Fredrickson, Jack

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Fredrickson, Jack

PERSONAL:

Married; wife's name Susan.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Chicago, IL. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, designer, consultant, and entrepreneur. Owner and manager of an interior design and commercial furnishings firm. Worked as a productivity consultant.

WRITINGS:

A Safe Place for Dying, St. Martin's Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to anthologies, including Burden of the Badge, edited by Michael Connelly. Contributor to periodicals, including Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jack Fredrickson entered the field of mystery fiction with his debut novel A Safe Place for Dying. Fredrickson introduces Norwegian investigator Vlodek "Dek" Elstrom, still recovering from a scandal that destroyed his career, shattered his marriage, and ruined his reputation. Dek bides his time in the turret of a castle that his grandfather never finished building, restoring the building a bit at a time while fighting meddling inspectors. Dek is hired to investigate the mysterious explosion and destruction of a multimillion-dollar home in the exclusive Crystal Waters gated community where he used to live before his marriage fell apart. The official explanation for the blast is a gas leak, but the reality is more sinister. As Dek begins his investigation, he learns that an extortion letter has arrived, suggesting that the first explosion was no gas leak, and that more devastation will occur unless demands are met. As Dek zeroes in on likely suspects, he is dismayed to learn that one of the two most likely suspects is himself. Dek knows he is being framed, and not only has to corner the other suspect, he has to somehow lift the stain of suspicion from himself. Ever hopeful, Dek also thinks that if he successfully solves this case, he might be able to reconcile with his ex-wife. The novel is "talky and occasionally pokey, but redeemed by expressive prose and an ingratiating protagonist with wit, style, and courage," remarked a critic in Kirkus Reviews. "Fredrickson has created an engaging new detective in this funny, hard-boiled story," commented Barbara Bibel in Booklist. The book is "smartly plotted, briskly paced, and laced with humor," noted a Publishers Weekly contributor, who also called Fredrickson's novel an "impressive debut" and an "accomplished first."