Bill Percy

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About Bill Percy
Since 2012, when I left the practice of psychology, I’ve been writing and publishing novels in the “Monastery Valley” series. There are four novels so far—“Climbing the Coliseum, Book 1” (2014), “Nobody’s Safe Here,” Book 2 (2016), “The Bishop Burned the Lady,” Book 3 (2018), and most recently, "Standing Our Ground, Book 4 (2020). The first three books have won multiple awards ("Standing Our Ground" has just been released, so no awards yet), including "Climbing . . ." winning the prestigious “Finalist Award” in the 2014 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year competition, as well as being a "Distinguished Favorite" in The New York City Big Book competition. "Nobody's Safe Here" won both that award (NYC Big Book award) and the Independent Press Award, which "The Bishop Burned the Lady" won as well.
Here are some comments on the books:
About "The Bishop Burned the Lady" (released April 2018):
IndieReader Reviews Rating: four Stars – “IndieReader Approved”
Verdict: THE BISHOP BURNED THE LADY is a well written and entertaining book, and one which readers who like the quirks of aging gracefully tucked into their detective narratives will especially enjoy.
Andi is a local cop hitting middle age and feeling it. Ed is her psychiatrist boyfriend, who is looking into retirement and settling down, the latter part something that Andi isn’t too sure about. But their personal drama has to be placed on the back burner when Andi starts investigating an arson in the woods that seems to be connected to murder, sex trafficking and a shadowy cult that has been in the region for more than 100 years. When the investigation seems to be compromised, Andi finds herself under suspicion of conspiring with the cult, adding urgency to an already urgent investigation.
The first thing a reader might notice about THE BISHOP BURNED THE LADY is how smoothly it’s written. Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise. This is the third book in the “Monastery Valley” series, so writer Bill Percy knows how to paint pleasant descriptions of the setting and depictions of the cast. The dialogue especially is fairly organic, which leads the characters to be distinctive. The only complaint here is that a few of them are one-dimensional, but for the most part those characters are confined to the background. How readers take these characters will probably depend on what they are looking for in the book—grotesques like the unhelpfully aloof hermit Cassius Delbo or creature comforts like the Ladies’ Fishing Society.
The mystery is sufficiently intriguing, but be warned: THE BISHOP, despite its delightfully Raymond Chandler-esque title, is not particularly pulpy. However, mystery fans who prefer their whodunits in a cozier form than the old school hard-boiled will be pleased by the book’s attention to the home lives of its main characters, particularly the interplay between Andi, Ed and Ed’s adopted daughter Grace, as they navigate the bumps and scrapes of life transitions—be they aging, slowing down at work or entering adulthood and parenthood. More than its mystery, THE BISHOP’s strengths lie in its central characters figuring things out.
THE BISHOP BURNED THE LADY is a well written and entertaining book, and one which readers who like the quirks of aging gracefully tucked into their detective narratives will especially enjoy.
~Colin Newton for IndieReader
About “Nobody’s Safe Here”:
“One of the most exciting mystery novels in years. Jarringly gritty and grounded, Nobody’s Safe Here is a fresh take on what seem like tried-and-true situations. Unexpected plot twists and variations on procedurals will have readers excited to turn the page. . . . The dialogue is believable and a joy to read, the unusual mix of topics is relevant in the current state of America, and Bill’s colorful descriptions makes this remote city seem huge and vast. Anyone looking for a mystery novel that’s unlike anything on their bookshelves (digital or otherwise) needs to pick this one up.” (Editors, www.BestThrillers.com, 2014).
About “Climbing the Coliseum”:
Foreword's Book of the Year IndieFab Finalist
Big Book Award's Distinguished Favorite
"A light, breezy thriller, but its tale of a troubled man acting as a father to an equally troubled girl has exceptional dramatic impact." -Kirkus Reviews
"An engaging and uplifting tale, Climbing the Coliseum will appeal to mystery lovers who enjoy characters with depth." -Foreword Clarion Review
"...a wonder of humor and emotional depth." -Michael Hartnett, author of The Blue Rat
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Blog postI did not serve in the military during VietNam, but rather did alternative service on a psychiatric unit of a hospital in Minneapolis. Gutter talk by a certain president notwithstanding, I honor my friends and compatriots who did serve and do serve in the armed forces, and I’m outraged by the despicable nonsense the president spewed about the service members who have given so much for their country.
