H.B. Berlow's Blog

The Protagonist Speaks: Interview with Harold Bergman

https://theprotagonistspeaks.com/2025/09/26/harold-bergman-of-the-wichita-chronicles-by-h-b-berlow/

Such an amazing opportunity to have my main character interviewed.

The Crop of Wickedness – EXCERPT #4

Harold has two leads: an English gentleman the bank vice-president encountered and a unique phrase: ‘vulgar tin mouse.’

The late afternoon and a weariness approached about the same time. My resolve still held strong but the mental energy I expended thus far drove me to feel tired beyond measure. My final visit of the day to the library rejuvenated me, especially when Karla seemed giddy with excitement.

“This guy is the real McCoy,” she proclaimed without further explanation.

“I assume you can tell me something considerably more than that.”

“Douglas Price Kingsley. Born September 18, 1880.”

“Splendid. We can celebrate his birthday on Wednesday.”

“Graduated with honors from Trinity College at the age of eighteen and then studied anatomy under Viscount Addison at Sheffield School of Medicine. I mean, the guy was a full-fledged surgeon by the time he was twenty.”

“Keep going.”

“So, World War I breaks out and they offer this guy a sweet position coordinating field hospitals but from all the way back in London. He declines and wants to work right in the field hospitals. You know, like on the front lines. They’ve got no choice but to send him. And, boy, his record is filled with commendations and medals. The British War Medal. The Victory Medal. The Territorial Force War Medal. The 1914-1915 Star. Eight field commendations. Three field promotions. It’s amazing this guy can walk with all the metal they pinned to his chest.”

“Okay, the man is an English hero.”

She seemed dismayed I took Dr. Kingsley’s war record so lightly in her estimation.

“Second Battle of the Marne during an Allied counter-offensive, he suffered a concussion from a shell that exploded behind him. He was in a hospital for two weeks before they shipped him home late summer of 1918. Apparently, it took a long time to recover and some questions arose about him continuing as a surgeon.”

“Any reference anywhere you can find to fraternal organizations or secret societies?”

“Was associated with the Odd Fellows in college but nothing after the war.”

“Did you find anything about that ‘vulgar tin mouse’?”

“No. Are you sure that’s what he said?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure that’s what he heard.”

Karla got all my thanks and a promise for proper recompense. I left even more perplexed. A British doctor who was ostensibly a war hero had every right to be a member of a fraternal organization. Odd Fellows were largely based on revelry and camaraderie, but there were those who crossed over into Freemasonry, which from time to time throughout history encountered negative connotations.

I still could not fathom how any of that would lead to the lapse in Johnson’s memory. I needed to gain more information about the comings and goings of Dr. Kingsley, and I needed to be more discreet than my vehicle would allow.

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

A BOOK TRAILER

I have jokingly commented in the past that book trailers and character videos are the primary way I am using the degree in filmmaking I earned at the University of Miami. Given the fact that we used WWII Arriflex cameras and large editing boards, I might be overstepping my credentials.

However, what I am using are the tools available to me now as well as the concepts of a good film to present information in a creative and visual fashion. I do not expect these trailers to draw in readers in the same fashion that movie trailers do for films. These are simply another tool for my platform, another aid to identify a forthcoming book. Maybe they resonate with some folks. At the very least, they are enjoyable to make.

Follow this link to the trailer for The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles.

* * *

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

The Crop of Wickedness – EXCERPT #3

While working as an investigator for an insurance agency, Harold is approached to help a friend of his boss, the vice-president of a bank, who has somehow lost a day and a half of his life.

“This past Friday, the thirteenth, I vaguely recall leaving work.”

“I don’t understand, Mr. Johnson.”

“I spoke with my secretary, Mrs. Juliet Gallison, around three in the afternoon. She brought files of two recent loans that were approved. I would likely have reviewed and signed them and then left promptly at four o’clock.”

“But you didn’t?”

“I don’t know.”

I looked at Troy Harding. I hoped he didn’t feel I had psychiatric abilities as well. I was about to issue forth my deep concerns about the conversation when William Johnson continued.

