The Florida Fables Series
There are three books in the Florida Fables series, all set in and around the Sarasota of frontier days. Those who live here may recognize the period from the titles: The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society, The Story of the Sarasota Celery Fields, and The Story of Whiskey Corners. The hero is Sarasota’s first lawman, the fictional deputy sheriff Gawain MacFarland.
For in-store shopping, we recommend The Island Bookshop at 206 W. Miami Avenue in Venice, Florida.
If you would like to order a paperback directly, we recommend the site preferred by Independent Book Stores: https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=tony+dunbar.
Or, you can buy the eBook versions on Kindle Direct (Amazon).
The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society
Blind Pass Publications' first book is a Southern crime novel by Tony Dunbar. The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society is a work of historical fiction, the first in a series of Florida Fables set in and around Sarasota, following Gawain MacFarlane’s storied career as a lawman.
In the beginning, Sarasota was a tropical outpost for cowboys and mullet fishermen, but in the 1880s, as “pioneers” with money began moving in from the North, jealousies, political differences and greed gave rise to a secret Vigilance Society whose members plotted to assassinate competitors and foes. The murder of the town’s first postmaster launched young Gawain MacFarlane’s tireless pursuit of the assassins across the wild scrub prairies of Southwest Florida. At the end of the chase he was able to answer the question that has plagued historians since—what was the true motive behind this murderous conspiracy.
The Story of the Sarasota Celery Fields
The Story of the Sarasota Celery Fields and Other Mysteries continues the story of a town speeding towards its future as a tourist and agricultural paradise, as told by Deputy Sheriff Gawain MacFarlane. The explosion of wealth brought by Bertha Palmer and other visionaries not only spurred a vast real estate boom but also an irresistible market for bootleggers, marauders such as the John Ashley Gang, and an unexplained tragedy—the murder in 1921 of Harry Higel, the town’s three-time mayor and most prominent booster. The gruesome bludgeoning that left Higel almost unrecognizable occurred near his home on Siesta Key, the beach he was developing, and historians have long puzzled over who committed this heinous crime. MacFarlane’s relentless investigation produces a disturbing outcome and a final resolution to the mystery.
For a real life story about the discovery of a weapon that may actually have been used to murder Harry Higel, see Bill Warner's account at www.billwarnerpi.com.
The Story of Whiskey Corners
The Story of Whiskey Corners recounts real stories about the arrival of the Ringling Circus to Sarasota, the corruption of big money and, with the real estate bust and the approach of the Depression, rum runners, turpentine camps, anti-union hysteria, and the advent of gambling mobs. Gawain MacFarlane, and his son Mack, are in the middle of it and see the side of events that have been intentionally hidden from view.
For in-store shopping, we recommend The Island Bookshop at 206 W. Miami Avenue in Venice, Florida.
If you would like to order a paperback directly, we recommend the site preferred by Independent Book Stores: https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=tony+dunbar.
Or, you can buy the eBook versions on Kindle Direct (Amazon).
The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society
Blind Pass Publications' first book is a Southern crime novel by Tony Dunbar. The Story of the Sarasota Assassination Society is a work of historical fiction, the first in a series of Florida Fables set in and around Sarasota, following Gawain MacFarlane’s storied career as a lawman.
In the beginning, Sarasota was a tropical outpost for cowboys and mullet fishermen, but in the 1880s, as “pioneers” with money began moving in from the North, jealousies, political differences and greed gave rise to a secret Vigilance Society whose members plotted to assassinate competitors and foes. The murder of the town’s first postmaster launched young Gawain MacFarlane’s tireless pursuit of the assassins across the wild scrub prairies of Southwest Florida. At the end of the chase he was able to answer the question that has plagued historians since—what was the true motive behind this murderous conspiracy.
The Story of the Sarasota Celery Fields
The Story of the Sarasota Celery Fields and Other Mysteries continues the story of a town speeding towards its future as a tourist and agricultural paradise, as told by Deputy Sheriff Gawain MacFarlane. The explosion of wealth brought by Bertha Palmer and other visionaries not only spurred a vast real estate boom but also an irresistible market for bootleggers, marauders such as the John Ashley Gang, and an unexplained tragedy—the murder in 1921 of Harry Higel, the town’s three-time mayor and most prominent booster. The gruesome bludgeoning that left Higel almost unrecognizable occurred near his home on Siesta Key, the beach he was developing, and historians have long puzzled over who committed this heinous crime. MacFarlane’s relentless investigation produces a disturbing outcome and a final resolution to the mystery.
