Marvin Levine
Lowcountry Author
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New Release - 3/4/24
Stilton Pine
Available on Amazon Print, ebook, and kindle unlimited
In a place where trees keep secrets, evil takes root.
Deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry’s dense pine forests, trouble lurks at the Stilton Pine lumber mill. Corey Matthews has just discovered a mangled body at his workstation and fears the worst when his best friend, Donnie Johnston is missing. Has the methamphetamine drug ring also been busted?
An outbreak of meth in the mill has Corey and many of his fellow union coworkers hooked on its cheap, easy high. The mill owners along with the town’s police chief are intent on driving out the scourge. But Donnie’s estranged wife, Deputy Valerie Johnston, has her own mission in mind.
Stilton Pine sizzles with rage, jealousy, fear, and addiction as the normally peaceful town of St. Michael descends into chaos amidst the unleashed turmoil. Who is responsible for the death of one of their leading citizens, and will they be held to justice? Who can be trusted, and who is being framed? It’s a race against time as a cross-team of law enforcement pool their resources in a desperate search for the source of the drugs and the perpetrators behind the brutal murder.
About Stilton Pine
In keeping with my recent genre trend, Stilton Pine is murder mystery / suspense thriller set in the South Carolina low country. For this book, however, I took several new angles which were not present in the last two novels.
First is the setting. The town of St. Michael and the Stilton Pine Lumber company are purely fictional. I placed them on the western edge of the Francis Marion National Forest. St. Michael is probably closest to the town of Huger on the map. But the draw to the area is the National Forest. When I had the opportunity to drive through that part of the forest last year, I was struck by the denseness of the woods. For miles long stretches along Highway 41 the forest seemed almost to swallow you up, turning a bright sunny day to a dusk like gloom. Although the first part of the story stays in the town and the mill, the ending moves to these woods where I hope to capture their mystique.
The second new feature of Stilton Pine was a kind of nod to my career in manufacturing. Much of the drama revolves around the tension between the union employees and the mill management. I saw 38 years of this in the metals and printing industries from the management perspective. Corey Matthews is the kind of quintessential blue-collar worker I had had the privilege of working with those many years. And although I have seen some questionable managers and management practices over time, no one in my experience was ever as bad as Kirk Stilton.
The workstation where Corey and Donnie work is a giant Debark mill. I had the opportunity to see one in action at a paper mill in Quebec many years ago. It is a huge, deafening machine that peels the bark off the logs as they tumble through. The idea of having a body go through that equipment added an extra layer of shock value to Chapter One.
Lastly, my favorite character in the book is Valerie Johnston. Her beauty belies her toughness. Although she can come across as self-centered, it is her call to duty and justice which stands out the most. That and the insatiable revenge.
Hope you enjoy the read.
Culligan's Way
Available now in ebook and print
Marvin's books have a way of drawing you in from the very beginning and never slowing down. Each chapter give you a few more bread crumbs to lure you along the way of a crazy journey. In A Trail Of Vengeance, you're hooked from chapter one. Throughout the story you can feel the tension growing with every flip of the page. From start to finish, this book does not disappoint.
Robin S.
Praise & Reviews
I enjoyed the book from cover to cover. The story kept me guessing and anticipating Shannon’s next move. There were lots of surprises and twists that kept my full interest. Also loved the Lowcountry Pawleys Island setting. A very interesting read that won’t disappoint.
Meg C.
Appearances
In Trail of Vengeance author Marvin Levine has spun a tail of murder and intrigue from start to finish. Crisp detail, shocking revelations, and a frightening ending on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean leaves the reader asking for more novels like this.
Jim M.
Culligan's Way is off to a great start with two launch events.
On March 18, 2023 I was with Becky and Nikki from SCWA at the Trinity Presbyterian Art and Craft show. Then on March 25, I formally launched Culligan's Way at Litchfield Books
It's been a busy December for A Trail of Vengeance. I participated in two great book signing events. On December 1 I was in Conway SC at the Barnes and Noble on the Horry/Georgetown Technical College campus for an author's signing event. Seven local authors were present including Caleb Wygal and T.I. Lowe. It was great to meet them and get some good advice from some established writers.
Then on December 10, Wendy and Olivia from Litchfield Book invited me back for an encore book signing. Had a great time meeting many of my local readers. What a great store. I'm so happy to have such wonderful support right down the street.
New book signing in Beaufort SC !
This coming Monday, May 30, Memorial Day, I will have another book signing at the Beaufort Bookstore in Beaufort SC from 10 am to 1 pm. Many thanks to Bruce Page for allowing me this opportunity. Hope to see you there !
Book launch at Litchfield Books on April 7 was a great success. Thanks Wendy and Olivia for all your help
See Upcoming Appearances
Look for my launch party at Litchfield Books
Listen in to WOHM 96.3 Charleston radio Thursday March 24 at 2:00 PM for a live radio interview. My first media contact !
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About Marvin Levine
There are three main factors I focus on in my writing. The first and foremost is to make the
story compelling. The plot must be original, exciting, but also based in reality. The characters
must be identifiable to the reader, and I want them to either love or hate them. The second factor
is to create tension in the storyline. I love to use chapter ending twists and turns, suspense, and
the gradual release of facts to keep the reader surprised and guessing. The third element is to tap
into the emotional state of each character, through both dialogue and description, so that the
reader ‘feels’ the story as it unfolds.
Above all, I write because of the passion I have for turning ideas, concepts, and pictures
conjured in my imagination into words, prose, and a compelling story other people will enjoy
reading. It truly gives me great pleasure to present a finished product.