Watcyn Lewis | The Official Website

About the Author

Mr. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and an MBA with Honors from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. When not writing mystery books, he works as a consultant in the insurance and finance industries. A classical music lover, he is also an assiduous amateur violinist. His love of music and the violin have made it into a couple of the mysteries.

Watcyn Lewis lives in Connecticut but loves spending time on Martha’s Vineyard (another setting for some of the books) and Florida during the winters.

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Murder on Martha's Vineyard

College professor Hank Hinkley and his assistant, Elrod Elmo, embark on a peaceful vacation on the picturesque island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Convening at the lovely Up-Island Inn, they settle in for a relaxing, upscale getaway.

While the inn is chock-full of colorful personalities, one guest in particular catches Hinkley’s attention: a man tied to a twenty-year-old, unsolved Boston bank robbery. Apparently, someone else also takes an interest in this mysterious guest because he’s soon mortally wounded in a nearby cemetery. As he dies, he whispers a cryptic message. Are his last words a clue to the identity of his murderer? Or is he simply referencing the Boston bank robbery?

Hinkley and Elmo are determined to find the murderer, but they’ll soon discover that the other guests aren’t visiting the Up-Island Inn for its lovely view or gourmet breakfast.

Three million dollars is still missing from the bank robbery, and most of the guests appear to be amateur treasure hunters. Soon the inn’s patrons begin dropping like flies as the race to uncover the murderer and the money becomes dangerous. It’s up to Hinkley and Elmo to solve the mystery before anyone else ends up unconscious, missing, or dead.

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Murder at the Symphony

Set in the idyllic Tanglewood, the real-life summer home of the Boston Symphony, Murder at the Symphony is a classic who-done-it in the vein of Agatha Christie. The book continues the adventures of Hank Hinkley, a professor at a private New England college and his student boarder sidekick, Elrod Elmo. In this adventure, the two detectives find themselves in the middle of the murder of a famous violinist appearing with the symphony. Complicating the murder is the theft of maestro’s Stradivarius violin. Visiting the Berkshires for a weekend of concerts, Hinkley is commissioned to find the killer and thief. In the process of his investigation, he discovers that the victim had amassed a lifetime of enemies, all of whom prove tantalizing suspects. These suspects include rival musicians, an egotistical music critic, a manipulative and ungrateful student, and hard-nosed record company executives. He finds himself vying with the police to unravel the crime. Meanwhile, his boss, the University President, is second-guessing him all the way.

The book will appeal to anyone with a taste for classic mysteries. Its engaging mix of humor, an intriguing plot, and a surprise conclusion will delight any mystery reader.

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Reviews

“I just finished Murder of Martha’s Vineyard and couldn’t put it down. A smashing good read, cleverly written and satisfying.”

- Joan Moreau

"A clever plot that kept me guessing to the end."

- Ernie Munson

"A splendid mix of the classic mystery and humor. Sure to delight the reader"

- Marlon Livingston

Whats Up Coming

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the style of your books?

My books are written in the tradition of Agatha Christie. I like to have a variety of suspects with different motives that keeps the reader guessing. A fundamental part of the story is some sort of surprise at the end – one that has been present all along but may well have fooled the reader. I also like to inject some humor into my stories.

Are the books violent or explicit?

No. I try to avoid both of these. The most I will indulge in is a few off-color innudendos. I have no interest in glorifying violence or gore for the sake of it.

When and where are the books set?

The books are based at a Hartfield University a ficititious small liberal arts university outside of Boston. It’s loosely based on the University I attended. So far, most of the stories are set in New England.

In what order should the books be read?

In most cases we can and will order a product you want if we do not have it in stock.

When are the books set?

The time of the stories is the 1970s. That’s sort of my version of “once upon a time.” I also wanted to avoid some of the high-tech investigating that goes on today. I don’t find that very interesting.

Who is your detective?

Hank Hinkley is a professor at the University whose specialty is intellectual history. He typically gets involved in his cases by accident almost. The president of the university is usually resistant to this (though not always).

How are the stories told?

As with the Conan Doyle stories, my books are narrated by my detective’s assistant. In my case, this is a college student boarding with my detective.

How many Hank Hinkley books are there?

I have published two books, Murder at Martha’s Vineyard and Murder at the Symphony. The first story is, as the title says, set on Martha’s Vineyard. It revolves around a bank robbery that occurred many years before. Murder at the Symphony is set at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony in the Berkshires. I have plans to publish many more of these books. The next one will be set at an investment firm in Boston.