For a real life story about the discovery of a weapon that may actually have been used to murder Harry Higel, see Bill Warner's account at www.billwarnerpi.com.
The Story of Whiskey Corners
The Story of Whiskey Corners recounts real stories about the arrival of the Ringling Circus to Sarasota, the corruption of big money and, with the real estate bust and the approach of the Depression, rum runners, turpentine camps, anti-union hysteria, and the advent of gambling mobs. Gawain MacFarlane, and his son Mack, are in the middle of it and see the side of events that have been intentionally hidden from view.
The Tubby Dubonnet Mystery Series
Flag Boy(Tubby Dubonnet Series #10)
A FRENCH QUARTER MASSACRE, ANOTHER IN MISSISSIPPI, AND A JIGSAW OF A PLOT!
Never have Tony Dunbar's diabolically complex plotting, spot-on characters, and hawk-like ability to seize upon and capture everything New Orleans been on better display than in his jaw-dropping new thriller. FLAG BOY, the TENTH entry in his popular Tubby Dubonnet series, is Dunbar's most wickedly clever mystery since his Edgar-nominated CROOKED MAN, as dark and stormy a tale as ever rumbled out of New Orleans.
The set-up alone is enough to make you believe in the butterfly effect. Two acrobats burglarize a house; a sultan moves into a French Quarter mansion; a Mardi Gras Indian, in the wrong place at the wrong time, is arrested as expected; and our hero, lawyer and sometime-detective Tubby Dubonnet, comes upon a double murder while paying a social call in the wilds of Mississippi. Thus is the stage set. You know instantly-- because this is a Tubby Dubonnet mystery-- that these disparate events are intricately intertwined.
Next, as Elmore Leonard famously never said, all hell breaks loose-- and with more than a touch of Leonard's own brand of wry and knowing humor. You can barely turn the page before a bloody massacre leaves the sultan's entire family dead; the Indian-- now Tubby's client-- gets fingered for this one, too; one of the acrobatic burglars hooks up with Tubby's best friend; and some way, somehow, Dunbar weaves each of these wildly divergent strands-- and a few others-- into the kind of old-fashioned puzzle mystery they just don't write anymore. It's as if James M. Cain married Agatha Christie.
Nobody but Cain could pack a plot the size of all Louisiana into a space the size of a French Quarter balcony, and nobody but Christie could pull off the kind of riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma she pioneered. Dunbar does both-- and all in one slim, thrill-packed book. Although perhaps at this point his long-time fans are thinking Wait! How does he work the food in? There's always food! Well, that's there, too.
Anyone who loves hard-boiled, humorous, noir, or puzzle mysteries, especially all rolled up into an extremely stylish legal thriller, should hurry on down. If you can imagine a combination of Rex Stout and Carl Hiaasen you’re getting close. But after ten books Tony Dunbar stands alone and is now an author that young writers aspire to be compared with.
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Also available in Paperback!!
A FRENCH QUARTER MASSACRE, ANOTHER IN MISSISSIPPI, AND A JIGSAW OF A PLOT!
Never have Tony Dunbar's diabolically complex plotting, spot-on characters, and hawk-like ability to seize upon and capture everything New Orleans been on better display than in his jaw-dropping new thriller. FLAG BOY, the TENTH entry in his popular Tubby Dubonnet series, is Dunbar's most wickedly clever mystery since his Edgar-nominated CROOKED MAN, as dark and stormy a tale as ever rumbled out of New Orleans.
The set-up alone is enough to make you believe in the butterfly effect. Two acrobats burglarize a house; a sultan moves into a French Quarter mansion; a Mardi Gras Indian, in the wrong place at the wrong time, is arrested as expected; and our hero, lawyer and sometime-detective Tubby Dubonnet, comes upon a double murder while paying a social call in the wilds of Mississippi. Thus is the stage set. You know instantly-- because this is a Tubby Dubonnet mystery-- that these disparate events are intricately intertwined.
Next, as Elmore Leonard famously never said, all hell breaks loose-- and with more than a touch of Leonard's own brand of wry and knowing humor. You can barely turn the page before a bloody massacre leaves the sultan's entire family dead; the Indian-- now Tubby's client-- gets fingered for this one, too; one of the acrobatic burglars hooks up with Tubby's best friend; and some way, somehow, Dunbar weaves each of these wildly divergent strands-- and a few others-- into the kind of old-fashioned puzzle mystery they just don't write anymore. It's as if James M. Cain married Agatha Christie.
