Torn from the news – ‘pea nuts’

Spanish Eye contains 22 cases from Leon Cazador, half-English, half-Spanish private eye.  Its release date is today, 29 November, from Crooked Cat Publishing.

The vast majority of these cases are based on true events…  The short story ‘Fair Cop’ was first published in magazine format in 2006: here is a very brief excerpt:

Fair Cop

“Nobody beats the shell man.”

Fairs bring out the best and the worst in some people. Today was Torre del Pozo’s annual feria. Perched a kilometre from the rugged rocks and sand dunes, the village was awash with colourful ribbons, flags and banners. The main street was closed off by police barriers and lined on either side by stalls. Near the ayuntamiento and church was a fenced and straw-filled arena where livestock would be sold. As I sat at an outside café table and sipped my second cortado of the day, the air was filled with the cries of cocks, the clucking of hens and the lowing of cattle. The fireworks would come later. If my informant was correct, and he usually was, today I would catch one of the most elusive among the ungodly.

Well, I said it was brief…

From time to time news reports echo the Cazador tales, and this is but one of them, from the Costa Blanca News of August 23, 2013:

 

Often, it seems like a merry-go-round, the itinerant con men trying to keep one step of the local police, while duping the unsuspecting public. To learn how this pertains to Leon Cazador’s little outing, please read the book…

UK paperback here

UK Kindle here

Amazon com paperback here

Amazon com Kindle here

Also available on Smashwords etc