Seven Things about My New Book by Hy Conrad Author of Rally Round the Corpse

Rally Round the Corpse Book Tour

1.  It’s a mystery within a mystery.

If you’ve ever played a mystery game or been to a mystery party, you’ve probably wondered what would happen if someone were actually killed in the middle of it.  That’s the premise behind “Rally ‘Round the Corpse”.

It begins with a group of spoiled Americans paying big bucks to take part in a two-week road rally, in which they scour the European countryside looking for clues to solve a fictional murder.  No one suspects that the game is based on a real, unsolved case and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the true killer from being discovered.

2.  It’s got travel.

As far as I know, Abel Adventures is the only detective series that combines my two favorite things: mystery and travel.  After writing the first book, I can see why.  It’s a real challenge to find ways to send Amy Abel to exotic locations and still develop a coherent mystery.  It would be different if she were James Bond or Jason Bourne.  But Amy is just a single woman trying to manage her life and her mother and lead a few high-end tours.  She’s hardly prepared to get thrown into murders whenever she takes a trip.

3.  It’s a real whodunit.

My background has always been whodunits, twisty crimes that seem to make no sense, until suddenly they do.  The clues are all there and afterwards you’re left with the feeling that you could have solved it yourself, if only you’d been a little smarter.  This was how I was introduced into mysteries many years ago.  It’s what I love and, it just so happens, what I do best.

“Rally ‘Round the Corpse” is constructed from that classic mold, which you don’t really see a lot of anymore.

4.  You might laugh.

I am, for better or worse, incapable of writing a totally serious mystery.  It’s one of the things that got me into television.  True story: years ago, a television writer/ producer was in a bookstore, flipping through one of my little whodunit books.  He laughed out loud, which led him to call me up and ask me to write for his show.  Easiest job I ever got.

I guess that’s the long, boastful way of saying that “Rally” is a fun read.  More than one person has mentioned that.

5.  It’s larger than a cozy and smaller than a breadbox.

“Rally ‘Round the Corpse” is probably a little longer and more involved than a typical cozy mystery.  Maybe it’s not even a cozy; I haven’t checked the rule book.  I don’t know what this means exactly.  You may love the difference or you may hate it.  Just be forewarned.

6.  It’s based on an internet serial.

Back in the late eighties, when companies were still trying to figure out how we would use the internet, Prodigy – a defunct competitor of AOL – hired me to write an online mystery serial.  Every day, you would receive another short chapter, and at the end of every month, you could try to solve the crime.  Then a new mystery would begin for the next month.

I named the series Abel Adventures, and it featured a travel agent named Tom Abel.  Now, many years later, Tom is Amy and the mysteries are longer.  But it’s the same concept.

7.  Amy lives!

Although I was recently sidelined by my work on another mystery series, Amy will be back, probably in late 2013.  The new book is titled “If I Die Before the Wake” and is centered on a dying maid who wants to send all of her old clients on an around-the-world trip to scatter her ashes.   hat could possibly go wrong?

Description of Rally 'Round the Corpse:

Publisher: Seven Realms Publishing, May 29, 2012
Category: Mystery
Tour Dates: January, 2013
Available in: Print, Kindle, Nook, Sony ereader, & iTunes, 348 pages

"Abel Adventures" is a brand new mystery series, penned by Hy Conrad, writer and producer of the landmark TV show "Monk."

In the series debut, "Rally 'Round the Corpse," we meet Amy Abel, two years after the death of her fiancé.

Amy needs a fresh start. And what better way for a shy, risk-averse woman to start over than to sink her savings into a travel agency specializing in adventure.  Her first project?  A mystery road rally through the European countryside.

At the starting line in Monte Carlo, Amy finds herself attracted to Marcus Alvarez, the most mysterious of her two dozen game-loving clients.  But the rally gets off to a rocky start when an eccentric writer, the only person who knows the game's solution, is himself murdered back in New York.

Weird accidents begin happening along the route and Amy discovers that this fictional mystery was based on a real, unsolved case, one that Marcus knows too much about.  Now she has no choice but to join forces with Fanny, her domineering mother, before the killer strikes again.

Praise for Rally 'Round the Corpse:

"An absolutely wonderful mystery, served just the way I like it-with heart and humor."-Tony Shalhoub, star of TV's MONK

"It's a high concept story that could have sprung from the mind of a classic mystery writer, complete with interesting characters, a dynamic lead, and plenty of red herrings. Plus: taco shells and sour cream! It makes for a fun, quick read and a great debut for Conrad, master of the mind-teaser and man behind Monk. I look forward to his next installment!"- R. P. Steeves, Wrapped Up Like a Blog

"I highly recommend it!  First the story line is fun, witty and it was easy to delve into the characters. It was well written and makes you wonder in the very beginning "whodunit".  I stayed up late several nights reading because I lost track of time reading because I was so into the book.  Whether you are familiar with Hy Conrad or not, this book is definately worth reading! You won't be disappointed. I'm looking forward to the next installment!!!"- Jennifer, Goodreads.com Reviewer

"I really enjoyed this book (read the entire thing in two days), and I read a lot of mysteries. The characters and plot construction are interesting, and frequently when I thought I knew what was coming, it was completely different and often funny. The information on the author says that he wrote for Monk on TV which I loved, and no doubt how he learned to mix murder, humor, and interesting plot twists. A really fun and engaging read, and I hope more are coming."- Gail Hauptfuhrer, Goodreads.com Reviewer

""Rally" is a good choice especially for the mystery fan. If you like pondering the clues and figuring out how it was done or who did it, this story lets you enjoy the levels of mystery until the very end. This carefully plotted story gives the reader one twist after another. The ending is truely unique, and it came as a complete surprise. You will root for the amateur detectives as they outdo the police pros in Europe and the USA."- Frederick Hobin, Amazon Reviewer

About Hy Conrad

Arthur Hy Conrad

Best known for his work in mysteries, Hy was one of the original writers for the groundbreaking series,Monk.  He worked on the show for all eight seasons, the final two as Co-Executive Producer, and received three Edgar Nominations from the Mystery Writers of America for "Best TV Episode."

In a related project, Hy was Executive Producer and head writer of Little Monk, a series of short films featuring Adrian Monk as a ten-year-old.  His latest TV work was as writer and Consulting Producer for White Collar.

Hy is also the author of hundreds of short stories and ten books of short whodunits, which have been sold around the world in fourteen languages.  Hy's first full-length comedy/mystery play, Home Exchange, premiered at the Waterfront Playhouse in Key West in May 2012.  And, in a different vein, he recently authored a humor book called Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know.

Hy splits his time among Key West, Vermont and New York City.

Author Website: http://www.hyconrad.com/