All that State Police Sr. Investigator Dennis Girard wants to do is solve a smuggling case and then retire from a career that has recently been lackluster. Instead, he is killed by his quarry, and enters the world of near-death experiences. Eventually returned to duty, he must cope with visions, voices and spiritual experiences. Suddenly, the end of his career in 2008 is filled with a desperate attempt to catch devious strangers who, it appears, want to kill former President George H.W. Bush. Two explosive endings to a tale that spans Quebec and the northeastern U.S. A strong spiritual undercurrent.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
David Pitkin has created a sensational story about NY State Police Sr. Investigator Dennis Girard, nearly washed up at the end of career. Girard is killed on a stake out, then led into a world of strange powers previously unknown to him. Will his changed personality enable him to successfully conclude his police career and a spiritual search for truth? --John H. Briant, NY State Police, Retired, Author of
Pitkin has composed an interesting and exciting drama that should be developed into a movie! --Wayne E. Beyea, NY State Police, Retired, Author of Fatal Impeachment and Reflections From The Shield
Review by a Reader Meet New York State Police Senior Investigator Dennis Girard. He's a self-described loser. A divorced, nicotine addicted boozer and dangerously close to burn out on his job. Just when he (and we the readers) thinks he can sink no farther he breaks yet another cardinal rule of the State Police and manages to get himself killed. Now the story gets interesting as our unlikely hero comes back to life with a serious mission to complete and unwanted help from the "other side beyond the light" to accomplish it. We ride shotgun with Girard as he travels the Adirondacks on his quest. Along the way we meet Native Americans, Adirondack natives and born killers as well as terrorists with long memories and serious intentions. We travel from Chestertown to Port Henry, Plattsburgh and Montreal and from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation to Potsdam, North Creek and Ticonderoga. The mission is to stop a diabolical plot with serious consequences. As you take the speedboat ride of your life towards the finale perhaps it will have you asking the same question as me of Author Pitkin, "When and what will Dennis Girard be doing next?". This is a great read for all mystery lovers and especially for the Adirondack dreamer in all of us. (c) Review by Jack Armstrong, Proprietor, Northwoods Bookshop --A Reader
Insights on the transformation of your character are compelling--I couldn't put the book down--such a riveting experience! There are thousands of cop stories and murder mysteries out there, but yours if the first dealing with other dimensions.... --Monica Randall, author of 'Winfield'
Review by a Reader Meet New York State Police Senior Investigator Dennis Girard. He's a self-described loser. A divorced, nicotine addicted boozer and dangerously close to burn out on his job. Just when he (and we the readers) thinks he can sink no farther he breaks yet another cardinal rule of the State Police and manages to get himself killed. Now the story gets interesting as our unlikely hero comes back to life with a serious mission to complete and unwanted help from the "other side beyond the light" to accomplish it. We ride shotgun with Girard as he travels the Adirondacks on his quest. Along the way we meet Native Americans, Adirondack natives and born killers as well as terrorists with long memories and serious intentions. We travel from Chestertown to Port Henry, Plattsburgh and Montreal and from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation to Potsdam, North Creek and Ticonderoga. The mission is to stop a diabolical plot with serious consequences. As you take the speedboat ride of your life towards the finale perhaps it will have you asking the same question as me of Author Pitkin, "When and what will Dennis Girard be doing next?". This is a great read for all mystery lovers and especially for the Adirondack dreamer in all of us. (c) Review by Jack Armstrong, Proprietor, Northwoods Bookshop --A Reader
Pitkin has composed an interesting and exciting drama that should be developed into a movie! --Wayne E. Beyea, NY State Police, Retired, Author of Fatal Impeachment and Reflections From The Shield
Review by a Reader Meet New York State Police Senior Investigator Dennis Girard. He's a self-described loser. A divorced, nicotine addicted boozer and dangerously close to burn out on his job. Just when he (and we the readers) thinks he can sink no farther he breaks yet another cardinal rule of the State Police and manages to get himself killed. Now the story gets interesting as our unlikely hero comes back to life with a serious mission to complete and unwanted help from the "other side beyond the light" to accomplish it. We ride shotgun with Girard as he travels the Adirondacks on his quest. Along the way we meet Native Americans, Adirondack natives and born killers as well as terrorists with long memories and serious intentions. We travel from Chestertown to Port Henry, Plattsburgh and Montreal and from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation to Potsdam, North Creek and Ticonderoga. The mission is to stop a diabolical plot with serious consequences. As you take the speedboat ride of your life towards the finale perhaps it will have you asking the same question as me of Author Pitkin, "When and what will Dennis Girard be doing next?". This is a great read for all mystery lovers and especially for the Adirondack dreamer in all of us. (c) Review by Jack Armstrong, Proprietor, Northwoods Bookshop --A Reader
