Death in Nostalgia City
Desert Kill Switch
The Marijuana Murders
Dark Ride Deception
Death in Nostalgia City
“A rollicking good read! That’s how I would describe Mark S. Bacon’s novel, Death in Nostalgia City. 
It’s a page turner, a fast-paced mystery that pits the good guys against the obvious bad guys with forceful but satisfying results. Half way through Death in Nostalgia City, the reader pretty much knows who’s guilty. Learning how all the pieces of the plot fit intricately together and watching the villains’ attempts to avoid capture and prosecution are what’s so enjoyable about reading Bacon’s thriller.
The setting plays a key role. Nostalgia City is an adult theme park, built in the Arizona desert not far from old Route 66 and designed to attract the baby boomer generation. The community replicates the 1970s, with no signs of modernization whatsoever. Old gas pumps, old cash registers, old movies, old music, even old amusement park rides. The only hint of the twenty-first century is an Indian casino just a few miles away, easily accessible by riding a nostalgic old train. Billionaire Max Maxwell has thought of everything to attract paying customers.
Death in Nostalgia City opens with a series of unusual accidents. Suddenly the idyllic scenery is filled first with worrisome snags and then with fatal calamities. The theme park’s designer and financial guru, dissatisfied with park security, asks Lyle Deming, an ex-Phoenix cop who works in Nostalgia City as a taxi driver, to investigate. Maxwell also hires Kate Sorenson, a Las Vegas public relations specialist, to counter the bad publicity that is driving customers away. Before long, Lyle and Kate are a team, working together to figure out who is behind the dastardly deeds that are driving the customers away.
Lyle and Kate are a charming twosome, first determining the culprits, then calculating ways to trap the evil doers. As you can tell by my language, Death in Nostalgia City is just plain fun. Even though there are several violent encounters, the rapid pace and the intricate machinations make the novel a delight, not a downer at all. Bacon plots well, characterizes well, and writes well. In addition, “Nostalgia City” turns Disneyland into Magic Mountain into Dollywood into Wall Street into the mean streets of New York City, a winning collage of baby boomer fantasies and reminiscences.”
–Ann Ronald, Bookin’ with Sunny Reviews
Set in an artfully imagined retro theme park in the Arizona desert, Mark Bacon’s Death in Nostalgia City kept me turning pages with its many twists, breathtaking drops and loops, and heart-in-your-throat suspense.
I enjoyed watching the relationship grow between Lyle Deming, an ex-cop happily ensconced in his stress-free job as a theme park cabbie, and Kate Sorensen, a woman drawn to demanding and challenging PR assignments. Lyle and Kate rub each other the wrong way until they’re thrown together to figure out who’s sabotaging the theme park. They begin to trust and rely on each other and become a formidable team working for the same end-result, although initially for different reasons.
Well written and well crafted, with believable characters and impeccable pacing, Bacon builds conflicts and tension in every scene. Elements that made this mystery stand out above others were Bacon’s period-perfect setting descriptions, great action sequences, surprise ending, wry humor and lots of heart.
You can tell when a writer was having fun writing the story because that enthusiasm transfers to the reader. In Death in Nostalgia City, Mark Bacon was definitely having fun. You will, too.
I highly recommend it!
–Linda Townsdin, author, Spirit Lake mystery series
“Disney for the boomers….
Lyle retired from the police force and took a job driving a cab in Nostalgia City (a 70’s theme park) to relax ,and to enjoy his time with the transients he drove around NC. But life is never simple is it? He’s asked to aid in an investigation of sabotage! ‘ Accidents’ are intentional and the incidents are piling up. Bad press is adding to the pressure of keeping the park afloat.
There is danger, murder, secrecy, a bit of romance, and down the wire hold your breath anticipation.
I truly do wish there existed, a Nostalgia City.”
–Linda Marsheells, LibraryThing top 1% reviewer
“I really enjoyed everything about this book! It is indeed a taste of nostalgia bringing back all that was new and “happening” during that time period… Loved it, Loved It.”
—Glenda Bixler, Book Readers Heaven
“Death In Nostalgia City is very aptly titled because while I was reading it I felt like I was taking a walk down memory lane. Not that I had experience with a murder but this book reminded me of the old police dramas that I enjoyed watching. Memories of shows like Starsky and Hutch and The Rockford Files came flooding back to me while I was reading this book. And that is a good thing.
