Product Description
When Jimmy Hoffa vanished over twenty years earlier, it couldnÂ’t possibly have anything to do with John and Shelby Russel. That is, until the FBI unearthed the body at their family cottage in Leelanau, Michigan.
Suddenly, drawn into circumstances as deep and dark as the hole where the decayed remains were found, they discover a thread of ironic logic that weaves through two generations; uncovering the horrible truth, the deception and secrets of JohnÂ’s father, and the evidence he left behind: an unwanted legacy that could get them killed.
Caught in a deadly struggle between two Mafia families, the Russels unravel a twenty year old conspiracy that reaches into the highest echelon of the TeamsterÂ’s union, and the command of the FBI itself.
About the Author
Born the only child of an unfulfilled dreamer and a blind, alcoholic mother, Werneken was eight when they divorced and his father married his kindergarten teacher. He spent the next ten years in the four, then three generation household of his maternal grandparents in a wealthy suburb of Detroit. From yacht clubs and Sunday brunch, much to his family's displeasure, he drifted into music, first as a songwriter, folk singer and guitarist in local bands, until at twenty he wound up recording his first album as a sideman with a moderately successful rock group. After a second album and several charted records, he moved on to form his own group, The Shakey Al Band, and signed a recording contract with RCA Records. This association led to a production deal with the label in Montreal and many disco projects. Unfortuately, the genre nearly put the music business out of business and Werneken found himself playing blues guitar at dives along the Cass Corridor in the Detroit ghetto, often earning less than fifteen dollars a night. To supplement his income he painted houses. "I've painted with some of the best musicians in Detroit," he jokes. But in his heart he was always a writer. "I thrive on the creative process. There's nothing like watching your idea become tangible. And nothing is more tangible than a book." After working as a recording engineer for film and video, he landed a job as a writer/producer at J. Walter Thompson advertising. Quickly ascending through the ranks, he ultimately held positions at both Young and Rubicam and BBDO as an officer and Creative Director, winning awards for his work in radio and television. He has since directed many television commercials, written and directed music videos, and written music for advertising and film. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, a BMI songwriter, and his membership is pending at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants (honest). After living is so many worlds, he admits, "There is something comforting about knowing you can survive forever on peanut butter and beer. It makes you fearless and eliminates excuses for not pursuing your passion. It gives you the freedom to try." He now lives with his wife and three children in the Boston area. DOIN' JIMMY is his first novel. He has completed his second, FIRST HILL, and is working on a third.
