Where Phantoms Tread: A Detective Lyle Odell Novel
About this ebook
In the shadowy depths of Mohawk City, a place where secrets are as common as the mist that rises from its gritty streets, Homicide Detective Lyle Odell is the reluctant guardian of truth. Known for his unkempt appearance and preference for black coffee, Irish whiskey, cigarettes, and pizza, Odell is a brilliant but haunted figure, grappling with his own demons even as he hunts the more insidious ones lurking in the city.
When the glamorous young socialite from one of Mohawk City’s most affluent families is discovered dead in a luxury hotel, her tragic end appears to be a simple case of excess—a drunken adventure mixed with drugs gone wrong. But as Odell investigates, he realizes that beneath the surface of this sordid tale lies a complicated web of deceit, ambition, and a darker truth waiting to be unveiled.
Haunted by his past and battling the ghosts that linger at every turn, Odell must navigate a treacherous world filled with powerful political figures and hidden agendas. As the stakes escalate, he finds himself embroiled in a race against time, where the city he knows all too well threatens to consume him.
In "Where Phantoms Tread," readers will experience a gripping blend of tension and pathos as Odell delves deeper into the heart of Mohawk City’s secrets. Will he uncover the truth lurking in the shadows? Join Detective Odell on a thrilling journey that challenges not only his skills as a detective but also his very understanding of justice, morality, and redemption. As he confronts the phantoms of his past and the evils of his present, you’ll be left questioning: how much darkness can one man bear, and how far will he go for the truth?
Prepare for a twisting narrative that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat, breathing life into a tale of loss, identity, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Welcome to Mohawk City, where the line between right and wrong is blurred, and every corner could hide a phantom waiting to tread.
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About the author
Way back in time, when the dinosaurs first died off, at the ripe old age of sixteen, Paul John Hausleben, wrote three stories for a creative writing class in high school. Enrolled in a vocational school, and immersed in trade courses and apprenticeship, left little time for writing ventures but PJH wrote three exceptional and entertaining stories. Paul John Hausleben’s stories caught the eye of two English teachers in the college-preparatory academic programs and they pulled the author out of his basic courses and plopped him in advanced English and writing courses. One of the English teachers had immense faith in Paul’s talents, and she took PJH’s stories, helped him brush them up and submitted them to a periodical for publication. To PJH’s astonishment, the periodical published all three of the stories and sent him a royalty check for fifty dollars and . . . that was it. PJH did not write anymore because life got in his way. Fast forward to 2009 and while living on the road in Atlanta, Georgia (and struggling to communicate with the locals who did not speak New Jersey) for his full-time job, PJH took a part-time job writing music reviews for a progressive rock website, and that gig caused the writing bug to bite PJH once more. He recalled those old stories and found the old manuscripts hiding in a dusty box. After some doodling around with them, PJH decided to revisit them. Two stories became the nucleus for the anthology now known as, The Time Bomb in The Cupboard and Other Adventures of Harry and Paul. The other story became the anchor story for collection known as, The Christmas Tree and Other Christmas Stories, Tales for a Christmas Evening. Now, many years and over thirty-five published works later, along with countless blogs and other work, PJH continues to write. Where and when it stops, only the author really knows.
On the other hand, does he really know?
If you ask Paul John Hausleben, he will tell you that he is not an author, he is just a storyteller. His mission is to continue to write and tell stories to warm your heart, make you laugh, and sometimes make you cry, just a little. Most of all, he deals in memories, and helping you to remember the good times of your own life, and the special people who touched you along the way. Paul was born and raised in Paterson, and then nearby Haledon, New Jersey, and began writing at an early age. He revisited a writing career later in his life, and he now is the author of a number of novels, compilations, short stories and audio and video works. Most of his work, touches upon nostalgic remembrances of simpler times, and tells the stories of heartfelt, humorous, and special human relationships. Other than writing, among many careers both paid and unpaid, he is a former semi-professional hockey goaltender, a music fan and music reviewer, an avid sports fan, photographer, and a military radio and amateur radio operator. He now resides in Somewhere, U.S.A., but his heart always remains along Belmont Avenue in good old Paterson, and Haledon, New Jersey.