Nobody but Cain could pack a plot the size of all Louisiana into a space the size of a French Quarter balcony, and nobody but Christie could pull off the kind of riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma she pioneered. Dunbar does both-- and all in one slim, thrill-packed book. Although perhaps at this point his long-time fans are thinking Wait! How does he work the food in? There's always food! Well, that's there, too.
Anyone who loves hard-boiled, humorous, noir, or puzzle mysteries, especially all rolled up into an extremely stylish legal thriller, should hurry on down. If you can imagine a combination of Rex Stout and Carl Hiaasen you’re getting close. But after ten books Tony Dunbar stands alone and is now an author that young writers aspire to be compared with.
Purchase on Amazon
Also available in Paperback!!
Fat Man Blues (Tubby Dubonnet Series #9)
“KEEP YOUR HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS” - THE LAWYER COUNSELED HIS CLIENT ... THE ACCUSED AXE MURDERER.
“The literary equivalent of a film noir – fast, tough, tense, and darkly funny” -Los Angeles Times Book Review
Ex-con Angelo Spooner is trying to start a legit business, but hecan’t catch a break. Just whenhis healing Holy Water, “Angelo’s Elixir” is about to go upscale, the sticky strands of the BigCrazy’selaborate web of crime and corruption reach out to ensnare him.
What’s a law-abiding parolee to do?
He can’t get caught with a gun, but maybe that axe in his shed could help him extricate himself. When low level creep Frenchy Dufour’s henchman turns upbeheaded, Angelo’s fate rests in the capable hands of laid-back lawyerTubby Dubonnet.
Tubby’s been trying hard to lay low, too. As those closest to him are targeted by frightening attacks, he suspects hisrun-inswith a clandestine society of Cuban exiles are far from over. Tubby would love to have nothing further to do with “that crazy band of geriatric lunatics,” -- but the old Cuban revolutionaries have taught their sons well. Now their grandchildren, heirs to a substantial cache of weapons and money, burn with a dangerous zeal to prove themselves by getting rid of Tubby -- and anybody close to him.
Meanwhile … a man’s got to eat! The epicurean counselor does his best thinking when he’s well-fed, and hesamples hisway across New Orleans on the hunt for an axe murderer. But man does not live by bread alone. Ignoring his own advice to “keep your head on your shoulders,” Tubby’s lost his to the lovely Peggy O’Flarity. It’s about time Tubby had some steamy sex – and maybe a little happiness? But fortune teller Sister Soulace has her doubts.
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“KEEP YOUR HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS” - THE LAWYER COUNSELED HIS CLIENT ... THE ACCUSED AXE MURDERER.
“The literary equivalent of a film noir – fast, tough, tense, and darkly funny” -Los Angeles Times Book Review
Ex-con Angelo Spooner is trying to start a legit business, but hecan’t catch a break. Just whenhis healing Holy Water, “Angelo’s Elixir” is about to go upscale, the sticky strands of the BigCrazy’selaborate web of crime and corruption reach out to ensnare him.
What’s a law-abiding parolee to do?
He can’t get caught with a gun, but maybe that axe in his shed could help him extricate himself. When low level creep Frenchy Dufour’s henchman turns upbeheaded, Angelo’s fate rests in the capable hands of laid-back lawyerTubby Dubonnet.
Tubby’s been trying hard to lay low, too. As those closest to him are targeted by frightening attacks, he suspects hisrun-inswith a clandestine society of Cuban exiles are far from over. Tubby would love to have nothing further to do with “that crazy band of geriatric lunatics,” -- but the old Cuban revolutionaries have taught their sons well. Now their grandchildren, heirs to a substantial cache of weapons and money, burn with a dangerous zeal to prove themselves by getting rid of Tubby -- and anybody close to him.
Meanwhile … a man’s got to eat! The epicurean counselor does his best thinking when he’s well-fed, and hesamples hisway across New Orleans on the hunt for an axe murderer. But man does not live by bread alone. Ignoring his own advice to “keep your head on your shoulders,” Tubby’s lost his to the lovely Peggy O’Flarity. It’s about time Tubby had some steamy sex – and maybe a little happiness? But fortune teller Sister Soulace has her doubts.
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Night Watchman (Tubby Dubonnet Series #8)
“Reminiscent of the best of Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard." -Booklist
SOME MEAN-ASS CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST...
