Westport Prominently Featured in New Crime Thriller Novel

Westport resident, E.J. Simon's new novel, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his bestselling debut, Death Never Sleeps which rose to #2 on the Amazon Kindle list, will be published in the U.S. and Europe by Simon/Zef Publishing on October 15, 2014.

Death Logs In will once again feature E.J. unforgettable protagonists, Michael Nicholas and his now virtual brother, Alex. The fictional characters of Michael, and his wife Samantha, live in Westport and frequent many local establishments. Several key scenes transpires at legendary Mario's Place restaurant in Saugatuck.

"Death Logs In is a brilliant and compelling thriller. E.J.'s talent for storytelling, infused with intrigue, globetrotting, and humor is, again, on full display in this new book", said Andrea M. Marx, Publisher of Simon/Zef Publishing.

"The only A.I. protagonist in crime thrillers is back, and nothing is ever as it first appears in an E.J. Simon novel." said Simon's technology consultant and editor, Dan White. "This book's narrative begins on a summer evening in Westport and quickly leads the reader around the globe. From the first page, E.J's readers will be tense with anticipation as Michael and Alex Nicholas as they navigate a new landscape of corporate greed, underworld drama, and advances in artificial intelligence. Death Logs In is full of the nerve wracking turns he is known for."

Asked why he based so much of the novel in Westport, Mr. Simon responded, "my wife and I have lived here for over 20 years, and even though, for many of us, we like to think of Westport as ours, the truth is no matter where we travel in the world people know Westport. So, for many readers, they will know Westport - and what it's like regardless of the fact that they have never stepped foot in the town."

Several key scenes take place at Mario's, why there? "why not? Mario's is Westport. Where else in Westport do you see a single mom and her children at one table and at the next a hedge fund manager, who may have just moved a couple hundred million that day, in a $10,000 Brioni suit? Add to that all the characters that make up Westport, and who usually can be found there - and you have a location for a story that you couldn't make up if you tried."

Simon says, he was overwhelmed by the success of the first book, and how many Westporter's stopped him to ask about what happens to Michael - and can they really "live" like Alex. Alex Nicholas, Michael's brother, was gunned down in book one and lives on in an artificial intelligence software program.

"I tell them, when I started writing about the virtual Alex, I assumed that the A.I. technology needed to create him was far off in the future, I quickly realized it's not that far off at all, some say within 15 years we can be 'duplicated' in every way online. You know, we all think about living forever, I assumed it would happen through medicine - yet, like so many things that 15 years would seem unbelievable -like the smartphone you may be reading this on - it can happen on my laptop"

Death Never Sleeps, published on August 15, 2013, achieved a #2 position on Amazon Kindle and entered numerous bestseller lists in the U.S. and abroad. Initially self-published, Simon/Zef began publishing Death Never Sleeps after it moved over 80,000 copies within the first year.

N
Submitted by Norwalk, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next