Richard C Hemingway and the novel Past Twilight: Mainstream fiction stirred
with Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Action/Adventure and more than a smidgen of Science Fiction and humor. And
yes, all served up by a hard boiled detective.
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Please I need to hear what you think of this novel. I might not like some of the
responses I receive, but I will give careful thought to every criticism I receive. But if you like the
novel, please let me know what you feel. I am neither a famous celebrity nor novelist. I have to build my
buzz one person at a time. The odds are against me, but in the end, I have to know whether there is a
market for my novel or not. I am not a professional writer, so I am not going to churn out another novel
if this one fails.
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Past Twilight is one of those surprise first novels
that like THE KITE RUNNER and THE LOVELY BONES immediatly grabs the readers' attention and
makes you want more. Then magically a movie is produced and your prayers are answered. It is a
compelling story of past, present and future and how the decisions we make effect our life
journey. Heminway's style of writing is reminiscent of early detective stories by Mickey
Spillane and includes all the action, sex, and mystery associated with a classic who dunnit
story. This book is a must read and possibly read again for anyone that wants a novel that not
only entertains but makes you think what IF?
Liz B, Fort Pierce, Fl
I read the novel as soon as I got
it. I read it on the beach in San Juan, which is where I do a lot of my
reading.
I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is a terrific novel. It is a
brilliant display of story telling, wit, wisdom, and just the right amount of
sex.
Robert Panzararella, professor
Dept of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice
Administration at John Jay College, NY, NY.
Time
travel has always been an intriguing idea. Many of us have had one pivotal moment that
seemed to turn the rest of our lives in one direction or another. If that moment had been a
mistake that could have been avoided and you were given the chance to change the outcome,
would you go back in time to change things? To complicate things even more, what if you
died or somehow ceased to exist and could never return to the present time? Of course, the
answer would probably depend on how satisfied you are with your present life.
In Past Twilight, the main character is Jack Turner, a 59-year-old barhopping drunk who is
sour on women, sour on life, and has pretty much given up on humanity in general. We get
the feeling that he is disgusted with life and doesn’t care if he lives or dies. For years
he has been obsessed with a beautiful young woman who was brutally murdered.
The story takes on a supernatural twist when Jack meets a stranger who seems to know
everything about him – his past, present, and his future. This odd stranger seems to know
even his most intimate thoughts and feelings, including those about this young barmaid
whose murder seemed to turn his life in the wrong direction. Lending a supernatural twist,
this stranger admits to being an alien and offers Jack a chance to travel back in time to
change what happened during this pivotal period of his life, giving him a chance to save
this woman’s life and alter the downward spiral of his own life. Unfortunately, this travel
to the past will be permanent; he can never return to the present. Jack at first is
unbelieving and scoffs at idea. It is only when the alien accurately predicts that Jack
will be diagnosed with terminal cancer that he becomes a believer and decides to go back in
time to stop this murder.
As Jack travels twenty-six years back in time, he retains some, but not all, of his
memories of past events and people. The alien has also helped him by giving him clues,
“Find the mother and father and you will find your answers,” and the monetary resources,
through a lottery win, to stop these tragic events from happening.
The story is centered primarily around a bar in Jersey Shore. From Hemingway’s writing, we
can see that he has a great deal of background in law enforcement. There is a mystery to
solve, murder, a terrible hurricane, greed, and political corruption. In the beginning of
the book, Jack is an unlikely hero. He is a drunk, a racist, a sexist, and has a very
negative attitude on life and people. Yet as the story progresses he changes into a very
different person whose moral values have changed and is more likeable and optimistic.
Past Twilight is much more than a police/detective novel. The author includes many
philosophical thoughts on racism, politics, religion, and personality. For example, the
alien, in an effort to get Jack to change, instructs him in the four dimensions of
personality: the first - how we view ourselves, the second - how other people see us, the
third - who were really are, and the fourth - who we can be.
Hemingway is a very talented writer. Past Twilight is a fast-paced read that will keep you
turning the pages. My only suggestion would be to give the alien a larger role in the book.
I recommend it for those who enjoy light fantasy, mysteries, or police/detective novels.
And does the guy end up with the girl of his dreams to live happily ever after? You’ll have
to read the book to find out.
Past Twilight by Richard Hemingway is an excellent read
overall.
There is plenty of drama, a convoluted plot, well fleshed out major
characters, some steamy sex and a minimal amount of science fiction, which is used as a vehicle to make
the story workable and provide a way for the author to get the protagonist to a pivotal
crossroads of his own life. It is a story
of obsessive love or lust or, perhaps, a combination of both. There is greed,
dishonesty, criminality, aggression and murder; each being counterpointed by its
opposite and examined philosophically by the author using his own morals in addition to
those of society. Past Twilight could easily be rewritten as a screenplay and would make
an excellent motion picture. The hero goes from a down-in-the-dumps, amoral, alcoholic
to a temptable, imperfect savior of multiple lives by his own conscious decisions which generally move him toward
his own salvation. Families that fit together like a rubik’s cube are pressed toward
realignment while a narcissistic succubus tries her best to destroy most of the normal
relationships she encounters.
Since the book’s storyline has been generally outlined by another
reviewer, I will refrain from giving any more of the facts away. You, dear reader, are
to be left with no choice but to read the entire book for more details, a worthwhile
endeavor and a pleasure.
In addition to the book being a dramatic action novel set in the
Northeast seaside, we are provided with our own philosophical quandaries by imagining
ourselves in situations similar to those of the main character. I found myself asking
questions that you may well ask yourself: Can I look at all four of my “selves”? The
external persona I project to others, the internal me I try to convince
myself by rationalization that I am, the
“real” me with all facades stripped away and the person I should be and with
heroic effort, focus and honesty could be.
There are some technical difficulties in the first edition, most of
which should be cleared up in the second printing. These may occasionally derail a
proofreader’s train of thought in the first printing but for most readers of the newest
run of the book the train should stay trackbound and flow quite well, while providing an
entertaining, introspective and enjoyable sojourn from a busy day.
Bill B, Fort Pierce, FL
This novel is a combination of science fiction (time travel) and mystery as the hero
attempts to redeem his past and save the lives of others. The author uses a variety of
settings to create a good pace to the story and to give complexity to the characters and
their motives. I was around in the era in which the story unfolds (the 70’s) and Hemmingway
portrays this well, including the racism and the emotional context of that decade. The
novel starts with the words “Storm’s brewing” and I found that the slow revelation of
exactly who the hero is and what motivates him works well with the imagery of a gathering
storm.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a time travel mystery and I look
forward to more novels by this author.
Brenda McCreight
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