There is so much to love about this book. The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. Both Lyle and Kate have very many human traits that we all have. Both Lyle and Kate come into each other’s lives and into the investigation with baggage. Kate has problems with commitments. Lyle left the police force under questionable circumstances and really struggles with his anxiety disorder. They seem very realistic to me and are very easy to start caring and worrying about.
The setting of the theme park is described so well that I wish that a place like that really existed. Everything from the early seventies is replicated, from the clothing, food, vehicles and music.
Being a teenager in the seventies, I could relate to all of these things and it brought back memories for me. This is one of the things I liked most about the book.
The book pulled me in from the very beginning and never let me go. There are so many twists and turns contained within this book that at times I almost felt dizzy. The suspense and tension are almost palpable and I had to keep turning pages as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen to Lyle and Kate.
I would recommend this well-crafted mystery suspense to anyone who enjoys this genre. If you have lived through the seventies, you will enjoy this book even more. Hopefully this is the start of a new series for Mark S. Bacon. I want to be able to learn more about Lyle and Kate and get to know them even better.”
“Just as baby boomers love nostalgia and trivia, they will love Death in Nostalgia City. It’s a twisty mystery set in a retro theme park in the Arizona desert. The fast-paced story travels to Boston and back as we meet a diverse blend of intriguing characters, all with something to hide.
“Off-beat ex-cop Lyle Deming pursues suspects with an intensity bordering on obsession. He frustrates his younger partner with his questionable logic and his puzzling references to ‘60s and ‘70s trivia he knows well. Reading this theme park thriller is more fun than winning a trivia contest and riding your favorite wooden coaster on the same day!”
–Wilson Casey, syndicated columnist, author and Guinness World Record trivia guy
This novel is written in such a way that the suspense is palpable, the characters are likable, and the 70s backdrop adds an element of fun.
Bacon is an excellent storyteller. He has imagination, and is able to put his ideas together in such a way that readers won’t be able to put this book down. The characters are well-developed, and seem like real people. The nostalgic theme park is unique and fascinating; it seems Bacon has done his research on the 70s, and everything mentioned – from the old cars, old music and radio programs is absolutely true to the period.
Death in Nostalgia City will especially appeal to baby boomers because of the 70s theme, but the book is highly recommended for almost anyone. It’s a delightful trip back in time with plenty of twists, turns, and a surprise ending.
—Karen Hancock
Bella Online’s Suspense/Thriller Books Editor
“Bacon has written an entertaining crime novel full of action, intrigue and heart. With a pair of likable protagonists and a unique setting, this is one fast, fun ride. I want to visit Nostalgia City!”
— Wendy Tyson, Author of the Allison Campbell Mystery Series
“With Death in Nostalgia City, Bacon has created an exquisite theme park resort. When a little crime and murder invades this sterile amusement park environment, the result is a mystery that will keep you turning the pages. Family vacations will never be the same.”
–Jim Hillman, author, Amusement Parks
Director, National Amusement Park Historical Association
Imagine Disney except for adults–baby boomers to be exact. That is what Max has created, a theme park which pretty well mimics the 60’s and 70’s. Lyle Deming, who left the police department under not the best of circumstances now is happily driving a cab for tourists in this make-believe town.
Then accidents start happening and Max hires Kate who is a super PR person to try and stop the bad publicity or at least put a better spin on it. The accidents become more frequent–then someone dies. Max convinces Lyle to investigate.
There are twists and turns aplenty in this one! Lyle and Kate have to team up and try to stay alive to save the park! Not everyone is so lucky–I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and was happy at a decision to add something to the park at the end–Will there be another in this series? I’m not sure-but there should be!! Five Stars
—Michele Bodenheimer, MikisHope.com
The old saying, smile things could get worse – I smiled and sure enough they got worse should be Lyle Deming’s creed. Lyle is an ex-cop now driving a cab in a theme park. The goal of the job is to reduce his anxieties.
Nostalgia City is a theme park that allows one to visit the past. A complete, circa 1970 is replicated – cars, music, clothes, etc. are all appropriate for the year.
The attitude of Nostalgia City is relaxed, laid back, chill but then rides are tampered with, and tourists die. As Lyle was a cop, the owner of the park asks Lyle to investigate off the record.
But things go from bad to worse – more violence, employees are stalked. Lyle turns to the park’s PR director for help. Kate, a former college basketball player joins in the investigation. Unfortunately, Kate just can’t blend in – not at 6 foot 2 inches and beautiful.
Even with a beautiful sidekick, Lyle and Kate work together to discover whether these are accidents or not? Whether corporate espionage or not? And who is doing this?