I’m reminded of the Gettysburg Address, which you’ll recall was to dedicate a portion2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe Columbia Study A study by Columbia University mathematicians estimated that if the United States had instituted aggressive shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements one week before they in fact started, as many as 36,000 lives could have been saved. Had the lockdown and social distancing order been given two weeks earlier, as many as 54,000 souls could still be alive.
A caveat: The estimates are based on dense mathematical formulae, and the study has not yet2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe loveliest Easter words For me, the loveliest words in the whole Catholic Easter vigil service come in the long opening proclamation, the Exultet. Those words, in Latin, are “O, felix culpa.” They translate in English as “Oh, happy fault.” Crucifixion, happy?
The point is, without Adam’s sin, the “happy fault,” there would be no crucifixion. And without crucifixion, there would be no resurrection.
Instead of attending Easter service last night, sheltering-in-place, we2 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhat’s in a name? The manuscript of my fifth novel in the Monastery Valley series is at the editor’s desk. It’s perhaps the ninth or tenth draft–I lose count after six or so–and it’s working title expresses the main story and sub-plots: The Posse, the Hotshots, and the Miracle. Without spoiling the story, I want to share how I came up with that title.
The first four books of the Monastery Valley Series . . . the fifth is in the works! Briefly, the main story of number 5, like all my2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe Question A couple of days ago, a friend wrote, “I’m 200 pages in!” (That is, she’s reading Standing Our Ground, the fourth book in my Monastery Valley Series of novels.) “It’s a page-turner! How do you do that?” Her question gave me an idea for this post.
Writers have rules for how to do it . . . I suppose there aren’t really rules that writers must follow–after all, any rule you could possibly name has been broken by wonderful writers. Take the often-proclaimed “rule” that “you2 years ago Read more -
Blog postHere we go . . . If today’s your first day at the blog, we’re celebrating tomorrow’s release of my fourth novel in the Monastery Valley series, Standing Our Ground. I’ve been sharing the opening scenes to give you a taste of the book. If you want to review scenes 1 & 2, they’re available in the previous two days’ posts.
You met Deputy Andi Pelton in scene 1, where she’s notified of “shots fired” in town. In scene 2, you watched Andi’s “step-girlfriend,” Grace Northrup (Ed’s adop2 years ago Read more -
Blog postHere comes scene 2! I sincerely hope you felt something at the end of scene 1—a question, a sense of something immanent, perhaps curiosity about Deputy Andi Pelton—and even a sense of something not so good about to make Andi’s evening anything but boring. If not, my goal for the first scene wasn’t met.
But it’s short, and scene 2 introduces two of the other recurring main characters in this series: Ed Northrup, Andi’s life partner, and Grace Northrup, Ed’s adopted daughter who2 years ago Read more -
Blog postRelease Day is January 23rd! I’m excited that my publisher, Black Rose Writing, will release my new novel, Standing Our Ground, this week–Thursday, in fact, January 23rd. To celebrate, I’d like to share with you, over the next three days, the first three scenes of the novel, one each day. They will be brief, so … Continue reading "Celebrating the release of “Standing Our Ground”: Scene 1"2 years ago Read more
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Blog postHow I Think about Marketing—First, what do I want to do? I’m a psychologist and a novelist; I’m not a natural marketer. But I have skills from my teaching and consulting days that come in handy. For example, I love talking to groups, so a natural marketing activity is giving book readings and talks at bookstores and libraries. I generally limit my geographical reach to the Pacific Northwest, eastern Washington, north Idaho, and southwestern Montana, so travel by car is realistic, affordable,2 years ago Read more
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Blog postA Series of Blog Posts Leading to Release Day On January 23, 2020, my publisher, Black Rose Writing, will release Book 4 in my Monastery Valley series, Standing Our Ground. Here’s a short blurb from the back cover:
A cold-blooded murder. The victim: a fourteen-year-old boy. The shooter waits patiently for the cops and calmly explains his right to kill the boy. “I was defending my property.” Can Deputy Andi Pelton find the evidence to break the killer’s stand-your-ground def2 years ago Read more
Titles By Bill Percy
Foreword's Book of the Year IndieFab Finalist
"An engaging and uplifting tale, Climbing the Coliseum will appeal to mystery lovers who enjoy characters with depth." -Foreword Clarion Review
He's teetering on the edge of suicide. She's a reminder of his tragic mistake. Forced together by a dark puzzle, can they become each other's savior?
