The Secret of Linden Court

How far would you go to keep a secret?

In a quaint European city so old that Roman coins are still unearthed in the back gardens of trim little houses, the single, thirty-seven-year-old junior file clerk of the City Tax Department thought he knew every street, lane, boulevard, alley, thoroughfare, highway and byway within the city limits…until now.

Stuck in the back corner of an ancient file cabinet, Andre Kosowicz finds an old, faded street record and discovers evidence of a neighborhood he has never heard of: Linden Court. With no taxes paid by residents since before the Nazi invasion, he believes Linden Court has long since been paved over or bombed out of existence. To satisfy his curiosity, Andre heads to Olde Towne where, with a little snooping a lot of luck, he finds a bustling cul-de-sac of homes and shops in the shadow of an ancient linden tree.

Rather than reporting his discovery to the city for recognition and rewards, Andre befriends a variety of colorful Linden Court residents as diverse as Madame Ra’Coone and her House of Fashion, gay gallery owner and art historian Szymon, the neighborhood’s barkeep Franz, a former member of the Resistance known as The Alley Sniper and his hot-to-trot niece Sophie.

How long can Andre keep his discovery a secret from the tax department, his bitter boss and the aloof college graduate who has suddenly taken a liking to him? And how has Linden Court been able to hide in plain sight for over twenty years?

This Kafkaesque mystery set in 1960's Eastern Europe blends Woody Allen’s romantic nostalgia with Coen Brothers hilarious plot twists to keep you guessing until the very end.

Added Short Story Bonus! Glen Watkins, a retired American with a tragic past, rents a room in Stroud, England, to hike and explore the hilly, picturesque countryside. Stroud teens Darren and Ian find a loaded shotgun and decide to play at hunting while the townsfolk are at home watching the royal wedding on the telly. When Glen does not return from his hike and the boys are seen fleeing the Cotswolds with gun in hand, it is up to the police chief to determine Glen's fate. "An American in the Cotswolds" was previously published in the anthology "Guests" by the Northwest Independent Writers Association.