Double Forte': A Gus LeGarde Mystery [Paperback]

Aaron Paul Lazar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2004

Double Fort© is a chilling mystery set in the verdant landscape of Upstate New York's Genesee Valley. Packed with memorable characters, hair-raising chase scenes, and touching family moments, it's a solid page-turner. Desolate over his wife's suicide four years earlier, small-town college professor Gus LeGarde faces bewildering emotions when he falls for Camille, the vivacious, dark-eyed daughter of his secretary. Yet troubling events in her past cause her to rebuff Gus's affections. Romance glimmers, however, as both become embroiled in an adventure when Gus discovers a mute child shackled to a bedpost in a secluded cabin. The mystery turns deadly when the child's kidnapper escapes on a snowmobile that tumbles into the deep Letchworth Gorge. The villain's fate is questioned when Gus's little grandson disappears and threats arrive against Camille. And where is the business partner of Gus's philandering son-in-law? Does a murderer lurk in the dark, wintry woods?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"an absorbing tale of love, intrigue, and murder" "a compelling thriller" "Artfully crafted imagery that vividly grows in readers'imaginations" -- Ray Edinger, author of Fury Beach

From the Author

Double Forté is the first in a long series of mysteries featuring protagonist, Gus LeGarde, a music professor in a historic college town located in Upstate New York.

The book spans several levels - it involves a family that successfully deals with loss, grief, recovery, and new-found love; it is packed with delicious tidbits involving children, animals, gardens, music, art, gourmet cooking, and lush descriptions of the Genesee Valley; and finally, because it is a mystery, it includes a pulse-pounding suspense-mystery that pulls the story along, complete with chase scenes through the foggy woods.

Gus refers to himself as a "hopeless romantic, a wistful Renaissance man caught in the twenty-first century." No stranger to passion or heartache, Gus lavishes love on his family and dog as he mourns the loss of his lifetime soul mate, Elsbeth. By profession, Gus teaches music at Conaroga University, imparting the love of the classics to his students. He is passionate about French Impressionism, nature photography, gardening, and spends hours cooking lavish gourmet meals for his family and friends. His rambling, 1811 Greek Revival farm house lies amidst the rolling hills and bucolic splendor of the Genesee Valley. He drives an old Volvo sedan, plays Chopin etudes to clear his mind and feed his soul, and has an impeccable inner moral compass.

Seven novels have been completed. The second in the series, Upstaged, was accepted for publication on November 15th, 2004. The rest are waiting patiently in line and number eight is currently underway.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (November 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413728383
• ISBN-13: 978-1413728385
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,801,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Aaron Paul Lazar wasn't always a mystery writer. It wasn't until eight members of his family and friends died within five years that the urge to write became overwhelming. "When my father died, I lost it. I needed an outlet, and writing provided the kind of solace I couldn't find elsewhere."

Lazar created the Gus LeGarde mystery series, with the founding novel, DOUBLE FORTÉ (2004), a chilling winter mystery set in the Genesee Valley of upstate New York. Like Lazar's father, protagonist Gus LeGarde is a classical music professor. Gus, a grandfather, gardener, chef, and nature lover, plays Chopin etudes to feed his soul and thinks of himself as a "Renaissance man caught in the 21st century."

The creation of the series lent Lazar the comfort he sought, yet in the process, a new passion was unleashed. Obsessed with his parallel universe, he now lives, breathes, and dreams about his characters, and has written ten LeGarde mysteries in eight years. (UPSTAGED - 2005; TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON - 2007 Twilight Times Books; MAZURKA - 2009 Twilight Times Books, FIRESONG - 2011, with more to come.) The author is currently working on his sixteenth novel.

One day while rototilling his gardens, Lazar unearthed a green cat's eye marble, which prompted the new paranormal mystery series featuring Sam Moore, retired country doctor and passionate gardener. The green marble, a powerful talisman, connects all three of the books in the series, whisking Sam back in time to uncover his brother's dreadful fate fifty years earlier. (HEALEY'S CAVE, 2010; TERROR COMES KNOCKING, 2011; FOR KEEPS, 2012) Lazar intends to continue both series.

Lazar's books feature breathless chase scenes, nasty villains, and taut suspense, but are also intensely human stories, replete with kids, dogs, horses, food, romance, and humor. The author calls them, "country mysteries," although reviewers have dubbed them "literary mysteries."

"It seems as though every image ever impressed upon my brain finds its way into my work. Whether it's the light dancing through stained-glass windows in a Parisian chapel, curly slate-green lichen covering a boulder at the edge of a pond in Maine, or hoarfrost dangling from a cherry tree branch in mid-winter, these images burrow into my memory cells. In time they bubble back, persistently itching, until they are poured out on the page."

