The Emperor of Portland

PURCHASE: Read Across America Month 20% Discount on Emperor Or buy at Amazon

Author: Anthony Ravenscroft Category: Fiction – mystery / crime / occult Murder, & a three-legged cat… Joel Bowman is the prince of lies – not to be confused with the Prince of Lies. To finish his doctoral degree, Bowman lied his way into the local Satanic church, the Ruby Grotto of the Stealer of Dreams. Before he knows it, he's a member of the ultra-elite Inner Order. Then a bizarre killing stirs the fears of Portland residents, with cries of "occult crime" & "Satanic murder." For assistance in solving the crime, Bowman turns to his compatriots in the Inner Order, & brings in the Swami Mafia, the mysterious cabal that controls the "metaphysical market" of northwest Oregon. The Swamis know their own scams & weaknesses – but none of them is prepared for the secrets & lies of "normal" people, much less the assorted Federal agents lurking tensely about. And all Bowman has to do is pull everything together before his own lies come crashing down. Complex yet fast-paced, filled with wit & memorable characters, The Emperor of Portland takes a clear-eyed but sympathetic look at the lies that underpin our lives & the murkier regions of the New Age industry in this unique murder mystery. Follow along as Joel Bowman, Ruby Grotto Officiant Zalman LaTrobe, daughter Shaneen LaTrobe, & Joel’s human-hating cat Marvin untangle the web of deceit & madness, complicated personal relationships, & the rebirth of Vaudeville. About the Author Anthony Ravenscroft was raised on reruns of Perry Mason & Alfred Hitchcock, subscriptions to the Ellery Queen & Mike Shayne mystery magazines, & just about everything written by Raymond Chandler. A Wiccan Priest for two decades, he found himself with plenty of experience dealing with quirky real-life characters. After some small success in journalism, & sporadic attempts at fiction over many years, this is his first novel. Among other projects, Ravenscroft is at work on another Swami Mafia™ mystery novel, The Emperor of Dinkytown, set in Minneapolis. Ordering Information ISBN: 1-890109-84-3 $14.95 US imprint: CrossTIME 226 pages trade-size softcover