O'Nelligan and Plunkett

It's 1956, and Lee Plunkett has taken over the family business as a private investigator despite his reluctance to follow in his father's footsteps. When murder intrudes on a group of ghost seekers, Lee is asked to solve the case by a cop on the verge of retirement. At the urging of his perpetual fiancée Audrey, Lee enlists the help of Mr. O'Nelligan, a scholarly Irishman with a keen eye for solving mysteries. The duo is drawn into a murder investigation involving the "Spectricator," a machine designed to communicate with the dead. Soon, Plunkett and O'Nelligan are knee-deep in a suspect pool that includes a surly medium, a former speakeasy queen, a mysterious Spanish widow, and a whole slew of eccentric servants. Engaging, charming, and smart, The Séance Society by Michael Nethercott is a fresh take on the traditional mystery genre for readers who love original characters, witty dialogue, and a great whodunit.

Meet Lee Plunkett and Mr. O'Nelligan, the unforgettable duo featured in Michael Nethercott's The Séance Society, in this excellent short story set in the fall of 1956. When young private eye Lee Plunkett is hired by a lovely Italian immigrant to investigate the death of her father, he quickly realizes he's in over his head. Luckily, Lee is more than ably assisted by the charming Mr. O'Nelligan, a scholarly, quick-witted Irishman with a knack for quoting Celtic bards, and, more importantly, solving crimes. In the course of their investigation, which involves prophetic dreams, stolen art, and the World Series-Plunkett and O'Nelligan must face off with.