In this EIGHTH entry in the Tubby Dubonnet series, the laid-back New Orleans lawyer finds himself caught in a twisted trip down memory lane, distracted by a luscious new love, and, as usual, surrounded by screwball denizens of everybody's favorite city. But he's also caught in someone's crosshairs, and so are half the cast of crazies and screwballs. Which makes for a delicious mix of danger and humor (with a dash of romance!), best consumed with a tall cold one and a bag of Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators .
When in the 1970s a young war protester is killed in broad daylight on Canal Street, it appears that his murder will be forgotten, a back page story lost in the big news of an especially violent era. But a youthful Tubby chanced to see it happen, and the tragic event's haunted him throughout his life. Decades later, an established (but not exactly driven) lawyer, yet successful enough to have time on his hands, Tubby decides to conduct his own investigation into the forgotten crime. He quickly stirs up a hornets’ nest of far-reaching political feuds, police corruption, government agents, and old men with secrets to hide.
But as in all Tubby Dubonnet novels, the plot takes a backseat to local color, colorful characters, odes to fine food, wry observations, and a whole lot of humor. It's a little like spending a weekend in da Big Easy, dawlin'--complete with three well-chosen meals a day!
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“Reminiscent of the best of Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard." -Booklist
SOME MEAN-ASS CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST...
In this EIGHTH entry in the Tubby Dubonnet series, the laid-back New Orleans lawyer finds himself caught in a twisted trip down memory lane, distracted by a luscious new love, and, as usual, surrounded by screwball denizens of everybody's favorite city. But he's also caught in someone's crosshairs, and so are half the cast of crazies and screwballs. Which makes for a delicious mix of danger and humor (with a dash of romance!), best consumed with a tall cold one and a bag of Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators .
When in the 1970s a young war protester is killed in broad daylight on Canal Street, it appears that his murder will be forgotten, a back page story lost in the big news of an especially violent era. But a youthful Tubby chanced to see it happen, and the tragic event's haunted him throughout his life. Decades later, an established (but not exactly driven) lawyer, yet successful enough to have time on his hands, Tubby decides to conduct his own investigation into the forgotten crime. He quickly stirs up a hornets’ nest of far-reaching political feuds, police corruption, government agents, and old men with secrets to hide.
But as in all Tubby Dubonnet novels, the plot takes a backseat to local color, colorful characters, odes to fine food, wry observations, and a whole lot of humor. It's a little like spending a weekend in da Big Easy, dawlin'--complete with three well-chosen meals a day!
Purchase on Amazon
Tubby Meets Katrina (Tubby Dubonnet Series #7)
New Orleans attorney Tony Dunbar’s lawyer-turned-sleuth Tubby Dubonnet is back, and this time, the city of New Orleans itself is endangered. Just when Tubby thought it was safe to come back to New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina boils up a rich gumbo of trouble for the unsuspecting lawyer in Tubby Meets Katrina.
Tubby rides out the storm okay—but then the levees break, the city floods, and he and thousands of other refugees end up in the hellish Convention Center. In the chaos, Tubby’s daughter finds herself targeted by an escaped psychopath, one who envisions himself the human embodiment of the hurricane. With no law enforcement to rely upon, Tubby must use his wits and his connections to protect himself and his family while trying to restore his home and help bring his beloved city back to life.
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New Orleans attorney Tony Dunbar’s lawyer-turned-sleuth Tubby Dubonnet is back, and this time, the city of New Orleans itself is endangered. Just when Tubby thought it was safe to come back to New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina boils up a rich gumbo of trouble for the unsuspecting lawyer in Tubby Meets Katrina.
Tubby rides out the storm okay—but then the levees break, the city floods, and he and thousands of other refugees end up in the hellish Convention Center. In the chaos, Tubby’s daughter finds herself targeted by an escaped psychopath, one who envisions himself the human embodiment of the hurricane. With no law enforcement to rely upon, Tubby must use his wits and his connections to protect himself and his family while trying to restore his home and help bring his beloved city back to life.
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Lucky Man (Tubby Dubonnet Series #6)
It's a city of sin. And murder is only one of them. New Orleans Attorney Tubby Dubonnet is getting tired of his slow-moving, indolent city--with all its dirt and dancing, its colorful characters and corruption. For Tubby, a change of scenery might be in order, until a moralistic crusading prosecutor tries to destroy the career and reputation of Tubby's favorite judge. Suddenly Tubby has a good reason to get out of bed in the morning. Because a little matter of office sex has turned into a nasty mystery of murder, rape, and suicide, real and imagined. And with more than a fair share of femmes fatales around him, and some dangerous criminals masquerading as reputable businessmen, Tubby suddenly has a lot more to do than avoid his next bottle and plot his next meal: he needs a lucky break--just to stay alive....
