Neil Plakcy's Books and Stories
Newsletter

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You can also Email me. And new: updated list of all my books on one page!
Soldier Down

Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka can't say no when the chair of the House Defense Appropriations Committee asks him to investigate her father's death. The case may be as cold as the top of Mauna Kea-- over fifty years old-- but Representative Stacey O'Brien controls the purse strings for the eleven military bases in Hawai'i.

And she's a mentor to Kimo's baby mama, Sandra Guarino, who's in her first time in the House in DC.

The eleventh full novel in the series, Soldier Down requires Kimo to use everything he knows, as well as his family connections, to disturb a series of crimes the military has tried to cover up.
At the same time, he and his partner Mike Riccardi are dealing with the perils of fatherhood as their eight-year-old twins start to question their family situation. Would they really be better off moving between a pair of mom-dad couples? Because that’s not something the adults can manage.

Soldier Down explores the ongoing nature of parent-child relationships while Kimo tracks a killer through the lush paradise of the Aloha State.

Order from Amazon or other e-vendors.
Dog Willing
When his neighbor is accused of murder, reformed computer hacker Steve Levitan and his golden retriever Rochester are asked to sniff out clues to prove her innocence.

Who could have killed bookstore owner Darlene Nowak? One of the food trucks venders she angered when they parked in front of her store? Someone from the writer's critique group she sponsored? Did a self-published author she refused to promote write her into a real murder mystery?

Steve knows that cooks and creative folks are very sensitive about criticism; but could one of them be angry enough to kill?
"The golden retriever mysteries are barking good!" - Sparkle Abbey, author of the Pampered Pet mystery series

Order from Amazon or read for free in Kindle Unlimited.
A Litter of Golden Mysteries
Stop by for some comfortable visits to Stewart's Crossing, where reformed computer hacker Steve Levitan and his crime-sniffing golden retriever Rochester are nose to the ground in this collection of mystery short stories that take place between novels.

In the first of these stories, Steve is learning to love the big, goofy golden he has inherited on the death of his neighbor, and Rochester shows him how to open his heart and his home to his sweetheart Lili.

From then on, Rochester tugs Steve along on a roller coaster of cases, from theft to murder to the discovery of an abandoned baby. Familiar characters from Stewart's Crossing drop by, including Steve's best friend, SCPD detective Rick Stemper. Of course there are a lot of opportunities for Rochester to tussle with his BFF, Rick's Aussie Rascal.
Check in with old friends like Gail Dukowski, the owner of the Chocolate Ear, and Steve's childhood piano teacher Edith Passis. Joey Capodilupo, Mark Figueroa, and their snow-white golden Brody are here, along with Lili's ex, journalist Van Dryver, who makes a surprising appearance to help out with an investigation ' into Amish puppy mills.

Order from Amazon or read for free through Kindle Unlimited.
The Madness of Husbands
When Aidan Greene's ex calls after ten years with a peremptory demand for bodyguard services, Aidan's tempted to say no, even though he hears real despair in Blake's voice.

After a reminder that the two of them are in their forties, and that personal protection is a young man's game, Aidan and his husband Liam have stepped back, marrying and taking a staycation at their home outside Nice. But Liam misses the adventure, and Aidan is curious about his ex and the man Blake has married, Latin diplomat Ricardo Levy.
Ricardo is recovering from a psychotic break, and sees danger all around him, but he's determined to attend a conference in the Bahamas where he will reveal information that may have profound international ramifications.

Quickly, Aidan and Liam are at a luxury resort on Paradise Island, watching for danger and wondering if the threats are all in Ricardo's head-or if they are very real.

Do we ever lose the bonds that connect us to past loves? Aidan and Blake will come to a reckoning about the events that began the Have Body, Will Guard series-and learn something about the madness of love along the way.

You can click the PayPal button below to buy The Madness of Husbands direct from me, and the digital file of your choice will be automatically emailed to you through a company called Book Funnel which has excellent customer service to help if you run into any problems. Or you can order from Amazon or the e-retailer of your choice.
The Burning Water
Six years ago, I had an idea.

Five years ago, I had an academic sabbatical which gave me time to work on a big book - close to 300 pages, and unfinished, though I got extensive editorial advice.

Three days ago, I had a revelation-- that I could publish the first part of this book now.

