Recruiting Murder - Book Tour and Giveaway

​Can two Sleuths put these two puzzles together before college starts in September?

Recruiting Murder
A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 3
by Frank Lazarus
Genre: Murder Mystery, Crime Thriller

The third installment in the Brown and McNeil Mystery Series

Lenny Goldstein and his company, Future Stars, evaluate high school and collegiate basketball talent and sell their rankings to colleges and NBA teams.

From its humble beginnings in 1975, Future Stars had grown into a behemoth; with fifteen NBA teams and seventy-eight colleges paying subscriptions for his rankings.

Lenny is semi-retired these days, with his son and son-in-law running the business until he gets a call from an old buddy in Newport News, who wants him to come look at a high school kid, Lincoln Anderson, in Emporia, Virginia. He believes this Anderson kid has been overlooked by everyone, including Future Stars.

Concurrently, Lenny gets a call from an old buddy, the iconic coach of Duke University, to see what he knows about the college decision of Tyler Longenecker, Future Star’s #5 ranked high school senior from a premier prep school in the tony Boston suburbs. 

All seems to be going on script until graduation, when both Lincoln and Tyler are involved in a death and a roofie rape. Suddenly, Lenny’s getting calls about both kids.

Lincoln's family is related to James McNeil in Philly, and they call him for help. James and his buddy, Detective Vernon Brown of the Philly PD, jump into the car and head South on I-95.

Can the two Sleuths from The Murder Gambit and The Phenom put these two puzzles together before college starts in September?

Once again, Author Frank Lazarus has produced a gripping, suspenseful story that will keep you off Netflix for a day or two.

​
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

​The Graduation Party of the Beaver Country Day School was being held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachussetts.
The dance had ended and Tyler Longenecker and Katie Reynolds walked off the floor together. Tyler was a highly recruited basketball player who had recently committed to Duke University in the Fall.
Tyler asked, “How about going outside for some fresh air and a beer? I’ve got two tickets left.”
“Sure!”
They stopped by the bar and picked up two Samuel Adams, and Tyler led her outside. It was still mild outside, and on a clear night, the stars and half-moon were shining brightly. “Wow, what a gorgeous night,” he said; girls love that shit!
The headed to the pool area, and Tyler knew the cabanas were unlocked. They could have some privacy there, at least for a bit. They entered and sat close to each other on a chaise lounge. Tyler raised his beer bottle and toasted, “To our futures, Katie.”
Katie returned the toast, “To the Class of 2022!”
Tyler reached in and gave her a peck on the cheek. But he pulled back only an inch or two, waiting for her to glimpse into his eyes. When she did, he looked into hers and slowly inched closer to her lips. Her mouth opened invitingly, and he accepted the invitation. Their tongues found each other and explored. Tyler’s arousal was now in full throttle, and it seemed that Katie was keeping pace. Her hand found its way down to his zipper, but without opening it, she gently massaged it as it continued its growth. “Oh, Katie, that feels so good; please don’t stop.”
She couldn’t and wouldn’t! She started unbuckling his belt as he reached around and began unzipping her dress. By the time he had worked it down to her waist,Katie had slumped, and her body fell out of Tyler’s arms, collapsing onto the chaise lounge.
Tyler froze for a minute, and then Nathan, Billy, and Sheldon entered the cabana.
“She’s out cold,” Tyler said. “Those roofies are quick-acting. Guys, I’m still hard; I’m going first.”

