Spider Green Series
by Norm Harris
GENRE: Mystery/Thriller Legal Military
BLURBS:
FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE (Book One):
A female lawyer must prove a war hero’s innocence. Navy SEALs hijack a Russian warship to stop a North Korean missile crisis.
“A great read with a stunning finish.” - Advocate, Narayan. “Picturing Justice,” published by the Faculty of Law, University of San Francisco.
Every now and again, a unique story comes our way, a story unlike any we may have read before. Such is “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” author Norm Harris’s first critically acclaimed mystery/thriller. The story’s focal point is Faydra “Spider” Green, a dedicated Navy lawyer who has lived her life in the shadows of a great and powerful man: her father, former President of the United States William Green. Green cannot heal the wound in his relationship with his daughter. His former power and influence curse Faydra and cause her to wonder if her accomplishments were her own doing.
Faydra is anxious and excited as she undertakes her first homicide investigation: the murder of a Navy SEAL. She reasons a successful investigation will provide her the opportunity to validate her sense of self-worth. Thanks to her remarkable deductive abilities, Faydra soon realizes the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent and the Navy is using her as a pawn in a complex cover-up.
“A sharp, crackling military thriller..., Norm Harris’s ‘Fruit of the Poisonous Tree’ offers a labyrinth of military cover-ups, surprise twists, and insider techno knowledge. Good, exciting, inventive read.” - Wendell Wellman, actor, producer, and screenwriter for Clint Eastwood’s “Firefox” and Producer of “Top Hat,” “Sail Away”, and “House in the Canyon.”
Meanwhile, a seasoned Navy Sea Captain, Egan Fletcher, a single parent, struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra in a meeting, the two Navy officers embark on an adrenaline-pumping adventure. It is a top-secret mission-impossible taking them around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of terrorism in the form of a biological war.
“Norm Harris’s book grabs the reader with its first sentence and holds the reader throughout with its fast-paced action. Dialogue is always the hardest to write, but Harris has captured the art and, with his writing, keeps the reader turning pages. His ability to heighten the intrigue keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat throughout the story. Strongly recommend the book…” - CAPT David E. Meadows, US Navy, author of numerous (15) military thrillers, such as “Sixth Fleet,” “Seawolf,” and “Tomcat.”
Set against the dramatic backdrop of Washington State’s Puget Sound and the mystique of East Asia, Fadra’s story revolves around a woman who appears to be as pure as the driven snow—yet, she is driven by an insatiable need to complete any assignment, no matter how dangerous. Along the way, she transforms into a symbol of hope, perseverance, and a woman’s ability to overcome life-threatening events.
“This story is complex and well crafted, and you’ll immediately invest your emotions in these vivid characters. The dialogue is some of the freshest I’ve encountered in some time…. As a reader, and as a novelist myself, and now as a fan, my hat goes off to this guy. A wonderful debut.” - Larry Brooks, critically acclaimed author of psychological thrillers (including “Darkness Bound,” “Pressure Points,” “Serpents Dance,” and others), in addition to his work as a freelance writer and writing instructor.
The first novel, “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” begins the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy the razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed people, twists, and high-octane action, then “Spider” Green, the intrepid female sleuth and unpretentious hero in this taut, fast-paced adventure, will appeal to you.
Purchase FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE (Book One) on Amazon
Excerpt:
Fay turned and descended the ladder to the waiting boat. She dug deep into her soul to gather what courage she now carried with her to the dark and foreboding place known to all seafarers as “Davy Jones’ Locker.”
The frigid night air slapped her face as the small boat raced across the flat surface of the night water; sea spray soaked her face and hands. She squinted and fixed her gaze on the wall of black now standing before her. I’m going to need severe beauty salon time when I get back to civilization, she thought.
Shortly after, the boat arrived at the prescribed dive location. The dive team donned their facemasks and tested their gear—then, one by one, the divers rolled backward from the boat and into the water. Fay was last to leave the safety of the small boat.
The cold salt water stung her skin momentarily, until the thin layer of water between her skin and her wetsuit warmed to a tolerable temperature. She bobbed on the surface for a moment, then flicked on her underwater torch. Fay then slipped beneath the water’s surface and began her descent toward the bottom.
The wreck was ninety feet below. The Carr came to rest upright on the edge of a reef. The ship had not completely settled and was subject to shifting with each tide change. All good reasons for her to exercise extreme caution.
Nothing could have prepared Fay for the frightening feeling she experienced as she struggled to see and gain some sense of direction. She could tell she was sinking, but only because the luminous dial of her depth gauge so indicated. Following the eerie flickering lights of the three torches preceding her, she suppressed her fear and the feeling of claustrophobia by thinking of those people nearest to her heart.
Purchase Arid Sea (Book Two) on Amazon
Purchase Deception Pass (Book 3) on Amazon
Purchase The Girl Who Knew Death (Book 4) on Amazon
Interview with Norm Harris
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I suspect my involvement developed from reading Ian Fleming's books when I was a youngster. I have seen every James Bond movie more than five times. An agent I had once mentioned thought the protagonist seemed like a James Bond type. We had not had a discussion about my reading Fleming or Bond movies. It confirmed in my mind that the reading of the Fleming books had influenced me in some way. I like the Indiana Jones movies as well.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My son did not like to read, but he had to read if he hoped to progress through school. I wrote Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, focusing on approximate seventh-grade reading proficiency. I do not know if I achieved anything, yet the lad became a high school honors student. A double college major, a law degree, and published a legal journal, a best seller within the law school that published it. He did that on his own.
A second goal was to sell these books for fun and profit. All four books are virtually new. So the profit part may be yet to come. But I am having fun!
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
The challenging part for all four books was to get enough ideas to carry a plot for at least fifty thousand or more words. To keep the plot moving. I make the creation part easy. I will get an idea for a story then write it. Maybe ten thousand words. And I am done. I will think, "what next." After a while, I will get inspiration and move on.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
There are four books thus far in the Spider Green Mystery Thriller Series. I enjoyed creating the characters and then piecing them together. I like to see them succeed. To win what they struggled to achieve. And in the protagonist's case, be clever enough to stay alive from one book to the next. And to not Die Another Day (James Bond movie.)
Where there alternate endings you considered?
I did not consider alternate endings. I went straight from beginning to end nonstop. I wrote them and then tweaked them when I got to each end. I never did have alternate endings waiting in the wings.
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
My research happened as a by-product of things I did, people I know, and places I have already visited. My research is done on the internet. In book one character Jangho Kim, I know him, but a different name.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I do not read anymore. It is a time issue. I will watch a sitcom or movie on TV. I took a movie history class in college last quarter. They were the professor's choice. My choice would be anything that looked interesting, excluding horror. All of my reading time is spent reading what I wrote. And then re-reading what I wrote.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Norm Harris' first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he's back with a plan to publish a couple of sequels to that first mystery/thriller of days gone by. Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that's what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. His upcoming release, Arid Sea, is the third book in what he hopes to be an award-winning Spider Green Mystery Story series.
3 comments:
Great excerpt, thank you.
Sounds like a interesting series.
Great interview and excerpt, the Spider Green series sounds like thrilling reads for me to enjoy! Thanks for sharing them with me and have a splendid day!
Post a Comment