by Ang Pompano

Details at the end of the post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of When It’s Time for Leaving and a link to order it from Amazon.

Thanks so much to Lorie Lewis Ham for inviting me here today. Over the years, I’ve written about many detectives in my short stories. All of them, both male and female, were in some way classic damaged gumshoes. Al DeSantis and his father, Big Al, in my debut novel, When It’s Time for Leaving, are no exceptions. Al and his father have history and not all of it is good. Al has an underlying resentment of his father that may or may not be justified, and Big Al is protecting long buried secrets. And both of them must deal with Big Al’s inevitable sinking into dementia as they work together to solve a mystery within a mystery. In spite of these issues, they have an underlying sense of honor and heart.

But these days, I’m thinking of the greatest detectives of all. I’m talking about those women and men who are trying to crack the biggest mystery in human history, the Covid-19 pandemic. If you think about it, those researchers seeking a cure for the virus use many of the same techniques that my fictional detectives use. As with my imaginary investigators, they are dealing with a whole host of unknowns which have disrupted the order of our world. And as with my detectives, their goal is to get society back on balance. These super scientist-detectives make observations, document every clue, and ask questions. They work diligently to collect, organize, and analyze data. As in solving any mystery, timelines are an important tool. They follow every lead and treat everything as evidence. They create hypothesis after hypothesis and test each one. Some of their theories will prove to be incorrect. When that happens, they start over and persist until the mystery is solved. I am sure that Al, Big Al, and I, dare say, even the brilliant Poirot would concede that these scientists are the greatest detectives of all.

Also, I’d like to give thanks to the doctors and nurses who are sacrificing to keep us alive. And a special shout out to all of the heroes from the grocery store workers, mail carriers, teachers to others on the front lines who are working to keep society going. The mystery will be solved and soon we will be back on course. In the meantime, stay safe, stay strong, and stay healthy.

When It’s Time For Leaving
Al DeSantis is ready to get out of Connecticut. Suffering a recent breakup and a gnarly car crash which invokes in him a phobia of bridges, Al sets his sights on Los Angeles, only to have his plans foiled by his estranged father, Big Al, who is passing on the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency in Savannah, Georgia, to his son. Begrudgingly, Al finds himself in the South and wrapped up in investigating a dead body found on the agency dock—a murder case that quickly becomes anything but straightforward.

“With an engaging cast of characters, fast-paced dialogue, and an intricate mystery plot that will keep readers guessing, Ang Pompano’s novel is as gripping as a cinematic car chase and as unexpected as a fully-loaded gun. For those who crave a page-turning journey about family and bravery, When It’s Time for Leaving constructs a bridge that readers will be eager to cross.
—Sara McCrea, News @ Wesleyan

To enter to win an ebook copy of When It’s Time for Leaving, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “leaving,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 23, 2020. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter.You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Ang Pompano has been writing mystery for more than twenty years. When It’s Time for Leaving, his debut novel, was nominated for a Best First Novel Agatha Award.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.