The Little Green Men Murders
Publish Date: July 1, 2024
Jim Guthrie is back. This time, Louisville’s contemporary Philip Marlowe must rescue a documentary filmmaker who has been kidnapped at the “Little Green Men Festival” in—wait for it—Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
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An excerpt from The Little Green Men Murders
A red neon sign in front read, “Red Nebula Inn,” and “No Vacancies.” Below that, a disclaimer: “Nobody around here was ever caught up in a tractor beam.” Probably not an agricultural equipment reference. The motel was neither stylishly retro nor charmingly nostalgic, just old. Matching bedspreads of little green men. A large wall poster depicted a burst of light crimson in the night sky.
“Don’t tell me, it’s a red nebula. I wonder if there’s one every room.”
“Maybe it was on sale,” Jessamine said.
I was in my car snoozing away until jarred awake by rhythmic rapping on my window. It was the motel manager telling me I couldn’t sleep in the parking lot. He sounded stilted as if English was not his native tongue. And then there were his ears. In the right place but oversized and pointy tipped exactly like Mr. Spock’s. I wondered if they were real. They looked real.
Review
“A finely written, propulsive novel that fans of contemporary mysteries are sure to enjoy.”
– Kirkus Reviews
Neumayer’s fast-paced mystery novel features a UFO theme and a beautiful Kentucky setting.
While fishing on the Ohio River, cash-starved private eye Jim Guthrie receives a panicked phone call from Jessamine Barrett Tilford, who begs him to help find her kidnapped husband, Travis. Jessamine, the daughter of a Kentucky senator, had been attending a rural, UFO-themed festival with her filmmaker husband when he was snatched from a parking lot.
(“Back in the 1950s, aliens in flying saucers supposedly visited a local farm. They’ve been celebrating it ever since.”) He’s now being held for $500,000 ransom. Having solved an earlier mystery for the Barretts, Guthrie takes the case but cautions the family that victims of kidnapping are rarely returned alive, even when the full ransom is paid. But there’s something odd and amateurish about these kidnappers, who take unnecessary chances and even negotiate over the ransom sum. As he investigates, Jim learns about a strange and sometimes comical UFO subculture in which festival attendees dress up as “little green men” and spin numberless conspiracies about government coverups. Could Travis have angered one of these devoted believers by making a film about the person’s obsession with some strange monoliths that appeared in 2020? The situation becomes more complex when Jim and Jessamine attempt to track the ransom money and discover that one of the kidnappers has been murdered, leaving no information about Travis’ whereabouts. Jim and Jessamine now have to decide how much information to share with the police, who are less interested in finding Travis alive than in establishing links between the kidnapping and local drug dealers.
This novel has a great deal going for it, chiefly its pacing. There’s no overly drawn-out introductory section in which the characters are introduced and the plot is established. Instead, readers are immediately enmeshed in the kidnapping drama and swept into the perilous quest to rescue the victim before time runs out. The book has little break in the action until the complex threads of the plot are fully revealed, and even then, last-minute details will keep readers guessing until the final page. The fast-paced plot doesn’t prevent the author from fleshing out the key characters, particularly Jim Guthrie and Jessamine Tilford, who interact effectively throughout the book despite their differences in age and personality. Neumayer avoids worn-out cliches in his characterizations of the two central figures, opting to highlight their working relationship under intense pressure rather than ginning up distracting romantic tension between them. The setting for this novel, rural Kentucky, is also an effective choice, as it places the story in an atmosphere readers will find intriguing for its somewhat alien and mysterious character. In one evocative passage, the author describes the roads as “lightly traveled, thinly populated, and deeply forested…like driving through a national forest during the off season—on a racetrack.” The presence of abandoned churches and bizarre religious sects only adds depth and interest to the plot.
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“Like Hotwalker, the first Jim Guthrie novel, author Rick Neumayer has his detective strip away layers of greed, fear, anger, and hatred in his attempt to gain control of a seemingly uncontrollable series of events. His primary task is to find Travis Tilford, Jessamine’s husband before his kidnappers kill him. It’s not clear whether he’ll succeed.
“Much of the action centers around Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in the southwestern part of the state where Jessamine’s mother was raised and where the ‘Little Green Man Festival’ is underway. The annual event honors the appearance of aliens at a nearby farmhouse in the 1950s, and draws thousands of people—skeptics, curiosity seekers, true believers, and troublemakers. Against this background, a mysterious monolith appears, setting off a series of events culminating in murder, kidnapping, danger, and mayhem. Will Guthrie sort it out? And at what cost?
“This ingenious thriller will grab your interest and won’t let go until the last shot is fired.”
– Bob Sachs, author of 56 published short stories -
Rick Neumayer's "The Little Green Men Murders" takes readers on a captivating journey through the intriguing world of rural Kentucky's UFO subculture. In this second standalone adventure featuring private investigator Jim Guthrie, Neumayer delivers a fast-paced mystery filled with humor, suspense, and unexpected twists.
Set against the backdrop of a quirky UFO-themed festival, the novel opens with Jim Guthrie receiving a frantic phone call from Jessamine Barrett Tilford, who pleads for his help in finding her kidnapped husband, Travis. As Jim dives into the investigation, he uncovers a world of conspiracy theories, amateurish kidnappers, and bizarre festival attendees dressed as "little green men." With a ransom demand of $500,000 looming over them, Jim and Jessamine must navigate through a web of danger and deception to rescue Travis before it's too late.
One of the novel's standout features is Neumayer's adept blend of humor and suspense. When someone mentions Guthrie’s skittishness around a particular dog, he quips to his readers, "Small wonder. Next to Cybil’s dog, the hound of the Baskervilles would pale. Her Irish wolfhound stood over seven feet tall on his hind legs, with a wiry gray coat, foot-long snout, and tennis ball-sized eyes." It's this combination of humor and vivid, apt descriptions that bring scenes to life in his audience’s imagination.
From clever banter to unexpected plot twists, Neumayer keeps readers enthralled and amused throughout the narrative. Despite the gravity of the situation, the interactions between characters, particularly Jim Guthrie and Jessamine Tilford, are infused with humor and warmth, enriching the depth of the story. There's a subtle undercurrent of sexual tension, yet Guthrie maintains a respectful distance and understands his boundaries.
Neumayer's writing style is both sharp and engaging, with a narrative that effortlessly flows from one scene to the next. The pacing is brisk, immersing readers in the heart of the mystery from the very first page and maintaining momentum until the final reveal. Each chapter is brimming with suspenseful moments and unforeseen revelations, ensuring that readers remain eagerly invested in the unfolding story. Neumayer's literary approach to storytelling elevates this book beyond mere entertainment, showcasing it as a work of literary merit.
Furthermore, Neumayer excels in creating bold and atmospheric settings. The rural landscape of Kentucky serves as more than just a backdrop; it becomes a character in its own right, with its abandoned churches, dense forests, and mysterious religious sects adding depth and intrigue to the plot. Neumayer's descriptive prose paints a lively picture of the setting, transporting readers to the heart of the action with every turn of the page.
Overall, "The Little Green Men Murders" is a finely crafted mystery that is sure to delight fans of the genre. With its compelling characters, clever plot twists, and unique setting, this novel is a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and entertaining read.
– Drema Drudge, author of the novels Kentucky Fried Woolf and Victorine