Barnegat Light: A Novel (The Jack Colt Murder Mystery Novels)

After Jack Colt is hired by a pretty FBI agent to solve a horrific murder case in Barnegat Light, he finds himself called upon by the daughter of a distinguished judge to another murder scene. Although Colt remembers that his uncle once warned him that “Only an idiot takes two cases at the same time,” he nonetheless takes up the challenge. Along the way, there is yet another case involving the family of the powerful state governor, which he turns down, and yet cannot resist casually working on in the background. The result is fast-paced, suspenseful action that propels Colt through the Garden State, New York City, and all the way to California and Arizona. William Baer has outdone himself with this can’t-put-down third installment of his critically acclaimed Jack Colt Murder Mystery Novels.
PRAISE FOR NEW JERSEY NOIR: BARNEGAT LIGHT:
In Jack Colt, William Baer gives us a private detective perfectly suited for the Garden State: gritty, charming in spite of himself, sidesplittingly hilarious and incomparably authentic. Baer proves himself the Sinatra of Noir, the Edison of Intrigue, the Springsteen of Suspense—and a rightful heir to Hammett and Chandler. Far more fun than a night out in Atlantic City or a weekend at the Jersey Shore.
— Jacob M. Appel, author of Millard Salter’s Last Day
PRAISE FOR WILLIAM BAER’S JACK COLT MURDER MYSTERY SERIES:
“William Baer brilliantly mixes all the human emotions. . . . The layers, the depth, the characters, the intrigue, and the references to local settings all captivate and draw the reader in. I love books like this! A rarity! Five stars!”
— Robert Leon Davis, Reader Views (Five-star review)
“A brilliant debut novel . . . precise prose, perfect pacing, stunning imagery, complex characterization, grand historical and cultural contexts, and a superb sense of place.”
— Hollis Seamon, author of Somebody Up There Hates You
“Not since Donna Tartt’s The Secret History have I read a novel as mesmerizing, engrossing, and delectable as William Baer’s New Jersey Noir. In prose as fast-moving as a bullet, Baer compels the reader to keep flipping pages more and more rapidly. The writing is taut and gut-wrenching.”
— Terri Brown-Davidson, author of Marie, Marie, Hold On Tight
“With a head for crime and his own set of scruples, Jack moves effortlessly through the seamy underbelly of the state he loves. . . . [T]his is a can’t-put-it-down thrill ride.”
— Publishers Weekly, (Five-star review)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
William Baer, a recent Guggenheim fellow, is the author of twenty-two books including New Jersey Noir; Times Square and Other Stories; One-and-Twenty Tales; Companion; The Ballad Rode into Town; Formal Salutations: New & Selected Poems; Classic American Films; and The Unfortunates (recipient of the T.S. Eliot Award). A former Fulbright in Portugal, he’s also received the Jack Nicholson Screenwriting Award and a Creative Writing Fellowship in fiction from the National Endowment for the Arts.