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 Book
Signing with Joe Palmer
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the Book Signing
Amazon
Barnhardt
Ashe Publishing
Library Director and newly-published local author Joe Palmer will
be on hand to sign copies of his first mystery book Sand Castle
during this afternoon reception. Refreshments will be served.
Sand Castle is a tale of organized crime, murder, intrigue, family
feuding, greed, and romance. An Italian American, who becomes the
principal founder of a construction company in Youngstown, Ohio,
builds an enormous family fortune. Although the company's roots
are in organized crime, the family attempts to sever its ties and
become legitimate. In the process, the immediate family is besieged
by plots and counter plots that are designed by insiders and outsiders
to get control of the family business. The story unfolds in cities
from the Midwest to the East, including Youngstown, Ohio; York,
Pennsylvania; Bethany, Delaware; and Boston, Massachusetts. Sand
Castle is also a story about love, friendship, trust, and the ability
of the human spirit to overcome adversities.
About the Author
Joe Palmer is a graduate of Youngstown State University and the
University of Pittsburgh. He is director of the Mansfield/Richland
County Public Library in Mansfield, Ohio; and is the recipient of
the Ohio Library Council's 2004 Hall of Fame Librarian Award.
PROLOGUE
The yacht was rocking gently to and fro, creaking as a boat does
in the water. It was anchored out in the deep Atlantic, miles from
the Delaware shore. The sun bounced off the top deck, reflecting
beams of light from the railing.
As the Coast Guard cutter gently pulled along the starboard side
of the yacht, nothing seemed amiss, except that this 50-foot boat
seemed to be deserted. Initially, Commander Jefferson Matthews had
thought that Shannon Mahoney, young daughter of the vessel's owner,
was overreacting because her father had not returned for the night.
Perhaps he was out on the water, enjoying sailing time since his
wife was visiting her family on Cape Cod. But now the Commander
and the entire crew sensed danger with the eerie quiet and apparent
abandonment of the boat.
The Commander ordered the boarding seamen to be cautious. They
quietly boarded the boat, holding their weapons, ready to use them.
There was soon a call for the Commander to come down to the cabin.
He jumped aboard and descended the stairs into the large cabin.
There was John Mahoney and his assistant; hands tied behind their
backs, kneeling in a slumped position. Both had been shot in the
head, execution style. This seemed to be a professional hit.
Matthews was frozen in the moment. He knew now that the daughter
had a right to be concerned. Matthews radioed the news of the murders
back to shore. The daughter and the absent wife would be informed
and an investigation would ensue.
Matthews instinctively knew that this was big news. Mahoney was
the CEO of a national, high-profile construction company, whose
roots were once reputed to be in organized crime. His Italian American
wife, Teresa, was part owner of that company and member of the family
that was liable for those roots. These murders were big news.
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