The Jericho Flower: A Hackshaw Mystery [Paperback]

Stephen Wilcox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2002

Returning for his fourth misadventure, small-town newspaperman and social gadfly Elias Hackshaw finds himself immersed in a mystery involving a dead con man and a missing gypsy princess with the improbable name of Bimbo Wanka.Through no fault of his ownwell, almost noneHack becomes a suspect in the case when the cops mistakenly conclude that he was an acquaintance of the murdered con artist. Meanwhile, Bimbo's parents turn up on Hack's doorstep demanding he turn over their missing daughter, or face a gypsy curse. To add to the mayhem, a local industrialist is badgering Hackshaw to oversee a major renovation to his monstrosity of a house, and Hack's sister Ruth is hectoring him to forget everything else and see to his duties as editor of The Triton Advertiser.Trapped by circumstance, Hack begins poking into things and soon discovers a circus assortment of off-beat characters: gypsies in cowboy hats, a con man with a conscience, a sheriff's investigator without a heartor a brainham-fisted townies, and much, much more. Only a strong survival instinct, and his usual portion of dumb luck, can save Hackshaw this time around.Wilcox spins an entertaining yarn of murder and mayhemWith a credible plot and eccentric characters that adroitly avoid being mere caricatures, Wilcox offers a semi-cozy mysteryuncloying, clever and far from brutal.Publishers Weekly Wilcox is an absolutely first-rate writerThe Jericho Flower is a well-crafted, imaginative tale that this reader wished could go on for much longer. It's a great readMidwest Book Review The Jericho Flower is a surprising, deep, amusing, and character driven mystery that will keep you on your toesIt's a mystery that keeps you hanging until the very end, an unlikely hero who will keep you laughing, and a full range of characters that op

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I've been tripped up too often by numbskulls with no more going for them than a position of authority and dumb luck," sighs hapless Elias "Hack" Hackshaw, the wisecracking smalltown upstate New York newspaper editor with a complicated love life and an instinct for blundering into mayhem. Stephen F. Wilcox's The Jericho Flower: A Hackshaw Mystery, the fourth in the series, finds Hack a suspect in two crimes he didn't commit: the murder of a local con man and the kidnapping of gypsy princess Bimbo Wanka. Needless to say, things only get much hairier and funnier from there.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Stephen F. Wilcox, a former newspaper reporter, lives with his wife and son in a small town along the Erie Canal near Rochester, NY. To learn more, visit his online newspaper, The Wilcox Gazette, at stephenfwilcox.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse Star; Ex-Library edition (January 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595215092
• ISBN-13: 978-0595215096
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,305,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hack is Back !!, October 25, 2002

By 

"frodo1225" (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jericho Flower: A Hackshaw Mystery (Paperback)

After what seems like a long hiatus, writer Stephen Wilcox has finally released a new murder mystery centered around his popular character Elias Hackshaw. The character of Hackshaw, a struggling newspaper reporter who somehow manages to get directly involved in each murder he reports, once again captivates readers as he bumbles through this new tale of murder in the small Upstate New York community of "Kirkville".

Irreverent, sarcastic and just plain nosy probably best describe Elias Hackshaw as he tries to find out the true story behind a suspicious car accident out on a country road outside the town of Kirkville. As he peels back the layers of facts surrounding the accident, Hackshaw realizes that there is much more to this story than what appears on the surface. Little by little, author Stephen Wilcox releases key facts behind the car accident that show it to actually be murder in disguise. The big question about who actually committed the murder takes a while to be answered as the plot twists back and forth as the story unfolds. All I will reveal in this review is that the butler is innocent in this case !!