“I don’t know what happened on Friday. Or Saturday. All I know is that I woke up this morning in a house wearing the same clothing I had on when I would have departed the bank. The same clothing you see me wearing now.”

“Where was this house?”

“I can’t be certain. I was rather, shall we say, groggy.”

“Drunk?”

“No, sir,” he said defiantly.

“Drugged?”

He had a quizzical look, one of speculation, as though he tried to describe in as clinical a fashion as possible what he experienced.

“Quite possibly.”

Since he appeared to have no medical training, it was pointless to pursue that inquiry.

“What kind of house was it?”

“Two stories. Several rooms. Elegant wallpaper. Crystal chandeliers. Red velvet furniture. Oh my! I dare say it almost sounds like a brothel.”

“Was it?”

He looked sharply at me, his character impugned by the suggestion. My instincts as an investigator caused these questions to come out as second-nature. I never worried that I would hurt a client’s feelings if it elicited the truth.

“I don’t know, Mr. Bergman. I just don’t know. I did not encounter anyone there. As I said, my mind was in something of a fog. Things were blurry. I didn’t see any scantily clad women or nervous gentlemen. I heard some muffled sounds. Perhaps. My goodness! I wouldn’t be able to say for sure where I was even if I swore it on a stack of Bibles.”

He slumped as his hands covered his face in embarrassment, even though he didn’t know me until a few minutes prior. His own sense of propriety caused his shame. It was based more on speculation than recollection.

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

THE CONTINUATION OF A SERIES. THE CONTINUATION OF A DREAM.

When I was younger, in college, in my so-called salad days, or even in the beginnings of my creative re-emergence in Boston in the early 90’s, I could never have imagined writing novels in a series. I dabbled in contemporary crime fiction until discussions with my wife’s late uncle made me realize the rich history of small-town America in terms of criminal activity. It was a challenge to write historical crime fiction but I met it head on. It was upon returning from a writer’s conference after being told that series were the way to go that my literary development was just beginning.

That was the start of the Ark City Confidential Chronicles which went from 2017 to 2021. It ended only when the aforementioned uncle passed away. But while finishing the last installments, I had already begun fashioning a character that I could feel closer to, one who didn’t fall easily into the age-old hardboiled tropes. So, Harold Bergman, Jewish private detective caught between the laws of man and the laws of God, was born.

It is one thing to develop a series character and then allow that character to go through the rituals of solving cases in a crime/mystery series. But, as with Baron Witherspoon of the Ark City books, I learned there needs to be development, progression, growth of some kind for the main character to continue to be of interest. Otherwise, we are creating cut-and-paste narratives.

I don’t honestly believe I was conscious of Harold’s growth. I kind of just happened. Being the dear friend that I was, I allowed him to let me know what was going on in his life and how these cases were informing his belief system in the post-World War II world. Should he perhaps return to the police department, bad leg and all? Might it be more prudent to attend rabbinical college as his father had hoped he would? Is marriage in his future with his high school sweetheart who he has come to discover has turned into a fine woman?

This is where the series has kept me personally engaged. It is entertaining to create a crime of sorts and the resolution surrounding it. It’s not unlike a crossword puzzle. However, just as I have gone from a film student to a poet to a novelist, my character is developing as well. It fascinates me to learn of his life’s journey.

I suppose at some point this series will end for reasons unlike the prior one. And, truth be told, I’m at work developing a new historical crime fiction series with a main character I would just love to learn about.

I am enjoying myself. This is something I never expected I would be doing. Since I am, it’s important that I focus on the craft, learn as much about the main character as I can, and continue this dream for as long as possible.

***

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

The Crop of Wickedness – EXCERPT #2

Harold’s case involves locating someone described only as a rich old lady’s confidant. He starts his research by inquiring at his old stomping grounds: the police station.

A quick stop by the main police station was worth the possibility of any indirect information about Art Stover. Melvin Bronsky held down the fort. He enjoyed the extra shifts as a desk sergeant because of his five children. First, he made more money. Second, he was glad to be away from his five children. He always looked as though he had not gotten enough sleep. Both his work and his family led him to that appearance.

