Anatomy of a Shark, a new, rollicking crime drama by M. G. Akins, is a hit with readers and reviewers alike. You will love it, too!

H. N. Hirsch, who writes the Bob & Marcus Mystery series published by Pisgah Press, says the new novel is “a great read . . . full of colorful characters and sly insight.”

Diane Donovan of Midwest Book Review (also published on her blog, donovansliteraryservices.com) writes:

“Readers of novels about crime families have plenty to choose from, but Anatomy of a Shark stands out in combining a New York mob family with a young boy’s adoption, growing up with uncommon encounters, and eventual involvement in crime – albeit, of a different kind than he’s known all his life.

“From the start, it’s evident that the first-person narrator of these experiences harbors a wry sense of ironic humor about his circumstances and an astute assessment of not just the improbability of life, but its oddities…. Akins cultivates a unique voice that captures, more so than most mob crime stories, a sense of place, purpose, and street life .

“Readers seeking a very different kind of crime family story that simmers with social issues, ironic fun, and captivating interactions will appreciate, relish, and come to love Vinnie Renaldi in Anatomy of a Shark, a top recommendation because its character’s unique ‘voice’ stands heads and shoulders above other fictional mob stories.”

Don’t wait: Anatomy of a Shark is available now from Pisgah Press, on Amazon.com, and other online and brick-and-mortar bookstores.

Writes Anne Brown from NYTrendNYC:

“In most mysteries, the tension revolves around the central question: whodunnit? In H.N. Hirsch’s latest book, Winter, the suspense runs deeper. While a campus murder sets the stage, the true intrigue lies in whether a decades-long relationship can endure grief, professional pressures, and the relentless passage of time.”

When UC San Diego professor Marcus George discovers a colleague’s body in his office, he immediately falls under suspicion. But his partner of nearly twenty years, defense attorney Bob Abramson, faces his own personal grief, leading the couple to navigate love, loyalty, and resilience under pressure.

Purchase your copy of Winter today!

In Winter, Hirsch continues to blend rich character development with the thrills of a whodunnit, offering a story that is as emotionally compelling as it is intellectually engaging. Readers encounter not just a murder mystery, but a vivid portrayal of partnership tested by time, loss, and moral complexity.

Elizabeth Ireland of The Times of San Diego writes, “Beyond mystery elements, the novel explores both the positive and problematic aspects of university life, drawing from Hirsch’s exposure to different academic environments throughout his career. The series also serves as a cultural time capsule, tracing the evolving experience of gay men in America.”

From Susan E. Nash of dLearningCorgi educational blog:

The novel’s strength lies in its authentic portrayal of academic culture, drawing on Hirsch’s extensive experience in higher education to expose the toxic intersection of intellectual ambition, institutional politics, and personal vendettas.

The murder investigation serves as a catalyst for exploring deeper themes of truth, loyalty, and moral compromise… Parallel to the mystery, an infidelity subplot provides the novel’s emotional core. Hirsch handles this marital crisis with remarkable sensitivity … creating a rich family tapestry that grounds the more sensational murder plot.

N.N. Light gave the book five stars and wrote: “Winter is a gripping murder mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. As the mystery unfolds, H N Hirsch’s writing skills are unmatched. The investigation is realistic and intricate with a fairly large list of suspects.”

And Molly Toolan of the London, UK, Daily Express had this to say:

“A new crime novel has hit our shelves this week and fans are describing it as “gripping”… In the chilling new murder mystery Winter, Marcus becomes entangled in a murder investigation and reluctantly finds himself playing amateur sleuth. Meanwhile, Bob is coping with a family tragedy and, as his 40th birthday approaches, faces personal demons as well.

Through the evolving lives of Bob and Marcus, the novels trace not only a personal love story but also the broader cultural and political shifts shaping the lives of gay men in America. Hirsch’s Bob and Marcus mystery series is filled with complex characters, colorful locations and plenty of thrills for anyone who loves a good whodunnit.”