In 2009, Kodak gave him up for grabs, and during the year off before he landed in his coveted new job with KB America, he had time to explore and reconnect with his environment. Little did he know that several trips to the Adirondack Mountains would reawaken his passion for that part of the country. Two new books were written in that timeframe, starting yet another mystery series, Tall Pines Mysteries. The first two books in the series are due out in the late 2011 early 2012 timeframe. Watch for FOR THE BIRDS and ESSENTIALLY YOURS, coming soon.

The author lives on a ridge overlooking the Genesee Valley in upstate New York with his wife, mother-in-law, two dogs, and cat. He finds grandfathering one of the most precious and important times of life, and spends as much time as possible with Julian, Gordon, Aiden, and Isabella.

Lazar maintains several websites and blogs, was the Gather Saturday Writing Essential host for three years, writes his monthly "Seedlings" columns for the Voice in the Dark literary journal and the Future Mystery Anthology Magazine. He has been published in Absolute Write as well as The Great Mystery and Suspense Magazine. See excerpts and reviews here:

www.legardemysteries.com
www.mooremysteries.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aplazar.gather.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

Contact him at [e-mail].


LEGARDE MYSTERIES
DOUBLE FORTE' (2004)
UPSTAGED (2005)
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (2007)
MAZURKA (2009)
FIRESONG (2011)

MOORE MYSTERIES
HEALEY'S CAVE (2010)
TERROR COMES KNOCKING (2011)
FOR KEEPS (2012)

TALL PINES MYSTERIES
FOR THE BIRDS (2011)
ESSENTIALLY YOURS (2012)


Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award - 2nd place 2011* Winner of Carolyn Howard Johnsons' 9th Annual Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editors Choice Awards 2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist * Yolanda Renee's Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008 * Writers' Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009 & 2010

www.legardemysteries.com
www.mooremysteries.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review by Thomas Fortenberry: "A very musical piece of literature", August 1, 2006

By 

Reviewer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Forte': A Gus LeGarde Mystery (Paperback)

Double Forté, the first of the Gus LeGarde series of mysteries written by Aaron Paul Lazar, is a chilling thriller. But this book is such a far cry from the cliché thrillers of today that it is almost the start of a new genre. This book is thriller, mystery, romance, and literature all at once. I could be done by saying it is just plain good writing, but that doesn't seem fair for a review. I cannot possibly do it justice, but I will attempt to convey some of the unique majesty of this book. However, I will not be able to mention many specifics of the plot for fear of giving it all away.

This book is set neatly in its own world, a beautiful valley in upstate New York. The world is that of Professor LeGarde, a classical musical instructor. Music informs every part of this novel, from his worldview to the other characters, the scenes and escalation of action, right down to the prose itself. This is a very musical piece of literature with a varied tempo depending upon the scene, its intensity, such as its romance or fear. A very lyrical read.

But, please do not misunderstand me. This is not a fantasy or whimsical bit of fluff. This is a very serious, very intense novel about real characters. Lazar does a fantastic job getting inside the minds and exploring the emotions that drive all the characters. The world is very solid and presented in such a complete way that you become a part of it. We understand these people and why everything in this book occurs. That is a very nice and rare trick for an author to pull.

Double Forté is a refreshing work of handcrafted beauty, even given its nail biting nature. Lazar has crafted an original character in LeGarde, one which I am very glad to learn has an entire series dedicated to him. I strongly recommend this book to all fans of James Patterson, Iris Johanson, and Mary Higgins Clark. You will not be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing, June 28, 2006

By 

Edward Hancock II "Edward Hancock II, Author ... (GILMER, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Forte': A Gus LeGarde Mystery (Paperback)

I've read Double Forte' and Upstaged and I'm gonna tell you they kept me extremely interested! I'm a tremendously slow reader but I finished these books quicker than I have finished a book in God knows how long. I kept reading well into the wee hours of the morning. I don't mean to be cliche' when I say I could not put the book down. I can hardly wait for the next one in the series!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Double Forte, July 6, 2005

By 

Anne K. Edwards "AKE" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Forte': A Gus LeGarde Mystery (Paperback)

Title: Double Forte

Author: Aaron Paul Lazar

Publisher: Publish America

ISBN: 1413728383

Genre: Mystery

Professor Gus LeGarde finds himself and his family involved in murder and missing persons after he and his brother-in-law Seigfried rescue a dog from a trap while they are skiing. When Gus goes looking for a telephone, he finds instead a mystery in an isolated cabin that results in danger to himself and his family.

Gus isn't one to leave things alone as he goes snooping back to that cabin and nearly gets himself killed. An escaped villain, a kidnapped child and threats follow, introducing chaos into his life.

Gus also has to contend with gentle Siegfreid being accused of murdering a missing lawyer who is (Harold) Gus' son-in-law's business partner. It doesn't help that Harold makes allegations against Siegfried as well. Is this to get even with Gus for his suspicions that Harold is cheating on his wife? Does the escaped villain have anything to do with the missing partner?

Lots of action and suspense in this tale by talented Aaron Paul Lazar. A fun read that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Recommended by this satisfied reader as a tale that will satisfy any mystery buff. Enjoy.