Ed Northrup is overwhelmed by quiet despair. Still dealing with the fallout from a heartbreaking case, the despondent psychologist contemplates ending it all. But his constant stream of tortured thoughts take second place when his ex-wife drops off her angry teenage daughter in his care... and then vanishes.
Floundering in the face of the fourteen-year-old's sullen resentment, Ed discovers an ally in a recently arrived deputy sheriff to help him track down the girl's missing mother. But with the troubled teen raising the specter of his greatest failure as a therapist, he fears any attempt at atonement will only result in tragedy.
Can Ed master his own misgivings and help a damaged young woman find a way forward?
Climbing the Coliseum is the tense first book in the Monastery Valley series of character-driven mysteries. If you like haunted protagonists, rich prose, and stories filled with hope, then you'll love Bill Percy's bittersweet tale.
"...an excellent book, very well-written, with detailed character development." –Strong Reviews
When cattle baron Magnus Anderssen collapses mentally, psychologist Ed Northrup struggles to find the cause - a terrible event buried in Magnus's past leaving him veering between suicide and murder. Meanwhile, Deputies Andi Pelton and Brad Ordrew clash as they investigate Jared Hansen, a boy caught with rifles and a paranoid plan to kill his schoolmates. Their problem? Jared, a great kid, a school leader, has no previous problems. Ordrew’s convinced Jared’s a mass shooter-in-waiting, but Andi’s not. Ed joins their search for whatever caused his radical transformation from great kid to psychotic killer. It’s a race against time: Magnus grows more irrational and homicidal, Jared's insanity may not be controlled before it’s too late, and Ed’s risky plan to save the boy may destroy his relationship with Andi. Nobody’s Safe Here, a psychological thriller, tells the story of a community of ordinary, decent people facing terrifying mysteries.
"Mystery fans who prefer their whodunits in a cozier form than the old school hard-boiled will be pleased." –IndieReader Approved
A mysterious fire in a remote forest clearing; a woman's charred bones; unexplained tracks in the rutted road—the only clues Deputy Andi Pelton has to what happened. Then she meets an old man living alone in a forest compound that obviously houses many people. Sex trafficking in the Montana wilderness? As Andi and psychologist Ed Northrup struggle to solve the brutal and fiery murder, Andi faces a fear she didn’t know she had. The horrors they unearth lead them deep into the appalling reality of prison gangs and a cult led by a malign Bishop—and threaten to overwhelm Andi and Ed’s romance and her growing bond with her “step-girlfriend,” Ed’s adopted daughter, Grace. Will that center hold when Andi finds the killer holding a knife against her throat? And if it does and she succeeds, will she be able to face her greater fear?
Book Excellence Awards 2020 Finalist - Political Thriller
"Percy juggles both plotlines effectively while addressing important social issues." –Publisher's Weekly
A cold-blooded murder. The victim: a fourteen-year-old boy. The shooter waits patiently for the cops and calmly explains his right to kill the boy. “I was defending my property.” Can Deputy Andi Pelton find the evidence to break through the killer’s stand-your-ground defense? Suddenly, Sheriff Ben Stewart almost dies and cannot campaign for re-election. Andi knows she has to take his place—her nemesis, Deputy Brad Ordrew, runs unopposed and he’s promised to fire her when he’s sheriff. Can she stand her own ground to stay in Monastery Valley while she tries to solve the murder and defends herself against scurrilous political ads paid for by a mysterious stranger?
