The Black Tortoise: A Peter Strand Mystery

By Ronald Tierney

Peter Strand is half Chinese and half Cherokee and was adopted by an elderly white couple from Phoenix. Now he's a forensic accountant in San Francisco, where he's struggling with his identity.

When his employer asks him to investigate a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, Strand meets a cast of quirky characters who all seem to be hiding a secret. Peter soon finds evidence of a probable fraud, but when fraud leads to murder, he's drawn deeper into a murky mystery.

The Black Tortoise is the second book in the Peter Strand Mystery series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Mar 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781459812420

Ronald Tierney

Ronald Tierney has been nominated for the Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award for Best First Novel, and Booklist describes his series featuring semi-retired private investigator “Deets” Shanahan as “packed with new angles and delights.” Before writing mysteries, Tierney was founding editor of NUVO, an Indianapolis alternative newspaper, and the editor of several other periodicals. Ronald lives in San Francisco, where he continues to write. For more information, visit www.ronaldtierney.com.

Book preview

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ONE

I’m a little bit of a puzzle, I’m afraid. I look Chinese. That’s because I’m half Chinese and half Cherokee. Unfortunately, I never knew my parents, a story for later maybe. I was adopted by an elderly white couple from Phoenix. I speak English, no Chinese. But in keeping with the stereotype, I’m very good at math. I became an accountant, one who specializes in forensic accounting. This means I investigate criminals, people who try to cook the books. I also acquired a private investigator’s license when I moved to San Francisco.

I’ve never met Mr. Lehr, though he is my major client. I talk to him on the phone or we converse by email. He is an important man in the city. He owns a lot of property, from which he earns a handsome living. I help him by looking into his investments for signs of fraud, embezzlement or kickbacks—any criminal behavior tied to the handling of money. My private investigator’s license allows me to look into past behavior and associations of people with whom Mr. Lehr does or might do business.

I was talking to him when a riotous band of wild parrots swooped into a berry-bearing tree outside my bedroom deck. They screeched as they battled over the fruit. I barely heard Mr. Lehr, who was speaking in low tones, obviously trying not to be overheard.

Strand, listen, he said in a gravelly whisper. You know the Fog City Arts Center?

I did. From what I could remember, the center was on a couple of old piers off the Embarcadero along the San Francisco Bay. The buildings housed a couple of theaters and major exhibition space.

I’m on their board, Lehr said. Some crazy shit is going on down here. The staff is ready to mutiny. I told the board you’d go down, look into things.

What things?

The crazy stuff. You need to see Madeline Creighton. She’s the executive director. So arrange things and straighten it out.

How was I to know the crazy shit he mentioned was Madeline Creighton?

The business offices of the Black Tortoise Foundation were toward the end of one of two long piers that jutted into San Francisco Bay. I walked along the edge of one of the piers, a distance longer than a football field. The water was choppy. A fleet of pelicans flew in a V-formation within a few feet of the entrance at the far end, where I stood for a moment to get my bearings. I thought about the disorderly parrots, comparing them to the disciplined pelicans and their flight.

I had to wait. Mrs. Madeline Creighton wasn’t quite ready for me. As it turned out, I wasn’t quite ready for Madeline. She was tall, all bones, cosmetics and jewelry. She jangled when she walked or motioned with her heavily braceleted wrists. When she spoke, every pause turned into a pose, as if she expected to be photographed. I sat in front of her grand desk in a low-slung chair. The setup was designed so the guest would have to look up to her. The walls were covered with photographs of Mrs. Creighton with celebrities from the stage, screen and politics.

I don’t have time to bother with these petty problems, she said, her hands flung wide in dismissal. You need to talk with Emelio, she said.

Who is Emelio? I asked.

The money man, she said. That’s what all this foolishness is about, isn’t it?

That is correct. Mr. Lehr talked to you about this?

Yes. She smiled. He said that you were Chinese and very good with numbers.

He’s half right.

Where in China?

Phoenix.

Where are your parents from? she asked. Her tone was stern. She didn’t like to be played with.

Scottsdale. I decided not to make it easy for her. Now if you’ll direct me to the money man, I’ll take my abacus and go.

"Mr. Salazar?

Emelio, he said.

His clothes were not expensive. His shirt, a little too brightly colored for my taste, was open at the neck, showing a tuft of hair and a gold chain with a cross.

We shook hands, and I was guided to a small table where we sat across from each other.

You’re the money man, she said.

Madeline prefers to deal with creative people. To her, money is dirty unless you have a lot of it and might give it to her. Having to count it is pedestrian.

