For twenty-year-old Li Johnson, a job as a cruise ship waiter was supposed to be a way to get over his father's death and earn enough money to go back to college. Instead, Li is struggling to maintain his sanity while coping with the demands of a sadistic maitre d' and a boatload of entitled rich jerk passengers.
Li just wants to keep his head down and survive his job from hell, but when he finds a passenger sunburned to a crisp on the Sunbathing Deck, something about the scene just doesn't add up. Before he knows it, Li is on the track of a murderer and if Li doesn't find the real killer soon, he might just get framed for the crime - or worse, lose his crappy job.
A brand-new classic in the amateur detective genre, Sunny Side Up is a traditional murder mystery for the 21st century, with a glamorous setting, a gallery of suspects, clues that will keep readers guessing to the last page, and a delightful new hero in Li Johnson, the millennial minimum wage manhunter, who brings sleuthing to the service economy.
About the Author
Daniel Stallings' love of Golden Age detective fiction by Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Raymond Chandler, and Rex Stout inspired him to bring the style of the classic murder mystery to digital-age audiences in a modern voice. In addition to writing mysteries, Stallings works in theater as a producer, director, and actor. Combining his interests in mysteries and theater, Stallings operates Master Mystery Productions, which produces custom interactive mystery game events. He currently serves as President of the Eastern Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club. Stallings lives in the city of Ridgecrest in California's Mojave Desert.
Industry Reviews
"A deftly crafted novel by a master of the genre, Sunny Side Up is unreservedly recommended."-- "Midwest Book Review"
"An Agatha Christie cast of characters seen with a modern eye, and with startling moments of both insight and compassion."-- "Anne Perry"
"Daniel Stallings' debut mystery offers an appealing protagonist and a fresh viewpoint. Root for the underdog!"-- "Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand mysteries"
"LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Sunny Side Up by Daniel Stallings!"-- "Cozy Mystery Book Reviews"
"Snarky and hilarious! I was cheering for newbie Li Johnson from the start, as he dealt with overbearing bosses, tyrannical passengers, and even murder on this pleasure cruise from hell!"-- "Red Rock Books"
"This all-too-human amateur sleuth is a wimpy sad sack, but you root for him anyway. With all the things going against him, you want him to come out on top."-- "Terrance McArthur, Kings River Life"
"Very entertaining ... this brought in a new kind of detective -- a millennial with a minimum wage job. I would like to see where Li Johnson goes after this one - it would be fun to go along on another investigation with him!"-- "JessicaMap Reviews"