Private Investigator Michael "Mickey" Ross is again on the move in the third book of this trilogy and many people have told me it is the best of the three books. The Golden Jackal is a story about a hanging, a homosexual encounter, a search for Ravine and a serial killer. During this episode Ross is drawn into a series of investigations one of which is a hanging in the small town where he lives and works. His friend Ely Crosby asked Ross for his help to find the murderer of his son's lover and a juror seeks his help to stop a serial killers advances. Ross renews and solidifies his relationship with, SAIC Dan Sheppard of the FBI. Mickey is also approached by an old broken down Viet Nam chopper pilot who is suffering the after effects of Agent Orange. The pilot has with him a deteriorated old book half typed and half written in pencil. The book was left to his family by his grandfather. The cover was held together with rubber bands and the text had various quotes in it that lead nowhere, until, they started following a direct quote from the Bible in their search for Ravine. Mickey's friends, family and team attempted to decipher what the words meant and this leads to an adventure in upstate New York. While this series of events is taking place Ross continues in his new lifestyle as part of the rich and famous. The Golden Jackal is an action packed story that brings back to Ross memories of his active military days where as a chopper pilot in Nam he was called by Charlie, the Golden Jackal. Michael "Mickey" Ross is a fictional character that I created within the scheme of my imagination. Although he is fictional I have gently infused many of my life's real experiences into the soul of this imaginary character. Like the fictional character Ross, I spend my time in New York, the Hamptons, and along the Treasure Coast of Florida. Ross was literally totally retired and had more than enough money but he found more satisfaction doing P.I. investigations than he did when he was the lead detective on a NYC homicide case. He just couldn't give up the thrill of the chase. In many ways Ross is the guy that many cops and ordinary people long to be like. Throughout this trilogy Mickey goes from the middle class world he was accustomed to into a higher social stratum where he experiences the lifestyles of the rich and famous. As Ross becomes older he realized that, during his lifetime, he had been more exposed to life's experiences than anyone he knew. He never really appreciated the lifestyle he led until now as he looked back in retrospect. The days of riding the subway, taking the Q-36 bus and driving his Volkswagen Rabbit were gone. Now instead, he had become accustomed to The Ultimate Driving Machine and his Robertson Raven II chopper. It was my intent to write a series of books that are filled with fast, easy reading, entertaining stories that will hold the readers interest throughout the book. As the characters are developed and these stories progress Ross becomes a little older and wiser. He definitely appreciates the latter as opposed to the former One of my other pre-requisites in writing this Trilogy was to present each book as a Stand Alone novel and not subjugate the copy with fifty-cent words like subjugate. I hope you enjoy reading about him as much as I have enjoyed writing about him. Rich
About the Author: This is the first autobiography I have written. I do feel a bit self-serving writing it but here goes. I was luckier than most kids because I grew up poor. Starting at the bottom gave me the advantage of appreciating those small experiences that are taken for granted by so many. I survived the New York City school system and by the time I graduated high school Elvis was singing "Heartbreak Hotel." After two years at Colorado A & M I dropped out. It was probably the best two years of my life. Over the next five years I drove a truck and completed at tour in the US Army. In 1962 I was appointed to the position of Trooper on the New York State Police. At thirty I married the girl of my dreams and we have three wonderful daughters. In 1968 I received a promotion to Detective/ Investigator and was assigned to work specifically on Organized Crime investigations and undercover narcotics cases. I was given a Federal clearance by the US Attorney's Office while assigned to various Federal & State Strike Forces in the NYC area. I was at Woodstock (1969) and made drug buys. I continued working narcotics cases in NYC, drove an undercover taxi, installed wiretaps, and had a partner that was shot and killed during a drug buy and bust deal gone bad. It was during this time that I was promoted to Detective Supervisor/ Senior Investigator and earned a bachelor's degree from S.U.N.Y. and a master's degree from Long Island University. I retired in the early eighties, did some private investigations work, tried commercial fishing and obtained a Coast Guard charter captain license. I ended up in business where I experienced the American Dream. I didn't start to write until I was in my late sixties and had lost most of my hearing. By not being able to hear it allowed me to enter into a special world of fantasy. I wrote five books before I had any thoughts of publishing. I presently reside, with my wife of 47 years, in New York spending my time between Westchester County and the Hamptons on Long Island. During the winter months I will be on the Treasure Coast, usually in Vero Beach, Florida. Last year, while alone on my boat in Shinnecock Bay NY I died of sudden cardiac arrest. I was brought back to life minutes later by an act of serendipity performed by my buddy who I call Mickey. Mickey is an implanted defibrillator who permanently resides under my skin below my left shoulder. That is my 45,000 word autobiography in 450 words.