In an exclusive interview with The Real Book Spy, sources say that Ted Bell, author of the bestselling Alex Hawke series, is currently working on a standalone mystery novel.
The story is said to be set in present-day Miami and will follow Blackie Blaine, a film-noirish private detective who takes on a pretty client with a potentially deadly case.
In the parlance of old black-and-white gangster movies, the protagonist is a Private Dick–which is currently the novel’s working title.
While my source didn’t comment on how much of Private Dick is already completed, I’ve confirmed that Bell does not yet have a deal in place to publish the book. In fact, Bell’s 2015 thriller, Patriot, the ninth in his Alexander Hawke franchise, was the final novel of the author’s two-book deal that he previously signed with William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins).
Between Private Dick and Overkill, the rumored tenth Hawke novel (also in the works), Ted Bell remains one of the biggest names in the genre, and someone to watch very closely.
I’ll be all over this story moving forward, so be sure to check back for any updates. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, order your copy of Patriot today.