Thrillers with a Dash of Whimsy

The Accidental Spy: Books by David Gardner

The Accidental Spy
(Encircle Publications, LLC.).

The Accidental Spy

Harvey Hudson is an emotionally scarred and unworldly history professor who has lost his job, his wife and his self-respect. Unable to find another teaching position and broke because he supports his widowed mother, Harvey in desperation takes a high-tech job for which he soon discovers he is hilariously unqualified.

So he outsources it to India.

That works out fine until Harvey discovers that a Russian intelligence agency owns the outsourcing company and that they are using him for a planned cyberattack on the U.S.

Harvey finds himself in a world of trouble. The FBI and the Russians have put the squeeze on him, and he’s fallen in love with the beautiful woman from New Delhi to whom he’s outsourced his job and who may or may not be a Russian agent.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian: Books by David Gardner

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian
(Encircle Publications, LLC.).

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian

Desperate to salvage his teaching career, Professor Lenny Thorson seizes the opportunity to document the Skalwegian language with Charlie Fox, its last living speaker. Or so he says.

If Charlie can convince a judge that he’s the last speaker of Skalwegian, he’ll inherit a mineral-rich island off the coast of Norway, which he plans to give to charity. If Charlie fails, the island will go to a mobster and his wife. 

When Lenny learns that Charlie isn’t quite who he says he is, he faces a dilemma: Should he blow the whistle on Charlie, or should he break the law and stay with the project?

Lenny chooses the latter, and he subsequently loses his job and his girlfriend, becomes the unsuspecting object of several grotesquely unsuccessful attempts to kill him, and ends up fighting for his life as a reenactor in an uproariously inaccurate Revolutionary War battle

“…rollicking adventure…” – Kirkus Review

”This book was hilarious from the first page.” Amazon review by SR.

“It deserves a reading. I chortled at every page.” Amazon review, Laura Salazar.

The Jounalist: Books by David Gardner

The Journalist: A Whimsical Thriller
(Encircle Publications, LLC.).

The Journalist

If Jeff can’t save his ghostly ancestors from disappearing, so will he.

Writing for a cheesy Boston tabloid, Jeff Beekle fabricates a whimsical tale about a mob-built CIA prison for ghosts.

Which turns out to be true.

Now both the mob and the CIA have Jeff in their sights.

Even worse, Jeff discovers that his great-grandmother is an inmate and that she and the other spectral residents are being groomed as CIA spies. (And why not? They’re invisible, draw no salary, and won’t hop into bed with enemy agents.)

To his horror, Jeff learns that ancestors held too long in earthly captivity will vanish as if never born, taking with them all their descendants, including him.

Can Jeff outwit the mob and the CIA, free his ghostly ancestors, destroy the prison and save himself?

Encircle Publications. (encirclepub.com)

“This was a unique blend of paranormal action and mystery, and it really works for me.” – rozierreadsandwine

“Rarely does a paranormal novel combine the best elements of a thriller with a puckish sense of the absurd.” – Arlene Kay, author of Death by Dog Show; Homicide by Horseshoe; and Murder at the Falls

I love this book. It has so much going on and doesn’t seem like it should work but it totally does. The main cadre of characters (living and ghostly) are well written and a true treat to read. I loved the plot and how all various threads came together at the end. ” – Books with Bircky
(I strongly recommend that you buy two copies in case you misplace one.)

David Gardner

David Gardner grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, served in Army Special Forces and earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught college, worked as a reporter and sold women’s shoes.

He coauthored three programming books for Prentice Hall, wrote dozens of travel articles as well as too many mind-numbing computer manuals.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Nancy, also a writer. He hikes, bikes, messes with astrophotography and plays the keyboard with no discernible talent whatsoever.