DEATH IN NOSTALGIA CITY is a delightful combination of past and present thrillers. The theme park makes you feel, taste, even touch 1970s. If you remember the 70s you will enjoy the park. But the present is not left behind- leaving a good weave to mystery and excitement in both eras. Well written, highly enjoyable and a great step back to another time.
I give it 5 stars.
–Dr. Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D. MHt.
Review Coordinator
Futures (mostly) Mystery Magazine
Death in Nostalgia City takes the reader for a ride in Lyle Deming’s cab (a 1973 Dodge Polara) through the Nostalgia City theme park – welcome back to the 70s.
Ex-cop Deming is pressed into service to investigate when accidents start happening and it looks like sabotage. The ex-FBI security chief doesn’t like it but PR Director (and ex-basketball star) Kate Sorenson teams up with Lyle to find out who-dun-nit and why.
The setting is detailed and imaginative. DJ Big Earl Williams keeps the wax spinning and provides a soundtrack to warm any boomer’s heart. The reader, like the tourists, gets to travel a generation back in time and imagine the fun of visiting such a theme park. Until the present ominously intrudes.
It’s fun to see how Deming works in two eras – using 21st century techniques and tools in his detecting and then easily segueing back into the 70s for a tour of the park. Wonder which time zone he would really rather live in.
Bacon has created a compelling world with characters and puzzles to keep the plot moving.
Although both have major personal issues, Kate and Lyle form a cohesive unit looking into the lethal occurrences. When more deadly incidents happen, Lyle and Kate begin to believe investors with an insider quisling or two are sabotaging Nostalgia City which leads them diagonally across the country to Massachusetts where they deploy methods a cop could never use.
The investigation engages the audience especially with a six foot plus female trying to be inconspicuous. However, the exhilarating storyline belongs to Nostalgia City’s early 1970s theme that captures much of the era’s pop culture; especially baby boomers who heard “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan on AM and watched the first showing of the soaps and All in the Family.
—Harriet Klausner, Amazon #1 Hall of Fame reviewer
Genre Go Round Reviews
“Having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s this series of books (yes I read the first two) felt like a homecoming to me. I really wish there was a theme park like the one depicted in these novels… I ended up reading [it] in one session–could not put it down!” (five stars)
Michele Bodenheimer, Miki’s Hope
Desert Kill Switch
“Love this book! I was so happy to be back in Nostalgia City, the retro theme park in Arizona. Bacon’s protagonist 
Kate Sorensen is a three dimensional character, who stands up to the challenges of a murder accusation, blackmail and being stranded in the desert in August – all without being ‘Super woman’. Tension mounts as Kate and Lyle tackle a missing corpse, an over-the-top classic car festival and a mysterious mint-condition 1973 Firebird that Deming saw where it shouldn’t be – or did he? This is the kind of book where you keep saying ‘just one more chapter.’ ”
–Anne Saller, owner
Book Carnival mystery bookstore
Orange, Calif.
“The story starts bang on page one as ex-cop Lyle Deming comes across a dead body and an abandoned blue Pontiac Firebird in the middle of the Arizona desert. But when he’s able to finally get the cops along to investigate, they find nothing. Both car and body have disappeared into thin air.
“Bacon’s prose is slick, his dialogue taut, and he makes great use of short chapters to tempt the reader to keep turning those pages. His creation of Nostalgia City, a retro theme park in which nothing older than 1975 is allowed, is a stroke of genius. Imagine that, no Facebook! The place apparently featured more heavily in the previous book, but it’s still a significant presence here, with Lyle’s job as NC cab-driver providing some all-important narrative thrust. But don’t worry, the car-centric plot rattles along nicely even if you aren’t (like me) much of a petrol-head.
“The titular ‘kill switch’—a device that stops an engine stone dead if the owner hasn’t kept up with their rental payment—is a new one on me. But it’s a real thing, and pretty horrifying. Google it. It’s as good a plot device as any to fuel this mystery story and Bacon extrapolates brilliantly to expose a whole world of corporate corruption lurking under the metaphorical hood.”
Mark Campbell
Mystery People (UK)
“This novel reaches out and grabs the reader from the beginning – from the car and bullet-riddled body disappearing to the non-stop action in Reno and Vegas. Lyle and Kate are both very likable people with whom readers can empathize…
“…There are several plot twists that kept this reader guessing, with well-defined characters and a fast-moving story that will be appreciated by collectible car enthusiasts and those who love the Arizona deserts and well-written mysteries. The end is a complete surprise, not only regarding the real killer(s) but also how the initial mystery with the Firebird is resolved. I highly recommend this delightful high desert novel!”