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It's a city of sin. And murder is only one of them. New Orleans Attorney Tubby Dubonnet is getting tired of his slow-moving, indolent city--with all its dirt and dancing, its colorful characters and corruption. For Tubby, a change of scenery might be in order, until a moralistic crusading prosecutor tries to destroy the career and reputation of Tubby's favorite judge. Suddenly Tubby has a good reason to get out of bed in the morning. Because a little matter of office sex has turned into a nasty mystery of murder, rape, and suicide, real and imagined. And with more than a fair share of femmes fatales around him, and some dangerous criminals masquerading as reputable businessmen, Tubby suddenly has a lot more to do than avoid his next bottle and plot his next meal: he needs a lucky break--just to stay alive....
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The Crime Czar (Tubby Dubonnet Series #5)
Gumbo of Murder....It's a city as friendly as a glad-handing attorney, where the bending Mississippi carves a channel six hundred feet deep, the air smells of chicory, and shell casings litter sidewalks beneath the live oak trees. And somewhere between the levee and Lake Pontchartrain are the secrets that litter Tubby Dubonnet's life--secrets of corruption and murder. A lawyer who'd rather eat, drink, and swap stories than get caught in court, Tubby can't forget the last words that escaped an old friend's lips, and he can't get out of the way of a political campaign that's turning rough. Obsessed with the idea that one man--a shadowy crime boss--may be pulling the strings that have cost good people their lives, Tubby is entering into a test of courage with the most violent men in New Orleans. And if that weren't dangerous enough, Tubby has just picked up the worst ally he could ever find: a beautiful prostitute who is gunning for revenge.
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Gumbo of Murder....It's a city as friendly as a glad-handing attorney, where the bending Mississippi carves a channel six hundred feet deep, the air smells of chicory, and shell casings litter sidewalks beneath the live oak trees. And somewhere between the levee and Lake Pontchartrain are the secrets that litter Tubby Dubonnet's life--secrets of corruption and murder. A lawyer who'd rather eat, drink, and swap stories than get caught in court, Tubby can't forget the last words that escaped an old friend's lips, and he can't get out of the way of a political campaign that's turning rough. Obsessed with the idea that one man--a shadowy crime boss--may be pulling the strings that have cost good people their lives, Tubby is entering into a test of courage with the most violent men in New Orleans. And if that weren't dangerous enough, Tubby has just picked up the worst ally he could ever find: a beautiful prostitute who is gunning for revenge.
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Shelter From the Storm (Tubby Dubonnet Series #4)
Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet mysteries have been praised as "hair-raising" (New York Times Book Review), "terrific" (Booklist), and "deliciously witty" (Publishers Weekly). Dunbar once again brings us to the crazy and colorful city of New Orleans. This time it's Mardi Gras--and a violent storm drenches the city in chaos. As the water level rises, a dangerous gang of marooned bank robbers become desperate to escape--and it's up to Tubby to thwart their murderous plans...
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Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet mysteries have been praised as "hair-raising" (New York Times Book Review), "terrific" (Booklist), and "deliciously witty" (Publishers Weekly). Dunbar once again brings us to the crazy and colorful city of New Orleans. This time it's Mardi Gras--and a violent storm drenches the city in chaos. As the water level rises, a dangerous gang of marooned bank robbers become desperate to escape--and it's up to Tubby to thwart their murderous plans...
Purchase on Amazon Purchase at Barnes & Noble Purchase Kindle Edition
Trick Question (Tubby Dubonnet Series #3)
Medical lab janitor Cletus Busters is caught red-handed in a restricted area with the frozen head of Dr. Whitney Valentine, one of the lab's most prestigious researchers. Busters won't say much, except that he's innocent. But given his conspicuous record and past as a voodoo guru, all signs point to life in prison. Calling Tubby Dubonnet! With the trial less than a week away, Busters' lawyer has made exactly two motions--heading to the bar for several rounds of Wild Turkey and begging Tubby for help. Meanwhile, Tubby's taken on a new client - a female boxer with an abusive boyfriend - and also has to referee the romantic entanglements of his ex-wife and three teenage daughters. But as Buster's trial proceeds, and the jury savors the startling evidence (alongside Dunbar's succulent descriptions of Crescent City cuisine), the danger mounts. Revealing the murderer could prove to be Tubby's biggest triumph – or his last case ever.
