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| Downtown Red Bank, NJ |
New Jersey author Richard Brawer writes mystery, suspense and historical
fiction. When not writing, he spends his time sailing and searching out local
history. Learn more about him and his books at his website.
My mystery series, Murder at the Jersey Shore, is set
in and around Red Bank, New Jersey in eastern Monmouth County. Founded in the
1700s at the headwaters of the Navesink River, Red Bank―the city is named for the red dirt that forms the
river bank― is an architectural aficionado’s dream. As the town grew from colonial times to
the present, every architectural period is represented―Greek Revival, Second
Empire, Colonial, Georgian, Victorian, Contemporary, Classic Italianate, and
Commercial.
In 1984 the city had acquired the nickname “Dead
Bank”. Half the storefronts had “for
rent” signs in their grimy windows, the merchants having moved to the malls on
the highway. The retailers and restaurateurs
that managed to survive were a hardy lot and decided it was time to take
action. In 1991 they created a
company called River Center to revive the town. These forward-looking
businessmen convinced the politicians to add a surcharge to the commercial
property taxes to fund their organization. River Center then used that money to
spruce up the town, refurbishing the sidewalks with paver bricks, adding
century-old style lampposts and bringing festivals and special events to town.
Today, Red Bank is listed in travel magazines as one
of the hundred best weekend getaways in the country and has been dubbed “Hip
Town.” The city is a delight to stroll through and gaze at the displays in the
windows of the fashion boutiques and art galleries; visit the renowned antique
center; take in a show at the renovated 1000 seat Count Basie Theater (the
count was born in Red Bank); and eat at one of the restaurants offering a wide
variety of fare from neighborhood friendly burgers, Soho chic, elegant Italian and
Asian cuisine and scrumptious baked goods at Carlo’s Bakery, the star of Cake Boss. If you should visit Red Bank
in the wintertime when it’s cold enough for the river to freeze, make sure you
catch the ice boaters. If you’ve never seen iceboating, it’s a sight to behold.
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| The Battle of Monmouth |
While you’re visiting Red Bank, you may want to take
a day to travel through other areas of Monmouth County to the sight of The
Battle of Monmouth, the longest and last major battle of the Revolutionary War
as well as the largest field artillery battle, and where the legend of Molly
Pitcher was born; visit the twin lights, in the Highlands where Marconi ran the
first test of his wireless telegraphy in the Western Hemisphere and stroll through
their maritime museum; take in a day at Monmouth Park Race Track; catch a
fishing boat out of the nearby Highlands and Atlantic Highlands marinas; visit
Mount Mitchel and pay your respects to the 9/11 victims at the beautiful
memorial; or just loll on the beaches of Sandy Hook.
By the way, if you stroll around Sandy Hook, keep
your eyes on the ground. The tides continually shift the sand, and Super Storm
Sandy created a major disruption. Someone occasionally finds a gold coin from a
sunken ship after storms move the sand around.
For colonial history, visit the “Four
Corners” in Shrewsbury, the town bordering Red Bank to the south. The “Four
Corners” is one of the most historic areas in the country. On the north east
corner is a Quaker meetinghouse.
The still active congregation dates back to 1672. The present meetinghouse was erected in
1816 as the original one had burned.
On the southeast corner is Christ
Church, built before the Revolution. It’s an Episcopal congregation and had
been a Tory stronghold. One interesting story about the dents in the weather
vane on top of the copula is that the dings were supposedly made by loyalists
shooting at the vane. East of Christ Church is the Presbyterian Church also
built before the Revolution.
If you visit the churches on Sunday,
you can worship at the congregation of your choice and at the same time take in
the stained glass windows and other artifacts from the colonial era.
On the northwest corner is the Allen
House. Formerly an inn and tavern, the building was also built before the Revolution.
The Allen House museum is run by the Monmouth County Historical Society and is
open to the public.
On a landscaped traffic island in the
middle of Sycamore Avenue between the Quaker meeting house and the churches is
a plaque which reads, “The Delaware Trail used by the Leni Lenape Indians and
later by Washington’s troops as they chased the British from The Battle of
Monmouth.”
Murder at
the Jersey Shore is a three book
mystery series in one volume―Secrets can be Deadly, Diamonds are
for Stealing and Murder on the Links, all
featuring
detective
David Nance and his on-again, off-again relationship with girlfriend Bobbie.
Secrets Can Be Deadly
As
a single parent, David Nance’s mother is devoted to her son. When David finds
her murdered on the eve of her sixtieth birthday, he sets out to avenge her
death. His investigation uncovers a brain-impaired baby born twenty-six years
ago that had either been switched at birth or murdered. The mounting evidence
forces David to come face to face with the idea that his mother may not only
have been involved, but as a delivery room nurse in the hospital for thirty
years, may also have been a blackmailer. As David digs into the backgrounds of
the murder suspects, he is tormented when one-by-one he realizes each could be
his father. One is, but is his father also the murderer?
Diamonds are for Stealing
David
Nance is still angry, still mourning his mother when he takes on an insurance
case from an old rival. Investigating the circumstances surrounding a missing
diamond necklace, the new case throws him into the path of his old nemesis, the
man he blames for his mother's death. Already on notice from his girlfriend
Bobbie about his insatiable thirst for vengeance, David must walk a fine line
between cool, rational deduction and his inner rage. When the body count starts
mounting, the trail of diamonds leads him to a dangerous killer and a
confrontation with his own demons.
Murder On The Links
Rooting
out the murderers of a penny stock scam artist, a mob boss’s daughter, and a
prostitute, David Nance uncovers mob-infested stock brokers, fraudulent hedge
fund operators, loan sharks, blackmailers and deviant sex addicts from among
the high powered CEOs, lawyers, investment bankers, philanthropists and heirs
to fortunes at exclusive Riveredge Golf and Country Club.
