I’m a Tom Bethany fan from way back when, before blogs were invented. Tom Bethany is a private investigator in Cambridge, Massachusetts—a very private PI whose lease isn’t in his name and who picks up his messages where he has breakfast. He’s a tough guy who generally comes out on top in hand-to-hand combat through his college wrestling skills, hence the titles of the books about his exploits.
He’s also the kind of guy who falls in love, and stays in love, with a woman married to some else, a woman who’s the beard for a highly placed gay man. Most of all, Tom Bethany is a man of the left, with a keen sense of social justice.
So I checked Jerome Doolittle’s website every so often, in hopes of forthcoming book announcements, and while having those hopes dashed, I read his explanation of the term bad attitudes, his advice from West Cornwall, and his annotated bibliography, where he expresses my opinion of S. I. Hayakawa. When the website became interactive, I interacted, most vociferously in support of Howard Dean and in more measured tones on other topics.
I’m also a big fan of the extremely private K. C. Constantine, but that’s a story for another day.
Warm welcome! We need sisters.
Posted by: wayneuff on October 21, 2005 5:17 PMHey, Joyful,
K.C. Constantine is what first drew me to Jerome's site as well. Welcome.
Posted by: Carl Manaster on October 21, 2005 8:57 PMWelcome Joyful, always nice to get a new perspective. I'm also a big Tom Bethany fan which is how I originally found this site. Jerry, if you're reading this, your rising yachts quote make The Stephen Colbert Show on Wednesday night.
Posted by: Lenora on October 21, 2005 10:08 PM1. Thanks, Wayne, I've got four. How many do you need?
2. Carl, I love Constantine's writing, setting, etc., but Mario has always put me off. I've known all too many men just like him! Now he's retired, though, and I enjoy Rugs. I've just finished "Saving Room for Dessert," which is in that first-person colloquial voice but from three separate Rocksburg P.D. voices. Very well done (except the Dr. Phil part). More Rugs, K.C., if you follow the blog.
3. Lenora, maybe we can persuade Jerry to write more Tom Bethanys. I've been whining for years, though, with no result. By necessity, I've found (inadequate) substitutes, which maybe I'll list here when I get a round tuit.
Posted by: Joyful on October 22, 2005 8:49 AMIt could happen, Joyful. A while ago I came across an article about a man who makes his living as a consultant to companies that want to destroy their pension systems. This is the sort of person Tom Bethany would enjoy meeting.
Posted by: Jerry Doolittle on October 25, 2005 12:25 PMTerrific, Jerry! When his employer was victim of a hostile takeover, my brother-in-law was shoved into early retirement with a big pile of Tyco stock that became nearly worthless in a few months. I'm sure he'd love to help Tom.
Posted by: Joyful on October 27, 2005 6:33 AMAll this talk about Tom Bethany made me miss him so I started rereading Body Scissors.
Posted by: Lenora on October 31, 2005 5:05 PM