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Medical lab janitor Cletus Busters is caught red-handed in a restricted area with the frozen head of Dr. Whitney Valentine, one of the lab's most prestigious researchers. Busters won't say much, except that he's innocent. But given his conspicuous record and past as a voodoo guru, all signs point to life in prison. Calling Tubby Dubonnet! With the trial less than a week away, Busters' lawyer has made exactly two motions--heading to the bar for several rounds of Wild Turkey and begging Tubby for help. Meanwhile, Tubby's taken on a new client - a female boxer with an abusive boyfriend - and also has to referee the romantic entanglements of his ex-wife and three teenage daughters. But as Buster's trial proceeds, and the jury savors the startling evidence (alongside Dunbar's succulent descriptions of Crescent City cuisine), the danger mounts. Revealing the murderer could prove to be Tubby's biggest triumph – or his last case ever.
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City of Beads (Tubby Dubonnet Series #2)
New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet is bored. He wants to bill enough hours to pay his alimony and keep his daughter in college, with enough left over for an occasional drink and a good meal, but he longs for something different and exciting. Sure, researching licensing law for the new casino will keep trout meunière on the table, but what could be more tedious? (Unless, of course, the client turns out to be connected.) Meanwhile, there’s the estate of an old friend who controls some dock leases on the wharf. And he agrees to help his daughter’s environmental group stop illegal dumping in the river. Ho-hum, thinks our hero. But suddenly all three cases begin to converge in an entirely ominous way–the toxic dumping, the dock leases, and the too-good-to-be-true casino job. How is that possible? Could it be Tubby’s been set up as the fall guy in a Mob effort to expand its gambling empire? Suddenly Tubby is doing something different and exciting — he’s running for his life!
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New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet is bored. He wants to bill enough hours to pay his alimony and keep his daughter in college, with enough left over for an occasional drink and a good meal, but he longs for something different and exciting. Sure, researching licensing law for the new casino will keep trout meunière on the table, but what could be more tedious? (Unless, of course, the client turns out to be connected.) Meanwhile, there’s the estate of an old friend who controls some dock leases on the wharf. And he agrees to help his daughter’s environmental group stop illegal dumping in the river. Ho-hum, thinks our hero. But suddenly all three cases begin to converge in an entirely ominous way–the toxic dumping, the dock leases, and the too-good-to-be-true casino job. How is that possible? Could it be Tubby’s been set up as the fall guy in a Mob effort to expand its gambling empire? Suddenly Tubby is doing something different and exciting — he’s running for his life!
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Crooked Man (Tubby Dubonnet Series #1)
A simple man with a refined palate, maverick New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet has a penchant for fishing, Old Fashioneds, off-track betting, and fighting evil while passing a good time. His clients are all renegades from the asylum (aka Orleans Parish), including a transvestite entertainer, a buxom deadbeat blonde, a doctor who refers his own patients to a malpractice lawyer, and a Mardi Gras reveler who drives a float shaped like a giant crawfish pot. He also has his hands full with an ex-wife and three teenage daughters, who are experts in the art of wrapping Tubby around their little fingers. And somehow, between work and family, Tubby finds time to sample the highs and lows of idiosyncratic Crescent City cuisine, from trout meuniere amandine and French roast coffee with chicory to shrimp po-boys and homemade pecan pralines. Tubby's new client is Darryl Alvarez, the manager of a local nightclub who's been caught unloading marijuana from a shrimp boat. At their first meeting, Darryl entrusts Tubby with an ordinary-looking blue gym bag. But after Darryl's unfortunate demise, Tubby realizes he must tighten his grasp on the gym bag -- and its million-dollar contents. Tubby can’t just give up the cash. But if he gets caught, he’ll be in jail. And if the wrong people catch him, he’ll wish he was.
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A simple man with a refined palate, maverick New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet has a penchant for fishing, Old Fashioneds, off-track betting, and fighting evil while passing a good time. His clients are all renegades from the asylum (aka Orleans Parish), including a transvestite entertainer, a buxom deadbeat blonde, a doctor who refers his own patients to a malpractice lawyer, and a Mardi Gras reveler who drives a float shaped like a giant crawfish pot. He also has his hands full with an ex-wife and three teenage daughters, who are experts in the art of wrapping Tubby around their little fingers. And somehow, between work and family, Tubby finds time to sample the highs and lows of idiosyncratic Crescent City cuisine, from trout meuniere amandine and French roast coffee with chicory to shrimp po-boys and homemade pecan pralines. Tubby's new client is Darryl Alvarez, the manager of a local nightclub who's been caught unloading marijuana from a shrimp boat. At their first meeting, Darryl entrusts Tubby with an ordinary-looking blue gym bag. But after Darryl's unfortunate demise, Tubby realizes he must tighten his grasp on the gym bag -- and its million-dollar contents. Tubby can’t just give up the cash. But if he gets caught, he’ll be in jail. And if the wrong people catch him, he’ll wish he was.