Don’t wait—order your copy today!

Winter,

Diverse protagonists are making waves in the murder mystery genre, and H.N. Hirsch is leading the charge with a captivating new installment in his crime-solving series. Winter, the latest novel from the former political science professor, centers on a devoted gay couple—Marcus George and Bob Abramson—who find themselves pulled into a murder investigation on a quiet college campus.

Set during Christmas break in 2004, Winter opens with Marcus, a professor at the University of California San Diego, discovering the body of a controversial colleague in his office. Suddenly, his partner Bob’s past warning rings true: “You never want to be the person who finds the body.” As Marcus becomes tangled in the case, Bob is reeling from a personal loss and the looming milestone of his 40th birthday.

Blending murder mystery with nuanced character development, Hirsch offers more than just a thrilling whodunnit. Drawing on his four-decade academic career, Hirsch gives the story a rich layer of political and historical context, while also exploring the evolving dynamics of a long-term same-sex relationship. The result is a series that is as emotionally engaging as it is suspenseful.

Hirsch introduced readers to Bob and Marcus in his 2020 novel Shade, set in 1985 Boston. Over four books—including Shade, Fault Line, Rain, and now Winter—the series follows the couple across decades, tracing their journey from Harvard to Southern California, with each installment jumping forward in time.

Critics have praised the series for its intelligent plotting and deeply human characters. Jean M. Redmann, author of the award-winning Micky Knight mysteries, calls Bob and Marcus “a gay Nick and Nora, a couple you’ll want to spend time and solve mysteries with.”

Winter not only delivers a tightly wound murder investigation but also continues a groundbreaking series that centers love, loss, and identity in a genre traditionally dominated by straight protagonists. Hirsch’s novels offer a fresh take on classic crime fiction—and readers eager for diversity and depth in their mysteries will find plenty to savor.

Reviews

Meanwhile, back in England . . .

The Table Read Magazine (“the best entertainment eBook magazine, UK”) describes Winter as “a chilling new mystery where love and murder collide. A quiet Saturday afternoon on a nearly deserted university campus spirals into a complex murder investigation. This chilling novel blends suspense, personal drama, and historical context, as the crime-solving couple confronts a killer—and their own vulnerabilities.”

And Molly Toolan wrote in UK’s Daily Express: “In the chilling new murder mystery Winter, Marcus becomes entangled in a murder investigation and reluctantly finds himself playing amateur sleuth. . . . Through the evolving lives of Bob and Marcus, the novels trace not only a personal love story but also the broader cultural and political shifts shaping the lives of gay men in America. Hirsch’s Bob and Marcus mystery series is filled with complex characters, colorful locations and plenty of thrills for anyone who loves a good whodunnit.”

Here in the States, Lavender magazine’s E. B. Boatner, writing his “A Word in Edgewise,” starts out, “The fourth Bob & Marcus mystery so perfectly and fully fulfilled the “You won’t be able to put this down!” claim that upon finishing, I immediately reached for the first of H.N. Hirsch’s four: an excellent four-score summer read.

Read the full review of all four books in the series on Lavender magazine.

Meanwhile, PaperPhoenixInk did a delightful and wide-ranging interview with the author about the new volume, his inspirations, likes and dislikes, and little-known (except to his former students) facts about him.

And N. N. Lights Book Heaven offers Hirsch yet another 5-star review of a book in the Bob & Marcus Mystery series. “Winter is a gripping murder mystery . . . Hirsch’s writing skills are unmatched. . . . But Winter is so much more than a mystery. The two main characters, Professor Marcus George and attorney Bob Abramson, are what drives this story. It’s been wonderful watching their relationship grow over the years. They are a gay couple who love each other dearly. Their experiences as a gay couple in society is reflective of the political landscape and changing viewpoints. The characterization of these characters throughout the book is insightful and add depth to the overall story. If you’re a mystery reader and looking for your next binge-read, pick up Winter.“

And from the Midwest Book Review (also published on Donovan’s Bookshelf, where you’ll need to scroll down), Diane Donovan writes, “Readers . . . will be especially satisfied to see the injection of moral and ethical quandaries that lead Bob and Marcus to re-examine their own ideals and decisions. . . . Hirsch takes the time to present ordinary gay family life experiences as well as tense encounters, creating a delightful interplay between personal and professional developments that impart a sense of relief from action-packed scenarios.