—Open Book Society reviewer Jeanie
“The hero and heroine are very likeable and their chemistry with each other adds suspense to the story. The contributing characters tend to be eccentric and quirky which makes them more interesting. The mystery was a fun one and I think that most readers will enjoy trying to figure out what happened to both bodies.
“Desert Kill Switch” by Mark S. Bacon is highly recommended reading for mystery fans.”
–Paige Lovitt
Reader Views
“While driving along an empty desert road, Lyle Deming spots a vintage 1970s Pontiac Firebird with a bullet riddled body beside it. When he returns with sheriff’s deputies, the car and the body are gone.
“Desert Kill Switch is the second book in a series set in Nostalgia City. Nostalgia City is an Arizona theme park that is a re-creation of a 1970s era small town.
“This book is a gritty, fast-paced, and quick read; especially quick because it’s difficult to put the book aside after reading the first few pages. The characters are engaging. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, lots of suspects and motives, and…a missing vintage car and a missing corpse.
“Since this is the first book in this series that I have read, the ex-cop Lyle Deming and PR exec Kate Sorensen characters were new to me although they were carried over from Death in Nostalgia City, the first book in the series. Not being familiar with the series characters didn’t diminish my enjoyment of Desert Kill Switch, though I plan to read Death in Nostalgia City while I wait for book number three in the series.”
–Cherie Jung
Overmydeadbody.com
“Mark. S. Bacon serves us a compelling second helping of mystery and mayhem in and around the fictional 1970’s theme park, Nostalgia City. Readers will find themselves smiling and nodding in appreciation as twists and turns are revealed in the multi-layered mystery that protagonists Lyle Deming and Kate Sorensen find themselves racing to solve. The fast-paced plot-line is both creative and timely, a nod to Mr. Bacon’s critical eye gained from his journalism experience. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series!”
–Carrie C. Wolfgang, owner
Novel Destination book store
Jamestown, NY
“[Bacon continues] his philosophical investigation of our relationship to the past, the roles, both positive and negative, that nostalgia plays in our emotional landscape. All of that is wrapped up in a rollicking murder mystery with two complex and appealing amateur sleuths and a frisson of romance.”
—Alison McMahan, screenwriter, filmmaker and author,
The Saffron Crocus
“Having read and loved the first book in this series “Death in Nostalgia City” I knew I just had to read this one. I was definitely not disappointed!
Lyle Deming and Kate Sorensen pair up again. Kate is a suspect in a murder–and Lyle has to help her prove her innocence. She goes into hiding. Her boyfriend is absolutely no help! Meanwhile a dead body which Lyle had spotted disappeared before the deputies could get there–where was this blue vintage car and it’s very dead driver? Who actually was the murderer ? Lots of suspects and both cases get solved–but not the way or by who you might think.
This can be read as a stand alone but you will probably want to read the first novel as well!!”
–Michele Bodenheimer, Miki’s Hope
“Nostalgia City is a great idea that I wish really existed. A whole city dedicated to days gone by – clothes, music, architecture, food, even the slang of the day. What fun!
Kate and Lyle decide that the best way to clear Kate’s name is to find the real killer. Their quest to do this encompasses blackmail, murder, suspense and enough thrills to tickle your fancy. Throw in the 100 degree heat of the desert and the reader can feel perspiration start rolling off his/her forehead.”
–Mary Ann Smyth
Bookloons
“It’s fun, suspenseful and impossible to put down once you crack the spine. I am going to search out the first in the series and keep an eye out for the third which is promised to be published soon.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves an easy to read, well written novel with an intriguing plot. And it is a must read for mystery loving vintage car fans.”
“If you like fast-paced mysteries, nasty characters and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end, this is a must read!”
–Linda Townsdin
Author of Blow Up on Murder and the Spirit Lake Mysteries
“In Desert Kill Switch Mark Bacon weaves a fascinating mystery around murder, a missing body and a beautiful woman racing against time to clear her name of a crime she did not commit. Antique cars, fast cars and the threat of death in the desert between Las Vegas and Reno combine to give readers a thrilling ride.”
–Bourne Morris,
author of The Red Queen Rules and the Red Solaris mystery series
“…straight out of classical detective fiction…told at a fun, engine-revving pace.”
–Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
The Marijuana Murders
“A death at the garage complex of Nostalgia City, an Arizona theme park that simulates an American town in the year 1975, propels Bacon’s charming third Nostalgia City mystery (after Desert Kill Switch)…. readers looking for escapist reading will be satisfied.”