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Envision This (A Short Story)
Meet Tubby Dubonnet, easygoing, quick-thinking New Orleans attorney-turned-sleuth and the star of a series of amusing mysteries in which he gets to fight evil and pass a good time--although his preference is generally for the latter. He'd much rather eat shrimp scampi or crab etouffée at one of the many local restaurants he frequents than deal with the demands of his infrequent clients. But once he's in, he's in for the long haul. His clients are going to get the best possible service--no matter how many laws he has to break. An introduction to the seven-part series, ENVISION THIS is the short story of a quirky inventor's visionary gadget and Tubby Dubonnet's attempt to protect it—and its maker.
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Meet Tubby Dubonnet, easygoing, quick-thinking New Orleans attorney-turned-sleuth and the star of a series of amusing mysteries in which he gets to fight evil and pass a good time--although his preference is generally for the latter. He'd much rather eat shrimp scampi or crab etouffée at one of the many local restaurants he frequents than deal with the demands of his infrequent clients. But once he's in, he's in for the long haul. His clients are going to get the best possible service--no matter how many laws he has to break. An introduction to the seven-part series, ENVISION THIS is the short story of a quirky inventor's visionary gadget and Tubby Dubonnet's attempt to protect it—and its maker.
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The Battle of New Orleans
Full book available NOW!
A bicentennial perspective on the Battle of New Orleans, as fiction would have it, and the treacherous paths that brought its heroes together on one cataclysmic day.
The year was 1815. New Orleans was then the great prize worth fighting for on the Gulf of Mexico, commanding the shipping routes among gold-rich Spanish colonies and the sugarcane-covered islands claimed by France. It was a disorderly gateway to the new United States and the sole outlet to the sea for the entire American West. More people spoke French than English and the city’s government was even more blind to misbehavior than it is today. This was the backdrop for the improbable, decisive battle that battle pitted volunteer militiamen, “free people of color,” mountaineers, and pirates against the world’s greatest army and navy. The outcome gave Jackson Square its name, sealed the fate of the slaves, repelled European aggressors for all time, and gave America a chance to see what it could do.
If you enjoy the book, please take the time to leave a brief review on Amazon. Every bit of feedback is much appreciated!
As always, please join my mailing list for regular updates, or connect with me via my Facebook page.
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A bicentennial perspective on the Battle of New Orleans, as fiction would have it, and the treacherous paths that brought its heroes together on one cataclysmic day.
The year was 1815. New Orleans was then the great prize worth fighting for on the Gulf of Mexico, commanding the shipping routes among gold-rich Spanish colonies and the sugarcane-covered islands claimed by France. It was a disorderly gateway to the new United States and the sole outlet to the sea for the entire American West. More people spoke French than English and the city’s government was even more blind to misbehavior than it is today. This was the backdrop for the improbable, decisive battle that battle pitted volunteer militiamen, “free people of color,” mountaineers, and pirates against the world’s greatest army and navy. The outcome gave Jackson Square its name, sealed the fate of the slaves, repelled European aggressors for all time, and gave America a chance to see what it could do.
If you enjoy the book, please take the time to leave a brief review on Amazon. Every bit of feedback is much appreciated!
As always, please join my mailing list for regular updates, or connect with me via my Facebook page.
Other Works by Tony Dunbar
American Crisis, Southern Solutions: From Where We Stand, Promise and Peril
Editor Anthony Dunbar and more than a dozen Southern writers, historians, business and labor-watchers, and philosophers reexamine some of the issues raised in the 2004 collection of essays, Where We Stand, Voices of Southern Dissent, which warned of the dangers of reelecting George W. Bush and of white Southerners unquestioningly casting their political lot with fundamentalism and conservatism. In this new collection, those essayists and new ones offer thoughtful, provocative suggestions for a fresh path America should follow in governance, international affairs, the environment, workplace security, freedom of the press, and immigration reform. They present "Southern Solutions," based upon southern experience, to a nation that has drifted far off course. Economist and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall anchors the book, and editor Dunbar writes the introduction. Jason Berry, Charles Bussey, Dan Carter, Danny Duncan Collum, Doug Davis, Leslie W. Dunbar, Glenn A. Feldman, Dan Pollitt, Susan Ford-Wiltshire, and Frye Gailiard are among the contributors.
