"Douglas Armstrong brings back newspaper noir-gritty tales of tough-talking, deadline-chasing newsmen and the stories they uncover. He does it all with great authenticity against the highly charged backdrop of Vietnam-era America."
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~ Tom Matthews, author of "Raising the Dad"
LIFE ON THE SUN
Life on The Sun spans ten days of anger and confusion in a bygone era of love beads, tear gas, and manual typewriters.
It’s July 1967, and war is raging in Vietnam. Following a suspicious fire that has killed a famous war protester, three headstrong strangers—a rookie newspaper reporter, a veteran rewrite man, and the anti-war fugitive’s bereaved girlfriend—clash as the mystery of his murder unfolds in their revolving viewpoints.
This sometimes darkly comic novel, set against the eccentric inner workings of a metropolitan daily newspaper, is a remembrance of tumultuous times when lives were disrupted or destroyed by war’s far-reaching consequences.
“Armstrong certainly knows his way around a newsroom … authentic … frenzied … suspenseful … yet filled with dark humor."
"With fast-pace staccato prose, like the click-returns of an old Remington typewriter, Douglas Armstrong's Life on the Sun resurrects the newspaper offices of the 1960s, male dominance, and the confusion of so many over the Vietnam War."
“Armstrong's second novel draws you in to the turbulence of the late 1960's with its engaging characters and plot layered with mystery and politics. We see the action unfold through the alternating narratives of a young, idealistic reporter, an anti-war activist caught up in a dangerous and unpredictable series of unfortunate events, and a veteran journalist who shows us the balancing act of getting real news out of sources and past editors, management and fellow reporters' egos. Milwaukee natives will enjoy the references to the city's history and vibe, but this book will appeal to any reader who enjoys fiction which is both suspenseful and well-researched enough to lend credibility to to the setting. A thoroughly enjoyable read!"
LIFE ON THE SUN
Life on The Sun spans ten days of anger and confusion in a bygone era of love beads, tear gas, and manual typewriters.
It’s July 1967, and war is raging in Vietnam. Following a suspicious fire that has killed a famous war protester, three headstrong strangers—a rookie newspaper reporter, a veteran rewrite man, and the anti-war fugitive’s bereaved girlfriend—clash as the mystery of his murder unfolds in their revolving viewpoints.
This sometimes darkly comic novel, set against the eccentric inner workings of a metropolitan daily newspaper, is a remembrance of tumultuous times when lives were disrupted or destroyed by war’s far-reaching consequences.
Excerpt
Some unshaven oaf at the bar in a dirty undershirt and work overalls was watching his every move in and out the door. Listening to everything he said on the phone. Downing shots and beers at nine a.m. Not driven from his stool by the acrid smoke stink rolling in from across the street, either. His third-shift drinking buddies in denim caps were staying put as well. Apparently, having a man burn to death in a house across the street wasn’t enough to spoil cocktail hour. Pretty damn callous, Scott thought. He couldn’t imagine even choking down a bowl of Cheerios at the moment.
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Novels by Douglas D. Armstrong
Novels by Douglas Armstrong