude Peters for the tip.