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Editor Anthony Dunbar and more than a dozen Southern writers, historians, business and labor-watchers, and philosophers reexamine some of the issues raised in the 2004 collection of essays, Where We Stand, Voices of Southern Dissent, which warned of the dangers of reelecting George W. Bush and of white Southerners unquestioningly casting their political lot with fundamentalism and conservatism. In this new collection, those essayists and new ones offer thoughtful, provocative suggestions for a fresh path America should follow in governance, international affairs, the environment, workplace security, freedom of the press, and immigration reform. They present "Southern Solutions," based upon southern experience, to a nation that has drifted far off course. Economist and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall anchors the book, and editor Dunbar writes the introduction. Jason Berry, Charles Bussey, Dan Carter, Danny Duncan Collum, Doug Davis, Leslie W. Dunbar, Glenn A. Feldman, Dan Pollitt, Susan Ford-Wiltshire, and Frye Gailiard are among the contributors.
Purchase on Amazon Purchase from New South Books Purchase from Barnes & Noble
Where We Stand: Voices of Southern Dissent
Editor Anthony Dunbar has assembled essays from 12 leading Southern historians, activists, civil rights attorneys, law professors, and theologians to discuss militarism, religion, the environment, voting rights, the Patriot Act, the economy, prisons and crime, and other subjects. The writers share the beliefs that the current policies of our national administration sacrifice the interests of the poor and the people who work for a living to the interests of a privileged elite, that the power of money and the military must be tethered, that the natural environment must be sheltered, and that racial justice matters. A common sentiment is dismay at the deepening chasm that now divides America—and specifically the South—into hostile armies whose leaders are fast losing whatever motivation they ever had to pursue compromise and cooperation, and the common good. The essayists are Leslie Dunbar, Paul Gaston, John Egerton, Janisse Ray, Dan Pollitt, Connie Curry, Laughlin McDonald, Sheldon Hackney, Susan Wiltshire, Gene Nichol, Dan Carter, and Charles Bussey.
Purchase on Amazon Purchase at Barnes & Noble Purchase from New South Books
Editor Anthony Dunbar has assembled essays from 12 leading Southern historians, activists, civil rights attorneys, law professors, and theologians to discuss militarism, religion, the environment, voting rights, the Patriot Act, the economy, prisons and crime, and other subjects. The writers share the beliefs that the current policies of our national administration sacrifice the interests of the poor and the people who work for a living to the interests of a privileged elite, that the power of money and the military must be tethered, that the natural environment must be sheltered, and that racial justice matters. A common sentiment is dismay at the deepening chasm that now divides America—and specifically the South—into hostile armies whose leaders are fast losing whatever motivation they ever had to pursue compromise and cooperation, and the common good. The essayists are Leslie Dunbar, Paul Gaston, John Egerton, Janisse Ray, Dan Pollitt, Connie Curry, Laughlin McDonald, Sheldon Hackney, Susan Wiltshire, Gene Nichol, Dan Carter, and Charles Bussey.
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Delta Time
In 1968 the author went to the Delta region of Mississippi, working on a report of regional social conditions, ultimately published as Our Land Too ( LJ 4/1/71). Twenty years later he came back to see if anything had changed, finding, unsurprisingly, that it had, but not for the better. Dunbar notes that there is greater black participation in Delta political and economic life, but the uniqueness of Delta life is being destroyed by modern civilization. Catfish farming has replaced cotton as the number one cash crop, and Wal-Marts are destroying the economics of the small towns. Delta Time is a disjointed, semi-travelog with a heavy dose of nostalgia for a way of life that is truly gone. Perhaps for libraries with a demand for reminiscences.
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In 1968 the author went to the Delta region of Mississippi, working on a report of regional social conditions, ultimately published as Our Land Too ( LJ 4/1/71). Twenty years later he came back to see if anything had changed, finding, unsurprisingly, that it had, but not for the better. Dunbar notes that there is greater black participation in Delta political and economic life, but the uniqueness of Delta life is being destroyed by modern civilization. Catfish farming has replaced cotton as the number one cash crop, and Wal-Marts are destroying the economics of the small towns. Delta Time is a disjointed, semi-travelog with a heavy dose of nostalgia for a way of life that is truly gone. Perhaps for libraries with a demand for reminiscences.
Purchase on Amazon
Against the Grain: Southern Radicals and Prophets, 1929-1959
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Purchase on Amazon Purchase at Barnes & Noble
