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.
