Westlake/T.O. Writer Pens Second in Crime Novel Series

Robert Weibezahl has published his second crime novel, The Dead Don’t Forget. The Westlake resident draws on his experiences working in the film industry in writing his mystery series.

Introduced in Weibezahl’s debut crime novel, The Wicket and the Dead, Billy Winnetka is a screenwriter and amateur detective who Front Street Reviews calls “a character you hope to meet again. ” Now, Winnetka is back for a second case in The Dead Don’t Forget (Dark Oak Mysteries; April 2013; $14.95, paperback), once more reluctantly investigating a peculiarly Hollywood crime.

Who would want to scare a silent screen legend who hasn’t made a movie in years? As Winnetka discovers, there is a considerable list of suspects—from Gwendolyn Barlow’s money-grubbing high society relatives to her less-than-honest business manager. But simply scaring an old woman is one thing—killing her is another.

Meanwhile, the beleaguered screenwriter encounters a string of problems on the set of his new movie, where production has run amuck. The only antidote for his troubles may be love—but is the new woman in his life somehow connected to Gwendolyn’s murder?

With cheerful cynicism, Billy Winnetka casts a satirical eye on the excesses and often less-than-glamorous reality of Hollywood. While he may lack the bona fide credentials of a private eye, he has the right intentions, the right connections and the right instincts to uncover the murderous truth lurking on the back lots and behind the gated walls.

Blending soft-boiled Los Angeles noir with a touch of satire, The Dead Don’t Forget continues the adventures of Billy Winnetka, whom Midwest Book Review calls “an extremely likable main character that pulls you along for the ride of a lifetime.”

About the Author

Having worked in the publishing and film businesses for more than a quarter century, Robert Weibezahl has a broad range of credits. A columnist for BookPage since 2002, his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Reader, Ventura County Star, Mystery Readers Journal, Bikini, Irish America, and many other national and regional publications. His two literary cookbooks/anthologies—A Taste of Murder  and A Second Helping of Murder—co-edited with Jo Grossman, were both finalists for the Agatha and Macavity Awards. His short fiction has appeared in Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, CrimeSpree, Mouth Full of Bullets, Beat to a Pulp, and the anthology, Deadly by the Dozen, and he was a finalist for the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s 2010 Derringer Award. Visit him at www.RobertWeibezahl.com.