Insights on the transformation of your character are compelling--I couldn't put the book down--such a riveting experience! There are thousands of cop stories and murder mysteries out there, but yours if the first dealing with other dimensions.... --Monica Randall, author of 'Winfield'
Review by a Reader Meet New York State Police Senior Investigator Dennis Girard. He's a self-described loser. A divorced, nicotine addicted boozer and dangerously close to burn out on his job. Just when he (and we the readers) thinks he can sink no farther he breaks yet another cardinal rule of the State Police and manages to get himself killed. Now the story gets interesting as our unlikely hero comes back to life with a serious mission to complete and unwanted help from the "other side beyond the light" to accomplish it. We ride shotgun with Girard as he travels the Adirondacks on his quest. Along the way we meet Native Americans, Adirondack natives and born killers as well as terrorists with long memories and serious intentions. We travel from Chestertown to Port Henry, Plattsburgh and Montreal and from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation to Potsdam, North Creek and Ticonderoga. The mission is to stop a diabolical plot with serious consequences. As you take the speedboat ride of your life towards the finale perhaps it will have you asking the same question as me of Author Pitkin, "When and what will Dennis Girard be doing next?". This is a great read for all mystery lovers and especially for the Adirondack dreamer in all of us. (c) Review by Jack Armstrong, Proprietor, Northwoods Bookshop --A Reader
About the Author
Retired history teacher David Pitkin has always been fascinated by unexplainable events. His personal experiences have taken him into a lifelong study of metaphysics, including his own spiritual study. A professional numerologist for 25 years, he has used his degree in Counseling Psychology to aid others in their spiritual search, and has served as a facilitator of dream study for 11 years. He is regularly interviewed on television and radio throughout the nation, especially at Halloween, as he has authored four books of true ghost stories. His path has also taken him into many situations that involve overcoming fear. The motivation for this book arose in 1988, when Pitkin attended a Spiritual Frontiers lecture by Tom Sawyer, a Rochester-area laborer who had died underneath a fallen truck 20 years before. After a half-hour of clinical death, Sawyer revived to a brand-new lifestyle. Four years later, Pitkin met Don Cherry, a retired District of Columbia detective who discovered his own psychic talents. The author wondered for many years what would happen if the two men were combined. The Highest Mountain is the result of his exploration.
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More About the Author
Biography for David J. Pitkin
Following a first experience with a ghost in 1968, retired teacher and author David J. Pitkin has sought understanding of the mysteries surrounding life and death. In the process, he has written 8 books, beginning with Saratoga County Ghosts in 1998. Fascinated with the unconscious mind and on evidence for consciousness surviving body death, he published his first metaphysical novel, The Highest Mountain, in 2007. He also has completed two books of New York State ghost stories, and one detailing over 200 tales in the northeast US and Canada. In the process, he has interviewed over 1,500 people, whose stories make up his fascinating rendition of ghost stories. "My motto is: enlighten, don't frighten," he states. He recently completed and published New England Ghosts.
Conducting investigations for thirty-five years at many reputedly haunted sites in New York State, the New England states and Canada, he has become a philosopher lecturing on death and its aftermath. A resident of Chestertown, NY, Pitkin lectures widely on parapsychology and metaphysical themes, including ghost stories.
He studied dream analysis with Dr. Montague Ullman and facilitated a dream study group for eleven years. Pitkin believes many dreams of the departed are genuine ghost or spirit contacts. He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Social Studies Education from S.U.N.Y., Albany, and a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Goddard College, Plainfield, VT. He is also a professional numerologist.
Following a first experience with a ghost in 1968, retired teacher and author David J. Pitkin has sought understanding of the mysteries surrounding life and death. In the process, he has written 8 books, beginning with Saratoga County Ghosts in 1998. Fascinated with the unconscious mind and on evidence for consciousness surviving body death, he published his first metaphysical novel, The Highest Mountain, in 2007. He also has completed two books of New York State ghost stories, and one detailing over 200 tales in the northeast US and Canada. In the process, he has interviewed over 1,500 people, whose stories make up his fascinating rendition of ghost stories. "My motto is: enlighten, don't frighten," he states. He recently completed and published New England Ghosts.