The hottest Montana summer on record. Tempers fray, cattle suffer. Heavily armed protesters, vowing to "take back federal lands for the people," occupy and fortify a summer pasture belonging to the Bureau of Land Management, naming it Freedom Camp. Deputy Andi Pelton and Sheriff Ordrew must deal with these men, whose fury only mounts.
When he arrests the leader, Sheriff Ordrew is shot, and Andi assumes command of the negotiations. Two FBI agents-to whom the protesters refuse to speak-help her, alongside her psychologist husband Ed, who conducts the actual negotiations. They struggle to resolve the bitter standoff before it is drenched in blood and violence. Amid this battle, wildfire strikes Mt. Adams, threatening a cherished landmark. As the fire engulfs the precious site, hell breaks loose at the protest-and Andi must solve them both.
Foreword's "Book of the Year" IndieFab Finalist
Big Book Award's Distinguised Favorite
Book Excellence Awards Finalist
"Percy juggles both plotlines effectively while addressing important social issues." –Publisher's Weekly
***This box set includes the first four mysteries in the Monastery Valley Series. Book #5, The Fury Before the Fire, releases January 28, 2021.
CLIMBING THE COLISEUM (Book 1)
It’s the rugged Monastery Valley of Montana. High on the cliff called the Coliseum stands a man, deciding whether to live or die. In the valley below, Grace Ellonson, fourteen, will be abandoned by her mother. Where has Grace’s mother gone, and why has she left her daughter behind? A rancher will be seduced into a racist and anti-government conspiracy—who’s leading the conspiracy and what are his plans? Depressed psychologist Ed Northrup and Monastery Valley newcomer deputy sheriff Andi Pelton struggle to unravel these mysteries before they explode in a violent collision. And amid the chaos, Ed, Andi, and Grace must face the most formidable decision of their lives.
NOBODY'S SAFE HERE (Book 2)
When cattle baron Magnus Anderssen collapses mentally, psychologist Ed Northrup struggles to find the cause - a terrible event buried in Magnus's past leaving him veering between suicide and murder. Meanwhile, Deputies Andi Pelton and Brad Ordrew clash as they investigate Jared Hansen, a boy caught with rifles and a paranoid plan to kill his schoolmates. Their problem? Jared, a great kid, a school leader, has no previous problems. Ordrew’s convinced Jared’s a mass shooter-in-waiting, but Andi’s not. Ed joins their search for whatever caused his radical transformation from great kid to psychotic killer. It’s a race against time: Magnus grows more irrational and homicidal, Jared's insanity may not be controlled before it’s too late, and Ed’s risky plan to save the boy may destroy his relationship with Andi. Nobody’s Safe Here, a psychological thriller, tells the story of a community of ordinary, decent people facing terrifying mysteries.
THE BISHOP BURNED THE LADY (Book 3)
A mysterious fire in a remote forest clearing; a woman's charred bones; unexplained tracks in the rutted road—the only clues Deputy Andi Pelton has to what happened. Then she meets an old man living alone in a forest compound that obviously houses many people. Sex trafficking in the Montana wilderness? As Andi and psychologist Ed Northrup struggle to solve the brutal and fiery murder, Andi faces a fear she didn’t know she had. The horrors they unearth lead them deep into the appalling reality of prison gangs and a cult led by a malign Bishop—and threaten to overwhelm Andi and Ed’s romance and her growing bond with her “step-girlfriend,” Ed’s adopted daughter, Grace. Will that center hold when Andi finds the killer holding a knife against her throat? And if it does and she succeeds, will she be able to face her greater fear?
STANDING OUR GROUND (Book 4)
A cold-blooded murder. The victim: a fourteen-year-old boy. The shooter waits patiently for the cops and calmly explains his right to kill the boy. “I was defending my property.