Jess Thornton Author

I was sitting in my high rise office in the Hoeschler building.  My feet were on the desk, and as I admired the red tennis shoes that lay there in the b right glow from the window on the top floor- I guessed that I had it made!  For how many detectives could say that their office was on the top floor of a high-rise office building in a metropolis?  Not many, I thought, blowing smoke in satisfaction up towards my art deco ceiling. There was a knock at the door.  Standing, I went to open my frosted glass oak door from the 1930’s, admiring the lettering upon it- Jess Thornton Detective Agency.  The smoking revolver underneath always made me smile, and I hadn’t gotten any complaints about it, yet- but you never knew about people.  The door swung wide, revealing a small lady, with graying hair and the sweetest little face I had ever seen.  She looked like an aged Hummel! “Are you the detective?” she asked smiling widely.  It almost seemed that ...

Preorder on Amazon til June 10 for 99 cents Here is the start of the book: I don’t really remember just when it happened, when I died.  I know it wasn’t a long time ago, but it wasn’t recently either.  I just knew after awhile that, although I felt pretty much as I always had, better actually, things were subtly different. I mean, it’s not as if I really thought about life being a little odd; I mean we all kind of go about our lives as if on some sort of automatic pilot until something really important and different happens to us.  And really, most lives just don’t have that much really different that comes up, at least nothing out of the ordinary.  My extraordinary moment came about when I saw my old friend, my best friend really, Peter Hughes. “Hi Pete,” I said happily.  I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen him, but when we were really young I remember seeing and playing with him almost every day of my life.  He had the same red hair an...

Tomb of the Viking Here is the new book, available in both e-book via the Kindle, and also as a handsome print volume.  This is the fourth book in the Jess Thornton private detective series, and in this one Jess and his indomitable friend Alexander Blackdeer travel back to 1850 La Crosse, where they meet Nathan Myrick! There is history, magical derring-do, and an encounter with a blue-eyed Viking... If you know La Crosse, you will enjoy following up on cherished landmarks, but if you don't, you will know a lot more after reading this! Tomb of the Viking

Chapter 2: The phone rang then, and my idiotic fantasies were shattered, which was a good thing.  I looked at my candlestick phone, a reproduction of a 1930’s telephone, and listened to the antique ring.  I am a living anachronism, wishing that I lived in 1930’s La Crosse- and, in most ways, I am- kind of.  I drive an antique car; while not a 1930’s vehicle, a 1950’s Packard is still in my wheelhouse.  And, I dress in retro clothing for the most part, and try to ignore most of modern music and culture, since it all seems like a huge step downwards. I answered the phone, but only after 2 rings.  I like to keep them waiting.  It was Alexander. “Thanks for finally answering, Kemosabi,” he said. “My faithful Indian companion!” I answered.  “I expected a smoke signal, but I guess this will have to do.” “Wampum low,” he said, “firewood dear, but Obama phone free!” Alexander was quite the kidder, since he deplored any government program, and e...

I sat in my office, high in the Hoeschler building- truth be told, on the top floor!  I am not one to run up my many achievements, but to be on the topmost floor of such a prestigious building was high on my list.   I gazed out upon my domain of downtown La Crosse- there below me spread out the vista of King street, and 5th street as well.  I knew the layout perfectly.   Were this a typical mystery fantasy adventure thriller, I would love to say that, looking down upon the corner below, just north of the La Crosse Children’s Museum, there was: 1. Not only incredible violence from Black Lives Matter and- 2. Wizards from Hogwarts, converging onto 5th and Jay streets, and into the alley behind the Hoeschler building- Diagon Alley?   Unfortunately, to both points I can say that the answer is NO- I saw nothing like that!   All that I saw was the minimal traffic of a peaceful, well-run, north-midwestern city....