Bob and Marcus built a fire and listened to some old jazz records, with Zelda at their feet. Bob laid his head in Marcus’s lap on the couch.
“Come on, old man, let’s go to bed,” Bob said after a while, pulling Marcus up from the couch. “I’m going to ravish you.”

Hirsch’s blend of the gay lifestyle with investigative quandaries and unexpected outcomes gives Winter a multifaceted feel fully in sync with previous Marcus and Bob experiences. [T]heir latest challenge continues to buffet their relationship, grow their personalities and values, and immerses them academic intrigue that draws the duo into danger.

Packed with unexpected twists, a host of characters who each hold their own special interests and possible connections to events, and family life that moves in different directions, Winter is a thought-provoking saga that draws from the start and concludes with a cliffhanging bang. 

Port City

Port City — a study in contrasts. Henry McFarland, steeped in the privileged life of the elite, is relatively oblivious to the plight of workers in New York City. . . . He gets a taste of his own perspective’s impact when events shift his world enough to challenge his curmudgeonly view of wealth and social have-nots.

Eliot Sefrin does a particularly good job of capturing New York City’s social and political changes in a bygone era, the “science of the harbor” and those who interact with its processes and businesses, and, especially, the insights of those who navigate its murky waters.

Vivid descriptions explore what goes on beneath the surface of many local issues and events, bringing New York City and its interests to life. . . . Discussions of labor disputes and opposing sides assume a compelling countenance.

Port City sifts through layers of legal, social, and political history, resting its findings on strong characters whose disparate viewpoints drive home a series of points about change, adaptation, and growth.

Libraries seeking historical fiction that sizzles with interpersonal and group encounters and perspectives will welcome Port City into their collections. Quite simply, it’s a supercharged saga of transformation that will entertain while immersing readers in situations that reflect how people grow—sometimes, against all odds.

~ Diane Donovan for Donovan’s Bookshelf & Midwest Book Review

Port City, Eliot Sefrin’s blockbuster historical novel, will be released May 6, 2025. Set in New York City in the heady days after the Allies’ victory in World War II, the novel follows the groundbreaking strike of the Tugboat Workers Union against the cartel of owners of the essential fleets.

Based on real-life events, Port City unfolds in 1946, as New York becomes the latest city to feel the impact of mass strikes sweeping across America in the face of defense factory closures, job shortages, worker frustration, and rampant postwar inflation. Worker unrest was already sweeping across post-war America, and this unprecedented strike crippled the nation’s preeminent city, pitting an upstart labor union against powerful corporate interests arrayed against him. The strike also tests the bond between two brothers—one a rebellious, visionary union leader, the other a war-weary ex-G.I. struggling to reboot his life.

Feisty, streetwise Benny Logan has risen in the union ranks in a break from the corrupt, old-guard leaders who have victimized the city’s tugboat workers for decades. Seeking allies in his crusade to reform the labor union, Benny recruits his younger brother Jack, newly returned from the war, as a deckhand on the flagship of tugboat magnate Henry McFarland, the unscrupulous leader of a tugboat owners’ coalition working in concert with city officials, mob associates, and others to preserve a moneymaking status quo. McFarland will stop at nothing to crush the union and protect the interests of the city’s corporate elite, while Benny, equally stubborn and determined.

As powerful forces collide, Benny’s beloved kid brother Jack plays an unexpected role in finding a new way forward for labor-management relations, even as he and his wife, a pregnant British war bride, attempt to recover from the emotional trauma of the war.