Emelio Salazar’s office was quite different from Madeline Creighton’s. It was furnished with desks and chairs from discount stores, as most nonprofits are. There was a lonely orchid on a file cabinet near the window. A seagull, obviously traveling alone, effortlessly glided by outside the window. I looked around while Emelio fiddled with his computer. Not only were there no celebrity photos—there were no photos at all. Nothing personal. Nothing revealing.

He printed out a page and handed it to me. It was the organization chart. He explained that the foundation, Black Tortoise, managed the Fog City Arts Center for the city’s Port Commission. After the costs of running it were deducted

Reviews for The Black Tortoise

[janicseblen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book indicates it is geared for 16+. I am decades over the age of 16. Peter Strand is hired by his prime client to investigate potential bookkeeping issues at the Fog its Arts Center. As a forensic accountant with a private investigators license our story begins. I read on the average of one mystery per week. I mention this only because I normally have deduced who the culprit is before the end of the book. The book moves along at a fairly steady pace, Let me say that at the wind up of the story I had not figured out before hand who the culprit was. This is a good introductory book for reading as one moves into adult mysteries. I truly enjoyed this read consider reading the book and then passing it along to a young person in hopes of getting them hooked on reading.

[readafew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a wonderfully fun and short book. It is part of the Rapid Reads and it was. I read it in less than 2 hours myself. This is the 2nd book in the Peter Strand series and to my surprise, I have and read the first one. These are short enough and fast enough to read the Authors name didn't even stick in my head! But it was a very enjoyable book to read.Here Peter is asked to look into the finances of The Black Tortoise, a non-profit, that seems to be having some kind of difficulty. Most of the problems seem to be coming from the new director. Everyone seems to have their own secrets they are hiding. Then, when he was about to say everything was good, one of the employees is found floating in the ocean. And it looks like murder. Fun Fast read, good cozy.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is part of the "Rapid Reads" series which is aimed at adult literacy or ESL. I'm quite fond of thisseries as it manages to bring entertaining stories to adults while remaining at an elementary reading level. This particular book is one of the highest levels I've read in the series at a Grade 4 reading vocabulary. A good involved mystery involving a forensic accountant working for a private organization. His look into a non-profit's books leads him to a murder investigation. A solid story and well-written within the confines of the limited allowable vocabulary.I'd certainly read more by this author.

[souci_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This little large-print mystery/thriller was a surprise. I did not quite understand the premise when I requested a review copy, but it is part of a program of books from the Orca imprint called Rapid Reads. Smart idea, to offer grown-up themes and stories in large print, short volumes as (in their own words) "...quick, engaging stories for people on the go. Perfect for ESL, adults who struggle with literacy and anyone who wants an high-interest quick read."Noble intention, but somehow not quite a success. In this case, author Ronald Tierney appears to be a successful mystery writer with a several series under his belt. I enjoyed the premise, centred on investigations by an adopted Chinese-Cherokee forensic accountant living in San Francisco. However, I found the dialogue...perhaps not leaden, but uninspired. Worse, the text was occasionally confusing, either left grammatically unclear as to who is speaking, or so neutral as to be unidentifiable as to the speaker. Some deductions felt over-explained, and others seemed jumped to without explanation. Surely these are some problems that ought to be absolutely eradicated in a book for those who do not read easily or comfortably or willingly? I do not doubt they will sell, because there is very little competition in what must be an under-addressed market, but I think they require stricter editing, perhaps with more review by readers in their target market. That said, I will show some teacher-librarian friends, always looking for books for reluctant adolescent boys. Something is better than nothing.

[evaw-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This (very) short mystery by Ronald Tierney is a quick but amusing read. There are a number of red herrings, and the perpetrator of the crime is not evident until close to the end. The personality of the main character is engaging, in a dry, matter-of-fact way - which makes the ending particularly surprising ...

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good if bare bones mystery one that could use padding. More character development a more drawn out plot.

[readerbynight · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love a mystery with humor and Ronald Tierney has certainly given us that. The story is almost mystical at times with the occasional appearance of a black tortoise at the wharf. Not something one would expect in a story featuring a forensic accountant and a suspected fraudulently run organization. Or is it?Almost ready to wrap up his investigation of a nonprofit organization, things rapidly change with the death of David, the "IT guy." How did he end up in the ocean, and why didn't he try to climb out onto one of the piers? Was he killed? Murdered? This changes everything. Once again, Peter Strand has a possible case of fraud, if he can find it.I really enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting, lots of possible suspects, and humorous. Definitely quirky characters, an entertaining quick read.reviewed from ARC

[jumbler-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the first Quick Reads book I've read. For being only 131 pages the author gave the reader a good mystery. The complex plot moved quickly and we were given good character descriptions. Although there were a few loose ends at the end of the book, the author kept me guessing as to who did it.