About Me
My background
I was born in New York City just before the end of World War II, and raised in the Bronx. I graduated Boston University School of Medicine in 1969 and moved to San Francisco for post-graduate training. I attended medical needs of American Indians at the start of their occupation of Alcatraz.
My writing roots
I moved to a small island off the coast of British Columbia where I read boxes of paperback detective books by authors like Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe,) Dashiell Hammett (Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles,) and Earl der Biggers (Charlie Chan.) Detective fiction became my favorite genre.
My style
I collected sketches over ten years for my memoirs and discovered to my dismay that I did not write very well, so I found a professional screenwriter to help me learn the craft. Rich Krevolin, professor of screenwriting at USC and UCLA, helped me develop a cinematic style, demonstrating character traits rather than describing them.
I'm from NYC so I talk fast and so do my characters. I have fond memories of the 1950s, so my series is set in 1950s NYC. The Case was my first book about a young female law student investigating for a law firm during the day and going to NYU Law School at night.
The Con Case Review
Review
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed By Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
The Con Case is the third book in The Alice White Investigator Series by Marc Hirsch, an intelligently plotted crime novel with characters that are compelling and interesting to follow. In a story set in New York in the ’50s, Alice White is investigating a ruthless gang of con artists. But it seems she is up against a very cunning enemy, the leader of the gang who gets a young man involved in their game and then frames him for murder. While Alice can see through the unconventional and sinister methods they use to ensure the loyalty of their recruits, she will have to match wits with the ruthless gang leader to succeed in saving a life and bringing the bad guys to justice. The only question is: Can she save her own life?
If you love sleuth novels, then this one will be a great read for you. I enjoyed the fact that Marc Hirsch has created a strong female protagonist and sent her into a world of wolves. Readers will easily feel connected to the protagonist, a character that is humanly flawed, but whose courage and intelligence compensate for her apparent flaws. Readers will also enjoy the way the villain, Pope, is developed; the kind of character whose wickedness and evil ways contradict everything we would admire in a hero. The Con Case is beautifully written, fast-paced and riveting, and readers will enjoy the emotional depth of the story. The author takes readers into the world of con artists and explores the psychology of deceit and manipulation in a very skillful way. This is a very satisfying read.
5 Star Review Of The Con Case
Review Rating:
5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review!
Reviewed By Kimberlee J Benart for Readers’ Favorite
The Con Case is the third book in The Alice White Investigator Series by Marc Hirsch. It continues the daring adventures of a law firm’s legal assistant and investigator, who is also an NYU law student at night, in exciting and colorful mid-1950s New York City. Three previous near-death experiences have left Alice wondering if criminal investigation is the kind of work she ought to do, even though it led her to her current boyfriend. But, when Michael Pope, a dangerous, abusive, wealthy “ruler” of a deadly sex-drugs-and-alcohol-infused “con game” empire, leaves a lot of victims in his wake, including the former boyfriend of a neighbor, Alice brings her investigative abilities to bear because, as a friend puts it, “Someone’s got to stand up for people who’re being pushed around.” The question is, will Alice get through this one alive, and who else will end up dead before it’s all through?
Although I haven’t read the first two books in the Alice White series, I never felt the lack of it as I read The Con Case. The story stands on its own, though readers will be inspired to go back and see what adventures they missed. Hirsch introduces a complex and interrelated cast of both savory and unsavory characters with consummate skill in narration, description, and development. Trust me, your emotions will become engaged very quickly in this one. I like Alice. She’s an intelligent, mature, and courageous yet vulnerable heroine. If you like crime fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat, The Con Case is for you.
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Another 5 Star Review
The Con Case, Marc Hirsch
Review by Aimee Ann
The Con Case is a novel I was destined to read and love thanks to its thrilling and exciting themes that make for a perfect, unforgettable story. Mystery and Suspense have to be my most favorite genre of all but what I love the most about this genre is when I discover a book in it which stands out amongst the crowded genre, and The Con Case is that book for me. This is because The Con Case is a book you will rarely come across, firstly it has some of the best suspenseful writing I have ever witnessed in a Mystery and Suspense novel, but also the book features a daring and brave female protagonist who is never once the victim and is, in fact, a badass. I love books that decide to change the investigator/detective narrative by introducing a female investigator as opposed to a male one… do not get me wrong! I love novels that feature a male lead but sometimes to read a book that features a female is refreshing and even more refreshing when the woman in question is written as a strong character and never the ‘damsel in distress’ so it is safe for me to write that I was excited to read The Con Case and loved it!
