If you’ve had enough of TV, and you’re looking for a good book to settle into, a local author by the name of William Herman has written a thriller that is set in South Buffalo. In the book, there’s plenty to “keep you on the edge of your seat”, including an eerie familiarity with the city where the action takes place. Herman takes the safe, serene setting of South Buffalo and wreaks havoc with your imagination.
“When the curtain is pulled back things are much more complicated, and sometimes much more dark and dangerous, than it would appear,” said Herman. “It’s a study of a handful of interesting characters whose lives are intertwined in unexpected ways, and events that spiral out of their control.”
It’s not often that your home city is a featured character in a thrilling novel, which is why this read should be considered as an excellent gift this holiday season. “There are mentions of the city, our unique lake-effect climatic conditions, and other things that convey the feeling of living in and around Buffalo, but the local action takes place just south.”
South of the City is a murder mystery set in the most unlikely small town atmosphere. But that same atmosphere lends itself to things getting a little too close for comfort.
This is Herman’s first book, which shouldn’t stop you from picking it up. After growing up on Buffalo’s East Side (until the age of nine), and moving to Cheektowaga (where he grew up), Herman eventually made his way to Orchard Park, where he currently resides with his wife Sally. He has two children and five grandchildren. He supported his family by working at Moog, where he retired in 2014 after 44 years. South of the City is a work that is ten years in the making.
In a small but affluent upstate New York town, Grove Park detective Pete Webster learns of two seemingly unrelated incidents… a missing-person report and an accidental death. At first, he views the new cases as a welcome distraction from his increasingly troubled personal life…and then another prominent local resident disappears seemingly without a trace, causing the entire town to take notice. As Webster and his colleagues explore the possibility of a common thread, the investigation reveals a shocking entanglement of previously secret lives, crimes, and romances. Within days Grove Park is thrust into the national spotlight as search helicopters circle overhead and a media horde descends upon the once-tranquil village. The ever-widening probe soon requires the support of a task force of county, state, and federal agencies, and the local interest evolves into a national media sensation, fueled by the stunning revelations that become an almost daily occurrence. Webster’s unpredictable quest to solve the case while dealing with upheaval in his private life becomes a page-turning thriller filled with fascinating characters, set in unique locations. A missing socialite, revenge, politics, romance, murder… welcome to Grove Park!
Locally, the book can be purchased in paperback at Vidler’s, Alden RX, The Book Shoppe in Medina, Kenmore Cardsmart, and the ECMC Gift Shop. Or order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.