–Publishers Weekly
“It doesn’t happen to me very often–in the first pages of The Marijuana Murders, I knew I was going to enjoy the ride. I was glad I stuck with it.
“For one thing, much of the story is set in Nostalgia City–no, not the real museum in Myrtle Beach–but a fictional theme park in Arizona where everything is maintained in the state it was in the 1970s. Especially cars.
“For another thing, the backdrop to the story is the competing interests of two movements wanting to legalize pot in Arizona; one wants to impose corporate control over pot sales and the other wants a looser, grow-your-own approach. Do their conflicting interests set the stage for murders in Nostalgia City? Toss in those opposed to legalizing pot at all and we get a number of competing perspectives. Everything is happening with major touches of the ’70s mixed in with contemporary issues.
“And right from the get-go, we are introduced to a stellar cast of characters revolving around the pivotal pair of Kate Sorenson, the Vice President of Public Relations for Nostalgia City walking around on alluring long legs, and Lyle Deming, former cop and now cab driver for visitors to the immense theme park. They assist official law enforcement when employees start dying in a refurbishing garage which turns out to be the center of a large-scale drug ring.
“Mark S. Bacon unwinds his mystery with a light tone and often humorous touches as parallel investigations get underway as various potential criminals are checked out, ruled out, pulled to the top of the suspect lists, and put Kate, Lyle, and Arizona police in deadly danger for unclear and unknown motives. Through it all, Mark Bacon keeps the pace fast-moving, the descriptions vivid, the setting unusual, the lead players interesting, the plot intriguing, and the surprises coming. You want more in a murder mystery?
“I admit, after completing the third volume in the Nostalgia City yarns, I plan on going back and diving into volumes one and two and hoping for another round down the road.”
Dr. Wesley Britton,
author of Onscreen and Undercover and the Beta-Earth Chronicles
Bookpleasures.com
“The Marijuana Murders is riddled with action and suspense that will keep the pages turning. With all the mystery and secrets it will keep you hooked with guessing and trying to figure out whodunit. It’s a fast paced read that will keep you wanting more, with a very surprising ending to whodunit.
“If you are into mystery and suspense then I highly recommend The Marijuana Murders.”
Nancy Allen
The Avid Reader.com
“I really enjoyed this delightful and well done mystery. The characters are alive and sparkling and bring you right into the action. The background and scenery are both well done. The murder and drug plots have twists and turns that will keep you guessing right into the final reveals. I highly recommend this mystery for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with lots of action and red herrings!”
Doward Wilson,
Kings River Life
What a mind-blowing and exciting read!
“Even though The Marijuana Murders was book three in a series I found that this novel still suited my tastes as a lover of the mystery genre and it held its own as a single read. During a great, solid opening chapter, the tension built and the action really started to happen.
“The setting of a 1970’s theme park was highly original, for me anyway. The characters created by the author, Mark S. Bacon, were fascinating in themselves and the pacing was perfect for the story. With an effortlessly transitioning plot-line, the suspense just built and built as the story progressed, right up until the exciting and nail-biting conclusion. I just had to keep turning those pages and I didn’t guess the identity of the perpetrators in this fantastic mystery.
“This multi-layered mystery was most intriguing, especially with the inclusion of some of the interesting links, including the political and current events which complemented the setting of the theme park, Nostalgia City and the current desire to make marijuana legal for all adults.
“I loved the chemistry and tenderness between the main characters, Kate Sorensen and Lyle Deming. I liked Kate’s unwavering loyalty, fearlessness and determination. For his part, theme park cab driver and ex-cop Lyle, though anxiety-ridden, was tireless in his dogged pursuit of the truth.
“If you’re looking for a truly explosive read, then I heartily recommend The Marijuana Murders. I will be looking out for more by this fabulous author, Mark S. Bacon.”
Bridget East
Brianne’s Book Reviews
“Tightly plotted and interwoven mysteries which make you wonder ‘who dunnit?’ to the end are a pleasure to those who love the mystery genre like I do. Mark S. Bacon brings that special something to his Nostalgia City Mysteries. He also uses his journalist background to give the reader well written prose, timely subject matter for discussion (in this novel: legalization of marijuana, medical marijuana vs. general use, gang violence, business decisions vs. moral choices, to name a few), and well-developed characters.”
