Mike O’Malley

Atlantic City Boardwalk psychic and amateur detective Stan Luca spends a lot of time conversing with the dearly departed, especially when they’re helping him solve his cases. However, in the summer of 1972, a woman comes to Stan seeking protection from a nasty ghost who she claims haunts her day and night.

Stan’s spirit-helper this time around is Lyzander the Luminar, a vintage coin-operated fortune-telling machine, who likes 60s music and prefers to be called Larry. Also on the case is Stan’s soulmate Mo, a waitress with a 1930s hard-boiled private eye alter-ego.

With Larry dispensing clues a dime at a time, and Mo using her pulp-heroes’ P. I. techniques and noir detective parody language, the evidence mounts that the ghost is that of Mo’s ne’er-do-well father. As the case turns darker, the chances increase that Mo will run out of noir one-liners and Stan will run out of dimes.

Plenty of noir parody dialogue, clever throwaway lines, rare words that should make comebacks, magnificent turns of phrase and similes, fascinating characters, author Mike O’Malley has done it again. If it’s unclear exactly what “it” is, just visit his latest paranormal romp, part mystery, part comedy, all tour-de-farce: PIER PRESSURE. ~ Ed Mickolus, author of 50 books, none of them as good as this one.

Reader reviews of LAST BUT NOT FLEECED, the first in the “Stan and Mo Chronicles”

A fun romp up and down the Boardwalk in Atlantic City with wacky characters, including the ghost of a rockin’ & rhymin’ disc jockey and a great storyline. Thoroughly enjoyable read on par with Christopher Moore & Tammie Painter. Goodreads Review

A fun and quick read with well-developed and quirky characters that are easy to root for. A fun look into Atlantic City in the 70s. Cleverly and sophisticatedly written. Goodreads review

Last But Not Fleeced was more than a good story, it was an excellent adventure filled with plot twists and I didn’t see that coming moments.Last But Not Fleeced wasa nice escape from reality. ~ Goodreads Review

Great adventure with really fun characters you get attached to! Been a long time I’ve truly not been able to put a story down. Looking forward to following these characters! Purchase and enjoy! ~ Goodreads Review

Hard to believe this is a first novel. Mike O’Malley populates the fast-paced plot with distinctive characters, rollicking humor, a blizzard of bon mots, and enough hard-bitten noir throwaways to satisfy the toughest mug on the mean streets of Atlantic City. ~ Ed Mickolus, author, humorist, speaker, and recovering stand-up comic.

I wholeheartedly laughed from page after page at the memorable, iconic characters who inhabit the Jersey beach community and the compelling who-done-it tale they tell one entertaining detail after another. ~ Amazon Review

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