“Mel, what do you know about Art Stover?”

“Name rings a bell,” he replied while he looked at the ceiling to jog his memory. “Private dick, I think. Like you.”

That surprised me. I tried to imagine such a decline in my business that I needed to take on the chores of companion to an elderly rich woman. Then again, he might have been more like the late Mickey Dowell. Anything for a buck as long as it was relatively legal and not subject to too much scrutiny.

“Any gab on him?”

“Nothing to speak of.”

Just then, Detective H.L. Watts of the Night Detective Squad, walked past with a handful of files, a sharpened pencil stuck behind his ear.

“Watts, Bergman here is looking for scoop on Art Stover.”

I never met H.L. Watts before, only knew him by reputation through my buddy Clarence Mendenhall, the head of the squad. Apparently, Watts was the final selection after many desperate attempts to lure me back after the war. Anyone invited to join had to have immaculate qualifications so I couldn’t doubt his skills.

“Hey, Bergman.” We shook hands. “Stover, huh? Doesn’t beat on our door all that often. Only thing I can recall is him nosing around a couple of months ago about the killing of Chubb McFarland.”

“That the old timey bootlegger?”

“One and the same.”

“What was Stover’s interest in him?”

“Couldn’t tell you.”

Watts indicated a backlog of reports, so I let him go on his way.

I knew there had to be other facts about McFarland that I couldn’t remember. As best as I could figure, he would be about the same age as my client. Perhaps Art Stover had been hired to solve his murder. Then again, what would a highfalutin wealthy matron have to do with a rumrunner from the 1920s? I’m sure she had the means in those days to have a well-stocked liquor cabinet without associating with the hoi polloi. Most of those types did. On occasion, the thrill of rubbing elbows with ‘bad men’ got the better of these folks. Mrs. Sylvia Morgan-Smith did not come across as a thrill seeker.

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

THE CHARACTERS OF “THE CROP OF WICKEDNESS”

It’s been quite some time since I sent a query to an agent using the mail and providing an SASE. (For those too young to remember, that stood for Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Basically, you were providing the means for an agent to respond negatively to you…at your cost!)

I can joke about growing up with a black rotary phone or how my first PORTABLE typewriter weighed as much as a bowling ball bag. The truth of the matter is those days are gone. While I may never catch up to the current generation in terms of technology, I don’t wish to be left completely behind.

For a couple of years now, I’ve been putting together a video of ‘character photos’ images that represent various people in a forthcoming novel. For the past two books of The Wichita Chronicles, I have used AI websites to generate something approximate to give readers a sense of who they might be dealing with, so to speak.

The websites are becoming more defined and my experience in creating these videos is growing. It is fun and entertaining…especially when some friends and family have inspired a character or two (or more).

Follow this link to the video on YouTube. Hopefully, you will enjoy!

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

The Crop of Wickedness – EXCERPT # 1

Harold Bergman is approached for a case in a most unusual setting: while he is on a picnic with Eileen

He stopped and stood several feet from us, hands at his side, and with no further movement. Initially, he made no effort to speak. I looked over his shoulder.

“Rolls-Royce Phantom?” I inquired.

“Phantom II. Continental.” His response carried the slightest touch of pride, closer to respect.

 “Would that be a 1931?”

“Thirty-three, sir.” The pleasantries did not indicate any concern on his behalf. For the moment. “I’m looking for Mr. Harold Bergman,” he continued with an official tone.

“You’ve found him.”

“My name is Liam Smathers. I am in the employ of Mrs. Sylvia Morgan-Smith who requests a consultation with you.”

“Great. I can set an appointment for Monday—”

“Now, sir.”

It was a definitive statement. Mr. Smathers stopped speaking. He didn’t wait for a response so much as an acknowledgement of acquiescence to the request. In that moment, the sun stopped shining on his face and left it in a complete shadow. The darkness of the disagreeable remained.

 “I need to escort the young lady home,” I finally replied gallantly.

“Miss Horowitz is welcome to join us.”