The Con Case for me was an incredibly thrilling novel, and this is thanks to the combination of action, suspense, murder and crime and the incredible author Marc Hirsch wonderfully weaves all of these themes together which in turn takes the readers on an unforgettable journey full of twists and turns galore. When I read the description of The Con Case I knew instantly that I had to read it because one, it is a mystery novel with a female protagonist and two, it is set in the 1950’s! Yes book lovers, The Con Case is a novel that will take you back in time to 1950’s New York, a time where glitz and glamour were prominent but so was gang crime. The 1950’s is a decade I have been fascinated with ever since I was young so I was incredibly excited to be taken back in time by Hirsch and wow, what a journey it was!
The Con Case is book three in the Alice White Investigator series written by Marc Hirsch and will introduce the reader to the star of the series, Alice White, a law firm investigator that is bold and daring with every move she makes. Alice is an incredible female protagonist and following her alongside her journey was thrilling because she takes the unconventional route and it makes for exciting reading. Alice’s latest case involves a gang, a ruthless one who has recruited and then framed an innocent young man of murder just to make the boss feel better about his hurt ego. What follows is a thrilling, poignant and gritty crime story that will shock as well as entertain you and if you are a reader who is looking to be taken on a journey of crime then look no further because author Marc Hirsch has everything you need and so much more.
The story of The Con Case is well-developed with many layers that are all intricately well-developed as well as intriguing. The multiple layers throughout The Con Case are fascinating and will have readers minds racing with thoughts as the reader is compelled to think about the troubling crime at the heart of the story. As I read The Con Case I loved the feeling of being challenged, I loved having to invest myself fully in the story as I tried to think about the crime and predict the events. Hirsch is an incredible author because he manages to pull the reader into the novel, captivate them and compel them to read from beginning to end and Hirsch does this by lacing twists and turns throughout his book which will keep readers on edge. I tried to predict the plot many times, but Hirsch’s story is so unpredictable that I could never once guess it correctly! The fact that the plot is so unpredictable makes it enthralling from beginning to end, and this is all thanks to the genius writer Marc Hirsch.
I loved so much about Hirsch’s literature but what I enjoyed the most is his characterization, particularly that of Alice White. Alice is a strong character who demands to be read, her no-nonsense attitude combined with her drive for justice always makes her a fascinating character to read and a character you can quickly get behind and root for. I love that even though Alice is in part a law student and part working law investigator, she still finds the time to get justice and to do what is right and that was a quality I admired about her greatly and a great testament to her strong and determined character. You may be thinking that because The Con Case is book three in the series that you won’t be able to love and enjoy her story, but I would say you are wrong because I too have not read the previous two books but I found myself quickly invested in not only the story but also Alice’s character. This is because Hirsch has written each book as a stand alone and so a reader can join and enjoy at any stage of the series. Although I warn you book lovers that The Con Case is so entertaining that you will want to pick up and read the other two books right away... I know I want to!
Marc Hirsch is a literary talent as he knows how to captivate his readers from the start. Hirsch is a writer who does not hold back, he thrusts his reader into the thick of the drama very early on, and he keeps them turning the pages thanks to his impeccable descriptive powers. Hirsch perfectly describes the scenes in his book, as well as his characters and this, correctly places the reader in the thick of the story as the reader is able to imagine every place and event immaculately. The characterization of all of his characters, not just Alice White is phenomenal, and every character will command an opinion, and those are the best characters in my opinion.
Overall The Con Case is a sensational, thrilling and exciting action-packed novel that will captivate readers for many hours on end, so I have no choice but to award this incredible book five stars! If you are a reader who loves thrillers that weave themes of crime and corruption, then you will adore The Con Case so please, do not miss out on the opportunity of reading this incredible book!