Dear readers, tonight with us is a Jewish private detective who is rather introspective after coming back from WWII. He is here to talk about his life as a policeman before becoming a private detective, and about the dark underbelly of society where shadows dance with malicious intent and faith emerges as his sole weapon.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was the only child in a Jewish household in Wichita, KS. When I wasn’t reading Torah and Talmud, I snuck in a few short stories by Black Mask writers.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Most of my friends came from temple or school. My Jewish friends had dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer. I decided to become a cop.

What do you do now?

I put my desires to be a detective sergeant on hold and enlisted after Pearl Harbor. I made it all the way to December 1944 when my foot and leg were shot up. I’ve got an annoying limp that I do my best to ignore. I became a private detective because it made about as much sense as returning to the police force or becoming a rabbi, like my father wanted.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I was just about to propose to my high school sweetheart, when a wealthy older lady’s chauffeur, shall we say, escorted me to her home to locate a missing ‘companion’. It soon wound up with connections to a gangster who died 25 years prior.

What did you think as you uncovered the leads in the case?

Every lead I turned up related to a gangster named Eddie Adams who was killed in 1922. It didn’t make sense…until it did.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

Realizing how much of a grip the past has over the present. I guess I’m as guilty of that as anyone else.

What is the worst thing about being a detective?

I still can’t reconcile how Law and Order can exist in a corrupt world, or how my religion, which I hold dearly, can provide any true comfort in such times.

What is the best thing about it?

Every once in a while, the good guys come out ahead and there is a feeling of justice being served. That happens too infrequently.

Tell us a little about your friends.

King Mar, owner of the Pan American Café. After being in the states for twenty years, he STILL hasn’t brought his wife over from China. Karla Duggan, research librarian at the Carnegie Library. A brain like Einstein and the quick wit of Martha Raye.

Any romantic involvement?

Well, like I mentioned, I WAS about to propose to Eileen Horowitz, my high school classmate who I have become quite close to.

Whom (or what) do you really hate?

The wealthy who seem to disregard the rest of the world. There’s very little I can do about them.

What’s your favourite drink, colour, and relaxing pastime?

I lead a rather quiet life. I read a lot, play with my cats, and listen to music on the radio. Oh, and take the aforementioned Eileen out for dinner and a movie.

What does the future hold for you?

I’m still trying to find out.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

Every time I think I should give up being a private investigator, something draws me back. Is there really such a thing as a normal life?


H.B. Berlow studied film-making at the University of Miami in the 80’s; was involved in the Boston poetry scene in the 90’s; and is a former president of the KWA (Kansas Writer’s Association). He writes historical crime fiction, but has also delved into literary and experimental fiction as well as verse. He discusses his passion for writing and cooking on his website. He is co-host of Tikiman and The Viking podcast.

You can find Harold on the pages of The Wichita Chronicles, starting with The Day of Calamity.

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