Now I was concerned. The idea that he knew me, looked for me, and then found me could be explained. That was my profession. But he knew the name of my companion, and that presented an otherworldly aspect to it. My car was in the parking lot a good twenty to thirty yards away. To make a run for it didn’t make as much sense as acquiescing to a meeting with Mrs. Sylvia Morgan-Smith. The sound of her name carried too much stature to indicate a criminal nature. Then again, neither did “Baby Face” Nelson.

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025. It is available for pre-order here.

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”

AROUND WICHITA – An exploration of a city as a character.

As you can imagine, a series called The Wichita Chronicles makes extensive use of the city I have called home for thirty years. While any city changes over the course of time, there are enough remnants of the Peerless Princess of the Plains that can remind one of life after World War II. Between actually driving to these locations and visiting along with the extensive photographic collection of the Advanced Learning Library in Wichita, I can truly visual the surroundings my characters are in.

This apartment at 730 N Market Street is Harold Bergman’s abode. He lives on the first floor, front. It has a rustic charm to it and is situated close enough to both the Pan American Café and King’s X for Harold to partake of dinner and breakfast easily enough. I took the liberty of perusing the Polk Directory for Wichita in 1946 and found the actual residents of the place, my main character notwithstanding.

The 1942 Pontiac Torpedo Coupe is the approximate color of Harold’s car, dubbed the Sir Pounce-mobile. It is similar in color to his manx cat of the same name. I needed an “older” car but one that had a modicum of style.

This building was once the Carnegie Library. It is now a workplace owned by Fidelity Bank but you can see some of its splendor on their website. Check out the photos of the interior. It must have been an amazing library.

This grand building was the primary police station and figures in many scenes in all three books (so far) in the series. It is now home to the Sedgwick County Historical Museum and is definitely a source of inspiration for me.

The Red Apple Filling Station is just about the most unique building I have encountered any place I’ve been or researched. Unfortunately, this photo was my only opportunity to experience it. I have a few scenes in The End of the Treachery as well as the latest book.

The building that housed Farmers Bank and Trust is still downtown. Its proximity to many of the places Harold visits made it an ideal spot for his attempt at securing traditional employment.

The original Hebrew Congregation Temple, which figures prominently in the life of a Jewish detective, was located at 156 S Kansas Street. That is now the First Metropolitan Community Church. It is a lovely building. But if you look closely at the top, there is still two tablets representing the Ten Commandments and Hebrew scripture.

The buildings that are still here and those that are no more were a testament to a city that is still thriving and growing. It’s good to be here and a part of it, but to remember and honor the past as well.

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released October 8, 2025. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon.

The past has come to harvest.

A WRITER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

You can pretty much guarantee that most writers do the same social media posts when it comes to a new book. The first is when a contract has been signed. That’s just lighting the fuse on the fireworks. Of course, you’ll see the video of the “opening of the box” to reveal actual live books. This, to me, is like a rabbi unscrolling the Torah on High Holiday services.

Right now, I’m at the middle one. This is the Book Release Announcement coupled with the Cover Reveal. Trust me, this is one instance where I don’t need to be different from other writers.

“The Crop of Wickedness, Volume 3 of The Wichita Chronicles” will be released on October 8, 2025. Pre-orders are currently available on Amazon.

As with all writers, I couldn’t be more thrilled. The main character was created as a way to go against the standard hard-boiled tropes and be someone of deeper integrity and thoughtfulness. I couldn’t have expected his development in this fashion.

Before the cover reveal, here is the blurb:

Harold Bergman, Jewish shamus and WW II vet, is ready to settle down with his high school flame. When a society lady offers a job too simple, Harold winds up neck-deep in a 25-year-old murder tied to a dead gangster and secrets no one wants unearthed. Just as the dust settles, a regular job with an insurance outfit drags him into something darker and more sinister. Now the dead are whispering and the living are lying. He’ll need the strength of his five-thousand-year-old religion to survive the wickedness of the past.

Here is the cover by the incomparable Tina Lynn Stout:

I hope you’ll continue to follow Harold Bergman as he navigates the dark side of the human condition.

“THE PAST HAS COME TO HARVEST”