Crime novel by former Cook County News-Herald editor Jay Anderson

Former Cook County News-Herald editor and WTIP News Director Jay Anderson is the author of a new murder mystery novel called The Flayed Man. Photo courtesy of Jay Anderson

“The Flayed Man” by Jay Andersen is a gritty, fast paced procedural crime novel set on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota.

Riverplace Press is releasing the book in time to meet the wishes of readers looking for an exciting summer read. Riverplace is a custom publishing company helping authors craft, print, distribute and sell their books. They have published Lake Country Journal Magazine and hundreds of books on history, crime, philosophy, poetry, how-to, humor, mysteries, art, religion, and journals for over 25 years. Riverplace is known for strong author relationships, attention to detail, and high-quality design.

Author Jay Andersen is a past editor of The Mille Lacs Messenger, in Isle, Minnesota and The Cook County News Herald, Grand Marais. He is also the former News Director/ Producer for North Shore Community Radio, WTIP-FM, in Grand Marais.

In the summer of 2001, Cache Harbor police Chief, Paul Tharp’s usual routine is jarringly interrupted by the discovery of a dead body on an abandoned farm. The victim’s skin had been removed and his heart cut out and burned. Tharp’s investigation leads him to an ancient Aztec scholar living in the area. He is aided by a university student and summer waitress but hampered by the constant interference of a local newspaper reporter.

 

Tharp cautiously develops a relationship with the student, to the detriment of his long-standing affair with the local librarian, a relationship which finally crumbles with the return of her ex-husband who comes to Cache Harbor as part of a television news crew covering the murder.

As Tharp comes close to solving the case, matters take a dramatic turn which plunges Tharp and his friends and lovers into a fiery, heart pounding and violent conclusion to the mystery of the flayed man.

“The Flayed Man” will be available from select booksellers and Amazon.com in print and e-book form.