What Reviewers Say . . .

From Diane Donovan (Donovan’s Boookshelf) Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review:

Vivid descriptions explore what goes on beneath the surface of many local issues and events, bringing New York City and its interests to life in a way that will prove absolutely compelling, even to readers with little prior familiarity with New York’s history. . . It’s a supercharged saga of transformation that will entertain while immersing readers in situations that reflect how people grow—sometimes, against all odds.

From Sarah Harkness for The Book Commentary online

FIVE STARS

Port City by Eliot Sefrin plunges readers into post-World War II New York, where a ferocious tugboat workers’ strike becomes a battleground of labor versus corporate interests. The backdrop of a jubilant yet tumultuous America teeters between promise and upheaval as workers, long subjugated to wage freezes and corruption, rise against their beleaguered leadership. Key characters, including ambitious tugboat owner Henry McFarland, fiery union leader Benny Logan, and conflicted ex-GI Jack Logan, intertwine their fates in a gripping tale highlighting the struggle for justice, dignity, and economic survival.

. . .  The setting of New York Harbor, a hub of economic activity and immigration, is a mesmerizing backdrop and character in the story. The tugboats, lifelines of the bustling city, mirror the workers’ struggles, a brilliant portrait of a fragile balance between progress and the brink of chaos. The author skillfully employs vivid imagery to evoke the harsh winter landscape against the social fractures that become apparent under the strike.

. . . Sefrin crafts a narrative that is both a historical recounting and a captivating commentary on the complex nature of labor relations, making Port City a must-read for anyone interested in the struggle for social justice.

Port City, Eliot Sefrin’s blockbuster new novel based on real-life events, unfolds in 1946 as New York becomes the latest city to feel the impact of mass strikes sweeping across America in the face of defense factory closures, job shortages, worker frustration, and rampant postwar inflation.

This well-researched historical fiction pits several hundred proud, patriotic working men against powerful corporate interests, and tests the bond between two brothers—one their rebellious, innovative union leader, the other a war-weary ex-G.I. struggling to reboot his life.

Feisty, streetwise Benny Logan has risen in the union ranks as a product of his gutsy persona and willingness to break from corrupt, old-guard leaders who have sold out the city’s tugboat workers for decades. Seeking allies in his crusade to reform the labor union, Benny recruits his younger brother Jack, newly returned from the war, as a deckhand on the flagship of tugboat magnate Henry McFarland, the leader of a tugboat owners’ coalition. Supported by mob and business associates alike, the powerful and unscrupulous McFarland will stop at nothing to crush the union and protect the interests of the city’s corporate elite.

As these powerful forces collide, Jack works to find a new way forward for labor-management relations, even as he and his wife, a pregnant British war bride, attempt to recover from the emotional trauma of the war.

What Reviewers Say . . .

From Diane Donovan (Donovan’s Boookshelf) Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review:

Sarah-Ann Smith has released her debut novel through Pisgah Press.

Smith’s Trang Sen: A Novel of Vietnam follows a rural Vietnamese girl as she struggles with the effects of America’s longest war, and comes of age in America after fleeing her war-torn homeland.

Trang Sen: “A phenomenal novel … Smith delves deep … with intriguing insights. Skills that remind me of the long ago Pulitzer award winner Pearl S. Buck.”

~ Ia Uaro, Book Pleasures (Australia)

Michael Amos Cody has released his debut novel through Pisgah Press.

Cody’s Gabriel’s Songbook portrays the hopes and disappointments of an aspiring Nashville singer-songwriter.

Reviews

Gabriel’s Songbook is “a love song to music—creating it, performing it, and generally being passionate about it… Cody brings to life Gabriel’s passion for his art and his ambition to succeed in music, deftly portraying the anguish of unrealized dreams made even more bitter by regret.”

~ Tina Chambers, Chapter 16

Gabriel’s Songbook is “… gripping, poignant, and unforgettable.”

~ Jeff Mann, author of Country