OFF THE BOOKS by Dana King ~ Hero Profile & Giveaway

Off the Books (Nick Forte, #6)
by: Dana King
Series: Nick Forte
Genre: Crime Thriller (Hard-boiled Private Investigator)
Release Date: March 15, 2024

Nick Forte has lost his detective agency and makes ends meet doing background checks and other paperwork. He pays for everything else through jobs he takes for cash and without any written contract. What starts out as a simple investigation into a traffic accident exposes Forte to people who have truly lost everything and have no viable hope of reclaiming their lives. That doesn’t sit well with Forte, leading him and his friend Goose Satterwhite to take action that ends more violently than anyone expected.

“The return of Chicago private detective Nick Forte, the tough protagonist of two Shamus Award nominated novels, is well worth the wait. Nick’s latest escapade Off The Books—the first in nearly six years—will surely earn additional praise for the acclaimed series.”
– J.L .Abramo, Shamus Award-winning author of Chasing Charlie Chan.

"Nick Forte reminds me of Robert B. Parker's Spenser: a PI with a finely tuned sense of justice who doesn't take anyone's s***. Any fan of hardboiled detective fiction is in for a helluva ride."
– Chris Rhatigan, former publisher of All Due Respect Books

Probably the best way to introduce folks to Nick Forte is through his police file:

Name: Nicholas NMI Forte (NMI = No Middle Initial. He has a middle name but it appears on no records other than his birth certificate. Anyone who uses his middle name within his hearing is subject to a beating.)

Place of Birth: Penns River PA (Learn more about Penns River here.)

Age: 40, more or less.

Height: 6’1” (185 cm)

Weight: 215 pounds (97.5 kg)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Education: Bachelor of Music Education, Northwestern University

Marital Status: Divorced (Diane)

Children: Caroline Kimberly Forte

Military Service: Regular Army, Honorable Discharge, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal

Employment History (excluding part-time work):

• Band Director, Chicago (IL) Public Schools
• Patrol Officer, Chicago (IL) Police Department
• Owner, Forte Investigations LLC
• Owner/Operator, Forte Investigative Services

Known Associates:

• Timothy Alston Satterwhite (alias: Goose), suspected free-lance enforcer and collector.
• Sanh “Sonny” Ng, Lieutenant, Area 4 Violent Crimes, Chicago (IL) Police Department.
• Janet Rusiewicz, Detective, Area 4 Violent Crimes, Chicago (IL) Police Department.
• Sharon Summers, former general manager, Forte Investigations LLC, current occupation unknown.
• Delbert McCrae, former associate, Forte Investigations LLC, current occupation Investigator, Pinkerton Detective Agency, Chicago (IL).
• Michael “Mickey” Touhy, Associate, Chicago Outfit organized crime family.
• Lily O’Donoghue, prostitute.
• Thomas McManus, former Principal Trumpet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (deceased)
• Anthony “Tony” Morella, former owner/operator Printers’ Row Parking (retired)
• Joseph “Joey” Addison, former employee Printers’ Row Parking (whereabouts unknown)

Criminal record:

Subject has been detained in connection with eight homicides:

• Thomas “Tommy” Licati, soldier, Chicago Outfit, nol. pros. Self-defense
• John Doe, suspected IRA terrorist, nol. pros. Self-defense
• William “Willie” Schreckengost, low-level hoodlum, nol. pros. Self-defense
• Helmut Obersdorfer, orchestra conductor, nol. pros. Self-defense
• Dr. Michael Arkin, psychiatrist, nol. pros. Self-defense
• Dr. Thomas Bergstresser, psychiatrist, nol. pros. Self-defense
• Anatoly Timoshenko, soldier, Russian mafia, nol. pros. Self-defense
• Yuri Volkov, underboss, Russian mafia, nol. pros. Self-defense

Person of interest in the disappearance of Bruno Pirelli, underboss, Chicago Outfit

Notes:

• Known to carry a Colt M1911 .45 caliber pistol under left arm.
• By all accounts a doting father. Considers himself a guardian-type figure for his daughter’s friends.
• Personable and easy to like.
• Comfortable in both straight and criminal environments.
• Insightful investigator with detailed knowledge of the law and how to get around it when necessary.
• Suspected of several potentially felonious assaults, though charges have never been filed, or were filed and withdrawn by complainant.

Personal Characteristics:

• Avid sports fan. Closely follows Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago White Sox.
• Light drinker. Beverages of choice include beer, Coca-Cola, and Arnold Palmers.
• Active sense of humor, incurable smartass.
• Very close family bonds. First cousin Benjamin “Doc” Dougherty is detective sergeant in Penns River (PA) Police Department. Forte has worked as special deputy for Penns River in the past and appears to be welcome to do so again.
• Difficulty sustaining relationships with women. No known abusive tendencies.
• Personality has become increasingly dark over past several years.
• His word is his bond even when it is not to his advantage.
• Loyal almost to a fault, but an implacable foe if he believe his loyalty has been betrayed.
• Not as good a fighter as he thinks he is.

Personal reference:
“Great sense of humor, pays for more than his share of the drinks, but he has a temper and does not gladly suffer fools.”

I’m a professional snoop. People’s privacy went only as far as the task at hand in my profession. I executed search warrants as a cop and opened more drawers than an Ethan Allen quality control inspector since I went private. Tonight I felt as if I was violating something sacred as I looked through what passed for personal effects in that trailer. Beside each bunk were two banker’s boxes that held what appeared to be all the earthly possessions of the men (and women?) who lived here. Most were family photos. Children’s drawings. Bibles and small statues of saints. A T-shirt or two. The random pair of jeans. I had no idea how often supplies were replenished. Must have been like Red Cross day in the POW camp this place kept reminding me of.

Bare bulbs suspended from the ceiling with reflectors above them were the only light sources. No clocks. A small shrine to the Virgin Mary occupied a corner of the kitchen.

What little fresh air I felt came through screened vents in the ceiling. I pulled a bunk over so I could peek through and found vent covers six inches above the opening. Air could pass through, but nothing else. Acrylic shields swung up to cover the vent in cold weather.

I photographed it all. After saving about fifty images I returned everything to where it had been and let myself out. Made sure the lock was in the same position I found it. Walked back to my car with my head on a swivel, alert to anything that might be a threat, or possibly useful when I came back.

Purchase Off the Books from:

Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads

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The Nick Forte Detective Series:

A Small Sacrifice (Book 1)

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (Book 2)

The Man in the Window (Book 3)

A Dangerous Lesson (Book 4)

Bad Samaritan (Book 5)

Off the Books (Book 6)

Off the Books is Dana King’s sixth Nick Forte private investigator novel. Two of the earlier books (A Small Sacrifice and The Man in the Window) received Shamus Award nominations from the Private Eye Writers of America. Dana also writes the Penns River series of police procedurals set in a small Western Pennsylvania town, as well as one standalone novel, Wild Bill, which is not a Western. His short fiction appears in numerous anthologies and websites. He is a frequent panelist at conferences and reads at Noirs at Bars from New York to North Carolina.

Places to find Dana King:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

You can follow the Off the Books Blog Tour here.

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