Lincoln Anderson had just dropped off two work friends and was heading home on West End Boulevard in Emporia, Virginia. Lincoln had recently gone from an unknown basketball player to a full scholarship recruit to Richmond Commonwealth University, thanks to the discovery by Future Stars, LLC.
Between Taylor and Greene Streets, he saw a bike lying on the road. A strange place for an abandoned bike, he thought. It was a narrow, one-way street, so Lincoln had to pull off onto the grass. He parked and got out. He walked towards the bike, and as he got within ten feet, he noticed a young girl lying in the drainage ditch.
He ran over to her, knelt down, and gently pushed her to see if she was awake. There was no movement.
He ran back to his car and dialed 9-1-1 on his cell phone.
“This is 9-1-1; what is your emergency?”
“Yes, I am on West End, and a girl has fallen off her bike, and she’s not moving. I think she needs an ambulance really bad.”
“Where on West End?”
“Right at Taylor and Greene.”
“And your name, sir?”
“Lincoln Anderson.”
“OK, Mr. Anderson, please wait for the ambulance and police, and do not touch the girl. They should be there within five minutes.”
She hung up. Lincoln thought he should call home; hopefully, his dad could come over. He dialed his dad’s cell.
“What’s up, Lincoln?”
“Hi, dad, can you get over to West End? I was driving home and saw a bike lying on the ground. When I went over to it, there was a girl lying in the ditch next to it. I called 9-1-1, and they are on their way, but I hope you can get here.”
“I’ll be right there, Lincoln. You did the right thing, but do not answer any questions until I get there. Do you hear me? Is there anyone else there? Other drivers pulled over?”
“Not yet!”
“I’m on my way.”
Ten minutes later, a police car arrived, and Lincoln could hear the ambulance approaching behind them. Lincoln got out of the car and walked towards the girl. Two uniformed police officers jumped out of their car; one pulled his gun and said, “Halt right there, young man; put your hands up in the air?”
The other officer walked to the girl’s body and placed his hand on her throat. He turned and said, “She’s gone.”
They both walked towards Lincoln and said, “Keep your hands in the air. We just need to search you; do you have a weapon?”
“No, I don’t have any weapon; what am I a suspect? I just saw the girl’s bike and stopped to see if I could help.”
The officer frisked Lincoln and then looked into his pockets. Out of his side pocket, he pulled out a small pouch that contained a white powdery substance. “What’s this?”
“What do you mean? That’s not mine, whatever it is.”
“Turn around, smart Alec. We are taking you into the station for questioning; turn around; cuff him, Buddy.”
“Wait,what the hell is this? I ain’t done nothing.”
The officer grabbed Lincoln and forcibly turned him around. Lincoln stumbled, falling to the ground. One officer kicked him in the butt, while the other pulled out a club and hit him several times on the shoulder.
“Now, are you going to get in the car peacefully, or do we need more discipline?”
Just then, Lincoln’s father pulled up and jumped out of his car, “What’s going on here? Why is my son on the ground?”
“Who are you?” “I’m Lincoln’s father, Dwight Anderson; who are you?”
“I am Officer Jerome Abbott, and this is Officer Buddy Wilkins with the Emporia Police Department. Your son stumbled when we were putting the handcuffs on him. We are taking your son in for questioning about this young woman’s death and this substance we found on him,” showing the white pouch to Anderson.
“Dad, whatever that is, it ain’t mine. This guy just reached into my pocket and pulled it out like it was a magic trick. And they have been kicking and clubbing me.”
“Is this the way you treat all your suspects or only the Black kids? Lincoln let’s just go down the station and get this sorted out. Don’t say a word. Officers, I’ll follow you, but do not ask my son any questions until I arrive.
​

The Phenom
A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 2 

Even before he has played his first game in high school, it would seem nothing can stop Bo Campbell's meteoric rise to stardom in the basketball world. In Philadelphia, people are already comparing him to his Overbrook High School predecessor, Wilt Chamberlain.

But his dreams are suddenly shattered when he is arrested for the murder of his best friend, Sherman Claxton.

Detective Vernon Brown, and James McNeil, his friend and Bo's grandfather, search for the truth, but James goes rogue, and soon finds himself in the dangerous underbelly of the Philadelphia drug sub-culture, where the stakes are high and it's hard to tell who's friend and who's foe.


Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo *Bookbub * Goodreads

​

The Murder Gambit
A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 1 

An unexplained death in a nursing home. A man falls from a balcony. A hit and run in the middle of a city street. An execution in a home. A woman collapses dead after a date.

Five murders. Five methods. Five police jurisdictions.

What's the connection?

Philadelphia-area detectives are under pressure to solve the murders, while dealing with their own issues.

Speeding like the lead car at Talladega towards a shocking conclusion, is The Murder Gambit a Shakespearean tragedy or a sinister reality?


Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

​

Frank Lazarus was born and raised in West Philadelphia and attended Overbrook High School, as you may have guessed from his writings.

After graduating high school, Frank spent two years in the U.S. Army during the VietNam War. After his service, he completed his 
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at St. Joseph’s University, in Philadelphia.

He was in the Financial Services and Life Insurance industry for fifty-three years before he retired at the end of 2021.

Frank has three adult children and five grandchildren.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

​

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I spent fifty-three years in the Financial Services and Life Insurance industry, never thinking much about writing a book or becoming a published author.
With possibly a couple of exceptions: thirty or forty years ago, I read that “everyone has a novel in them.” I once started one, and every five years or so, I add a sentence to it. Secondly, twenty years ago, I started writing a blog. It was private and only shared with friends and family. I considered it an outlet for my Seinfeldish sense of humor and titled it A BLOG ABOUT NOTHING.
I am working on a book that will be THE BEST OF THE BLOG; we’ll see if or when that comes to fruition.
I retired at the end of 2021 and kept busy with golf and COVID hibernating. Towards the end of 2021, a friend shared with me a novel that he had written but was unpublished. I decided to try it, and THE MURDER GAMBIT was born.

What is something unique/quirky about you?
After my divorce in 2006, I spent the next six years serial dating on Match.com and other dating websites. During those six years, I met or dated some 102 women.
Scheduled for 2024 publication, the book about this is entitled THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY; 102 FIRST DATES.
The book will surely be a hit with those who have experienced online dating or have always wondered about it. I’m not as sure how the 102 women feel about it.