Wilcox's writing style has a natural flow to it that makes this an easy read. I highly recommend this book for fall or winter reading by the fireplace. It just seems like an appropriate setting for taking in this intriguing mystery that has so much humor intermixed in it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murderous plots, quick wit, and rapacious humor, September 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jericho Flower: A Hackshaw Mystery (Paperback)

A former newspaperman, Stephen F. Wilcox now runs an online newspaper, The Wilcox Gazette. His prior novels, The Twenty-Acre Plot and The Painted Lady, drew rave reviews from the likes the the San Francisco Chronicle and Publishers Weekly. Niagra Fall precedes The Jericho Flower, and all books seethe with murderous plots, quick wit, and rapacious humor.

Elias Hackshaw has a talent for stumbling onto murder. In this fourth installment, he happens upon a dead con man, a missing gypsy princess (named Bimbo Wanka, which brings to mind a picture of Gene Wilder, crazy-eyed and ranting in the chocolate factory), a former high school crush, a jealous cop, and his own unique perspective to ensnare himself in the middle of what at first appears to be the "offing" of a cold-hearted con artist. Elias keeps digging at the story, in part to free himself from beatings from Bimbo's overzealous brothers, and in part because that it's what he does best:

"But all my nocturnal cogitating hadn't factored in a role for the Koons and, frankly, I didn't see where they could possibly fit into the picture. The Koons in cahoots with the Hemfords? It would make for the oddest of odd couples, the uptight, overachieving, image-conscious Koons and the profane, slothful, lowlife Hemfords. I mean, picture Ozzie and Harriet playing bridge with Bonnie and Clyde.

Wilcox is an absolutely first-rate writer, with enough picturesque metaphors to make up for the brawn he assures the reader he lacks. He does have quite an active libido, which makes for some strange bedfellows as he embellishes his already multi-faceted, character-laden tale with his own foibles as he stumbles towards a raucous, followed by a serious, denouement. Suffice to say Hackshaw emerges with his sense of humor intact; immensely satisfied with his own devilish methods of revenge and detective work. The Jericho Flower is a well-crafted, imaginative tale that this reader wished could go on for much longer. It's a great read, and Wilcox deserves acclaim and kudos festooned with big sales for this delicious story.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Jericho Flower, June 10, 2002

By 

Sue Hartigan (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jericho Flower: A Hackshaw Mystery (Paperback)

Remember, it all started because Elias had a touch of greed. Elias
Hackshaw, a small town reporter, antagonist to local law
enforcement, and a man with a penchant trouble, had gotten himself in deep
this time around.
A swindler is dead, and the Sheriff wants to believe he's involved,
because, of course, Elias bought a few of the victims items on the
side from the towman who brought in the victims car. The towman, of
course, was more than happy to relate Elias knowledge of how
the items worked and what the could possibly relate to. This begins an
adventure Elias is sure he would have preferred to sit out.
A gypsy princess is missing, and her more than dangerous father, is
certain Elias knows where to find her. Pain is involved, and Elias,
much to his own disgust, finds himself now searching out the beautiful, if
more than dishonest young lady determined to hide from her
family.
And if that wasn't enough, someone also wants to make certain while
investigating the swindlers death, and the gypsy's
disappearance, that Elias doesn't learn the secrets they're keeping.
The Jericho Flower is a surprising deep, amusing, and character driven
mystery that will keep you on your toes, and keep you shaking
your head at the predicment Hackshaw has managed to get himself into.
Throughout the story, narrated by Hackshaw himself, you glimpse a man,
more than aware of his unlucky habit of finding trouble, and
his own confusion as to how he does it.
It's a mystery that keeps you hanging until the very end, an unlikely hero
who will keep you laughing, and a full range of characters that
opens you up to small time life, and all its inherent problems, solutions, and
support networks.
Throughout The Jericho Flower, I was amazed at Mr. Wilcox thorough
grip of his characters. The plot was strong, moving
progressively forward, and always interesting.
If you're looking for a soft mystery, one that will both amuse and tempt
you, then this is the story for you.
31/2 daggers to a most involved, and amusing mystery from this very
talented author.
Reviewed by Shadoe Simmons, All About Murder Reviews