Conducting investigations for thirty-five years at many reputedly haunted sites in New York State, the New England states and Canada, he has become a philosopher lecturing on death and its aftermath. A resident of Chestertown, NY, Pitkin lectures widely on parapsychology and metaphysical themes, including ghost stories.
He studied dream analysis with Dr. Montague Ullman and facilitated a dream study group for eleven years. Pitkin believes many dreams of the departed are genuine ghost or spirit contacts. He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Social Studies Education from S.U.N.Y., Albany, and a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Goddard College, Plainfield, VT. He is also a professional numerologist.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mountain Mystery Extraordinaire,
By Rupert Pratt "Author of Touching the Ancient ... (Glenville, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Highest Mountain: Death & Life in the Adirondacks (Paperback)
The Adirondack Park covers a huge area of Northern New York, larger even than some states. Interspersed among the mountains and high peaks are numerous villages, unique for their tranquil locations and hardy people. Into this setting author David J. Pitkin has placed his main character, New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Sr. Investigator Dennis Girard. "The Highest Mountain: Death and Life in the Adirondacks," is a compelling mystery with numerous well-fleshed-out characters. It encompasses the entire Adirondack region, expands to several surrounding states, and even takes on an international flair. As one who knows the region well, I am impressed not only by Pitkin's extensive geographical knowledge, but also for his ability to weave it so masterfully into the story fabric. The mystery itself is absorbing enough, but the setting gives it a feel of "place."In Girard, Pitkin has created a character who resonates with humanness. Inspector Girard is a searcher after truth, although in the beginning he doesn't recognize that. It takes an experience of being brought back from the dead to get his attention, then a series of physic events to chisel through his hardheadedness. Often profane, always analytical, Girard struggles not only to solve the mundane problems of his own life, but also to understand and accept the help he is receiving from his guardian angel, his long-dead brother, and ghosts that place themselves in his way to see that he gets it right. Tension is created in this character whose career has been built on "just the facts, Ma'am," as he has to accept that there may be more to life than just facts. This book is full of surprises; things are often not what they seem. The author is one of the country's premier ghost story researchers, having written four books on the subject. This is his first novel, and that researcher mentality is evidenced by the care with which he describes places and events One would think that he was himself in law enforcement, so accurately does he describe the hierarchy and day-to-day activities of the New York State Police. Pitkin's philosophical ideas and spiritual beliefs are evident throughout, but the book is first a mystery--and a good one. Nevertheless, this intriguing mix of genres will also have great appeal to spiritual searchers and those interested in metaphysics. "The Highest Mountain" is chock full of metaphors about the universality of life and love, some subtle, most plain and uncomplicated. An interesting example of mountain symbology is this excerpt from page 164 where a sage is telling Girard about seeing a photograph of a Buddhist shrine on Mt. Fuji that had numerous trails winding up to it from the valley below: " . . . the goal of all pilgrims is a summit, the same summit, but not all pilgrims can follow the same trail. Each must follow the one that leads him or her higher. And if we love another person, we must allow them to take their unique path, too, even if it isn't ours." I really enjoyed this first novel by author David J. Pitkin, and hope to see more. I think that I will not soon forget Sr. Investigator Dennis Girard.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Highest Mountain,
By
This review is from: The Highest Mountain: Death & Life in the Adirondacks (Paperback)
I was worried about this book because David is a VERY GOOD non-fiction writer, but like Carl Sagan writing CONTACT, he is also a VERY GOOD fiction writer. He is a Storyteller of the highest degree. His tale takes place in his beloved Upstate New York, but it could be written about all of the rural upstates and downstates in the country. He weaves his knowledge about the area, history, and the paranormal into a wonderful tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you David.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good Long Weekend Read,
By
This review is from: The Highest Mountain: Death & Life in the Adirondacks (Paperback)
In The Highest Mountain, Mr. Pitkin takes a sharp turn to fiction in this not too unique, yet very well told, story of a washed up Cop learning life's lessons with the help of a little "death" in the mix. While I am well used to Mr. Pitkin's non fiction style of writing, I have to admit it was weird getting used to his new style of writing. I must say, however, I found myself enjoying the story greatly. As the story unfolded, I almost felt as though I was reading a Stephen King Novel, as Mr. Pitkin's style is very similar to the well known master of horror. I think Mr. Pitkin has found a new niche, though I hope he does not abandon the non fiction genre all together. I highly recommend "The Highest Mountain", just find a nice long weekend, curl up on the sofa, and enjoy!
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