This is all an introduction to a new novella, The Burning Water. I read across a lot of different genres, and I wanted to try my hand at a piece of speculative fiction-a what if book. What if a virus struck the world that only hit straight men?
I had to do some research, obviously. How do viruses work? Is this even possible? And if it's possible, how would it spread?

Turns out I was pretty spot-on in terms of spread. Five years ago, I wrote the first hundred pages of the larger book, called The Burning Water even then, and tracked how a virus escaped from a secret lab in North Korea and spread through China, and then the rest of the world. Sound familiar?

The Burning Water is the story of how the virus spreads, the heroic efforts of those who try and stop it-and the deadly secret the virus holds. Ripped from the headlines, the book explores how a deadly virus like SARS or COVID-19 can escape a laboratory, infect local people-- and then spread world-wide.

If you like my other work, I hope you'll give The Burning Water a try-- it's only $2.99 through Amazon, and free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
Kindle Unlimited Collections
If you belong to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program, you can read all the golden retriever mysteries for free as part of your subscription. You can also read these collections I've put together. (Of course, they're also offered for sale.)

Three Dogs in a Row includes the first three books in the series: In Dog We Trust, The Kingdom of Dog, and Dog Helps Those. The second collection, Three More Dogs in A Row, includes the next three: Dog Bless You, Whom Dog Hath Joined and Dog Have Mercy. The third, Another Three Dogs in a Row, includes Honest to Dog, Dog is in the Details, and Dog Knows.

I've also put the first three books in my Love on series up at KU. Love on Site, Love on the Web, and Love on Stage. A whole lot of loving!
I've also put together the first three books of the Have Body, Will Guard series: Three Wrong Turns in the Desert, Dancing with the Tide, and Teach Me Tonight. Order it from Amazon or read for free through KU.

The first three books in the Mahu series are available as a collection, too. This one includes Mahu, Mahu Surfer and Mahu Fire. Order the omnibus volume from Amazon or read for free through KU.

I also have a collection of erotic stories, called Get Your Rocks Off, which includes two of my story collections, Hot Steamy Shorts and Mr. Surfer and Other Romantic Erotica. Available for purchase through Amazon or as a free read in KU.
See You Soon?
I'm always available for events and Skype sessions. Recently I was interviewed at the Gay Mystery Podcast by author Brad Shreve. You can listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Otherwise, I'll be staying home and hope you are all safely sequestered too.
Now in Audio
If you like audiobooks, I hope you'll consider mine. In addition to these below, I've narrated a 20-minute short story you can buy directly from me for only $1.99, "Nectar of the Dogs." It takes place in the world of the golden retriever mysteries.

The Golden Retriever Mysteries
#1 - In Dog We Trust at Amazon or ibooks
#2 - The Kingdom of Dog at Amazon or ibooks
#3 - Dog Helps Those at Amazon or ibooks
#4 - Dog Bless You at Amazon or ibooks
#5 - Whom Dog Hath Joined at Amazon or ibooks
#6 - Dog Have Mercy at Amazon or ibooks
# 7 - Honest to Dog at Amazon or ibooks
# 8 - Dog is in the Details at Amazon or ibooks
# 9 - Dog Knows at Amazon or ibooks
#10 - Dog's Green Earth at Audible or ibooks

Genie for Hire: A Biff Andromeda Mystery at Amazon or ibooks
The Cat Who Got Married and Other Purr-fectly Romantic Stories at Amazon or ibooks
Mahu at Audible or ibooks


Cleis has created audiobook editions of the anthologies I've edited for them:
Hard Hats (Amazon or ibooks),
Surfer Boys (Amazon or ibooks),
Beach Bums (Amazon or ibooks),
Sexy Sailors (Amazon or ibooks),
Model Men (Amazon or ibooks)
The Handsome Prince (Amazon or ibooks).
Translations
I translated my award-winning story "Christmas in Honolulu" into French, then hired a copy editor to make sure that if my college French teacher read it she wouldn't scream in horror. "Un Noel Hawaiien" is now available as an ebook through Amazon.com. The same story in German, "Weihnachten auf Honolulu" is available as well. The Italian translation of the first golden retriever mystery is available, as is translation into Brazilian Portuguese. I'm also delighted that the book is available in Spanish as Pero el Perro Sabe.

Feel free to e-mail me for more information about any of my books.

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