What are some of your pet peeves?
Mostly people!
90% of anyone’s aggravation is caused by the people in their lives. Even people who are not IN their lives, perhaps just dashing through it.
Much of this may be included in THE BEST OF THE BLOG, but there is just so much material that this could be a new book in 2025.

Where were you born/grew up?
The Western section of Philadelphia. Philadelphia and its suburbs are the setting for THE MURDER GAMBIT, and THE PHENOM is mostly set in Philly inter-city.
While I will always have roots, friends, and family in Philadelphia, I now spend more time on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
I am glad you asked. Several fans of my first two novels told me they thought both would make great NetFlix Series’.
I try to keep my phone line open in case they try to reach me.

What inspired you to write this book?
When I first thought forty years ago about writing a novel, I thought it would have a basketball theme, and THE PHENOM AND RECRUITING MURDER are hybrids of that plot.
But the Murder Gambit came out of my work in the life insurance industry. I can’t say much without giving it away, but it is not the typical WIFE KILLS HUSBAND FOR THE LIFE INSURANCE PROCEEDS

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in THE MURDER GAMBIT?

The first thing about the characters in TMG is there are no MAIN characters or protagonist(s). Five people get murdered in the first five chapters, so they are all dead.
There are the deceased families, two detectives looking into each murder, and assorted suspects in each.
Eventually, Vernon Brown, a Philadelphia Detective investigating the death of Lincoln McNeil, and James McNeil, Lincoln’s son, form a bond and take the lead as the plot is revealing itself.
I liked this pair so much that my second book, THE PHENOM, featured them again, and the Brown and McNeil Murder Mystery series was born.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
The Queen’s Gambit is a hit series on Netflix, and I looked up the definition of GAMBIT. While often used as a strategic move in chess, it was also defined as A maneuver, stratagem, or opening remark, especially one intended to bring about a desired result
I believe this definition applies to the underlying strategy in THE MURDER GAMBIT.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Interesting question! I recall writing three different endings for THE PHENOM before settling on the one I used. I still believe I chose the correct one; the other two may have been more predictable. My editor and Significant Other both agreed.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
In THE PHENOM, there is a Lesbian seduction scene that I wasn’t certain I could write with any authority or conviction. It was so out of character for me, and I received a lot of questions about it from those who know me.
It may not be the highlight of the book, but it was the one I think of proudly.

Have you written any other books that are not published?
Books in development are:
The Good, Bad, and Ugly: 102 First Dates
Is Anything All Right?
April Fool

Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know? type tidbits about the author, the book, or the book's writing process?
Vernon Brown is a hybrid of two Overbrook coaches, Blinky Brown and Vernon Young, but physically resembled Brown.
Other first and last names were also borrowed from people I know or knew.
I took some liberties with some of the locations in both books, but many are factual.
I used my actual boyhood address for one of the suspects in the Gambit. A neighborhood friend caught me on this.

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Sheldon Siegel’s Mike and Rosier Series
James Patterson’s early stuff, and the Women’s Murder Club Series
Daniel Silva
Dan Brown
John Grisham
Michael Connoly
R N Patterson

What book do you think everyone should read?
EXILE, by Richard North Patterson
I learned more about the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict from this book than any other source I have read or seen.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I actually do more research WHILE writing than BEFORE.
For example, in my third novel, I have a potential murder in Emporia, Virginia, part of Greensville County. I needed to research how their court system worked.
And I am constantly on Google Maps, looking at streets, parks, churches, restaurants, etc.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Jan 15
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'
Painting With Words

Jan 16
Naughty Nightie Book Blog
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
Trixie Reports Books

Jan 17
Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼

Jan 18
Lady Hawkeye
All Things Dark & Dirty

Jan 19
Anna del C. Dye official page
Haley Cavanagh Books

Jan 20
FUONLYKNEW – GUEST POST
Sylv.net

Jan 21
Bedazzled By Books
Twisted Book Ramblings

Jan 22
J.M. Northrup
Westveil Publishing – GUEST POST

Jan 23
❧Defining Ways❧
Books all things paranormal and romance

Jan 24
Celticlady's Reviews
Country Mamas With Kids

Jan 25
All The Write Stuff
ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ

Jan 26
C.A.Milson
eBook Addicts

Jan 27
A Wonderful World of Words – GUEST POST
Craving Lovely Books

Jan 28
The Mystery Section
Royally Insane Books

Jan 29
Girl with Pen
Kenyan Poet

Jan 30
Karen J. Mossman
Literary Gold

Jan 31
Inside the Insanity
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Feb 1
My beauty my books
The Book Dragon

Feb 2
Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – GUEST POST
Insane Books

Feb 3
Book Bites....with a side of coffee
Scrupulous Dreams

Feb 4
Midnight Book Reader
Trixie Reports Books

Feb 5
Tina Donahue - Heat with Heart
The Bookshelf Fairy

a Rafflecopter giveaway