Local man writes fourth book set in Adirondacks
by JILL SCHMELZER Reporter

Larry Beahan

Amherst author Larry Beahan has completed his fourth book, "Adirondack Pulp Fiction," which is available now in stores.

The 73-year-old author said that like his other three books, the tales are set in the Adirondack Mountains where his father grew up.

His latest book consists of six tales of crime and passion and features characters who differ from the lumberjack heroes, pioneers, hotel magnates, hermits and mountain climbers who appeared in his other novels, such as "My Grampa's Woods, the Adirondacks."

"Adirondack Pulp Fiction" takes the reader into the lives of ordinary people tangled in extraordinary emotions. The tales tell of the darker side of the area, and readers will learn of murders and moderately erotic adventures, Beahan said.

Although the book is fiction, many of the stories come from tales his family told him. One is about a bootlegger his father once met and helped.

When Beahan's dad was a child he worked on a farm. The bootlegger sought help from him after his vehicle got stuck in mud. His father and the farmer assisted the criminal.

Beahan's tale elaborated on that day's events, which now involve guns and dead bodies, gangster activities and a bloodbath over the hooch, the author explained.

"This book is all fiction," he said. "But the stories certainly have a basis of reality."

Beahan got his start in writing after auditing English courses at the University at Buffalo. He took one class on crime fiction and thought he would try writing a book about it.

He drew inspiration from a picture he remembered from his grandfather's wall of a group of grubby-looking men who resembled outlaw Jesse James.

They worked as his family's logging crew in the early 1900s.

"In my other books, I enjoyed the adventures before I got to write about them," Beahan said. "In this book, I have not indulged in any of the murders personally."

The author will be available for a book signing at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Talking Leaves Bookstore, 3158 Main St. His latest book is also available at Borders, the Book Worm in East Aurora, and at the Web site www.amazon.com.

e-mail: JSchmelzer@beenews.com