Guitarist - Novelist
Norm Karin
​My novels are available as ebooks from a variety of online book dealers, including Amazon (Kindle), Apple, Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo. Now you also can purchase these books as paperback versions from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Click on the "Buy It Now!" buttons for more information. [Note that Barnes & Noble usually has lower prices on the paperback versions because of Amazon's use of third-party vendors.]
A new Ed Ramsey Mystery!
Dead Set​
The owner of a popular jazz club is found shot to death just days after guitarist Ed Ramsey performed there. Ed was recruited by his friend and fellow musician, Dave “Keys” McCarthy, to be in the band backing up a beautiful female vocalist, whose affections were sought by both the club owner, Ron Grafton, and McCarthy. The local sheriff investigating the crime learns that Grafton had been involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking and real estate fraud, but he can identify no viable suspects. Ed and his wife Tracey wonder if there might be other motives for the killing and do some investigating on their own. It is not long before they are enmeshed in an increasingly complicated and sinister mystery.
The third Ed Ramsey Mystery:
Chased By The Past​
Ed Ramsey and Tracey Reilly were celebrating their honeymoon in Ireland when Tracey learned that her estranged brother Frank suddenly had decided to return to Buffalo, Tracey’s hometown, and live with their mother. Tracey and her mother were thrilled at this news, and Ed was anxious to meet his new brother-in-law.
The reunion was a happy one until an attempt was made on Frank’s life. Frank claimed he knew of no one who would want to harm him, but he reluctantly revealed that he ran into financial and drug trouble after he abruptly left Buffalo and went to Florida. But even after disclosing his past problems, Ed and Tracey are certain he’s keeping a dangerous secret to himself. It will take all the efforts of Ed, Tracey, and Ed’s son Frosty (who refer to themselves as the “Ramsey Detective Agency”) to solve what turns out to be a very complicated set of crimes.
Ed Ramsey’s girlfriend, Tracey, and his son, Frosty, just completed the training necessary to scuba dive. As a celebration, Ed invited them to join him on a weekend dive trip in the Gulf of Mexico, only to have it marred by tragedy: a diver goes missing and later is found dead on the sea bottom. However, what first appears to be a fatal accident turns out to be a case of murder, and Ed reluctantly finds himself entangled in the investigation.
The murderer must be among the small group of passengers and crew on board the dive vessel, but the police can find no motive for the killing, which greatly complicates their ability to identify potential suspects. Ed, Tracey, and Frosty try to assist the authorities, which leads them into some harrowing experiences before the case is solved.
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The first Ed Ramsey Mystery:
Arrangement For Revenge​
Edwin Ramsey, a jazz guitarist and music professor at a small college, has his life turned upside down when his department chairman is found with his throat slashed.
Ed becomes embroiled in the murder when Allison Clark, the victim’s oboe student, discovers the body and rushes into Ed’s studio for help. To complicate things further, Ed’s friend and faculty colleague becomes the prime suspect in the killing.
Questions abound as the local sheriff tries to sift through the puzzling clues. What is the motive for the crime? Is the enigmatic Miss Clark somehow involved? Why does a student’s suicide four years earlier seem to hold a key to identifying the murderer? While trying to help the sheriff solve the mystery, Ed finds his own life in danger!