Carrie Wolfgang, owner
Novel Destination – Used Book Emporium
Jamestown, NY
“Through finely developed characters and interesting plot twists, this murder mystery, set at Nostalgia City, thoroughly entertains! As a 70s/80s retro DJ, I thought the references to the era, whether via music, cars or clothing, added a nice touch and elicited more than a few smiles. When Nostalgia City is finally built, count me in as someone who waits in line!”
Barry Scott, Curator
“The Lost 45s” ™
Nationally syndicated oldies DJ
https://www.lost45.com
“I was drawn to this book for two reasons – its unique setting (a 1970s theme park) and the issues at the heart of the mystery – drug smuggling and the movement to legalize marijuana. The main characters, Kate and Lyle, were believable and each add their own perspectives to the investigation, which takes multiple turns, with red herrings and twists along the way. An intriguing mystery that kept me engaged throughout.
“This well written novel offers readers an added value – it provides insights into the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana use, and into the complex politics of the process. In addition, the vivid descriptions of the Nostalgia City theme park brought the novel setting to life and evoked memories of an era long past.”
“Visit the Nostalgia City theme park, where the 1970s are alive and well, and the murders are dope. Suspects are as plentiful as bell bottoms at the disco and the mystery as twisty as a vintage roller coaster.”
Becky Clark, author of the Mystery Writer’s Mysteries
“I found this story to being very imaginative. Each page was thrilling and shocking. The story was definitely different and outside the box. Each page had me feeling like I was on a roller-coaster experiencing the ups & downs of the ride with each turn. This is a must read story!”
“This was an unusual mystery, and I mean that in a good way. First, the setting is a 70’s theme park, which was a lot of fun to read. Second, the main topic being fought over (marijuana legalization) is a current hot topic, and I enjoyed how the author handled it. Rather than making it a fight between supporters and detractors, it was instead a fight between two different groups of supporters, which added a different spin on the issue and upped the tension. Plus, I could tell the author had researched this issue…
“…the plot kept twisting and turning, keeping me guessing. I greatly enjoyed this mystery, and look forward to reading the other books in this series.”
Emily, Sharing Links and Wisdom
“A story of action, adventure, conspiracy, and murder sure to entice any reader….Those who enjoy a murder mystery will not be disappointed with the twists and turns this story provides. And romance lovers will not be left out either, as the relationship between the main characters becomes more intense and passionate. All in all I have to say I greatly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to all.”
“The mysteries were very intriguing, keeping my attention throughout…. I recommend this novel to those who like well-crafted mysteries in a unique setting.”
Jeanie Dannheim
Open Book Society
Dark Ride Deception
“A good mystery can always draw me in and completely captivate me. On top of an expertly crafted mystery, Bacon explores deep into many characters lives which adds multiple layers to the story.”
—Novel News Network
“What an ultimate thrill ride. It’s so well put together, ingenious, and original.
“A unique premise that was very well executed makes for a great mystery read. Don’t miss this one!”
—Texas Book Nook
“Mark S. Bacon’s well-told mystery is clever, smooth, and intriguing, with a reluctant detective who has just the right touch of self-deprecating humor. The author’s wry wit and engaging voice will keep you turning the pages of Dark Ride Deception until the very last satisfying twist.”
–Mary Adler, author of the Oliver Wright WWII mystery series
“Two mystery plots tantalize and interweave as chapters and sections alternate: Lyle sneaking his way to an answer, Kate finding her answers while she works to protect Nostalgia City’s reputation. Of course, they are comparing notes, since they do have a relationship.
“Bacon’s history of working with a Southern California amusement park (rhymes with “Dots Merry Charm”) gives him an understanding of working in the park industry, and he provides realistic details for background. His previous books in the series give a confidence to the characters and pacing. Dark Ride Deception is a mystery thrill ride that, when I went to Disneyland in the Sixties, would have deserved an E-ticket.”
“I don’t think I was quite prepared to become so addicted and consumed by this story.
The writing was smart and witty…. I found the plot to be filled with mystery, drama, and much more.”
—The Indie Express
“Theme park called Nostalgia City is almost as much of a unique character as the human characters. [It] adds a lot of out-of-the-ordinary places, people, and situations to this story…multiple threads keep things moving along at a fast pace.”
—Big Al’s Books and Pals
“A thrilling mystery with plenty of twists and turns. I can definitely recommend this read.”
— Claire at Yet Another Blogging Mummy
“The characters were perfect for the story and I enjoyed the dual point of view… I will be going back to the beginning of the series to experience it.
— Books in the Skye
Nostalgia City Mysteries 