Bill Fitts' Books
The Deacon Needed Killing
Book 4 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
324 pages
March 2014
When Crawford finds a corpse on a lonely dirt road, he welcomes the arrival of the police. At first. “It was a deputy sheriff’s car not a police car, but I was glad to see any car out here and a law enforcement officer was like a gift from heaven. The car stopped and I started toward it. The siren yelped and the headlights flashed. I froze in place. That was not a come-hither signal.” This time, Crawford must establish his own innocence before he can help anyone else.
About the Author
Bill Fitts is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, graduated from Princeton University, and has made his living as a sailor, salesman, underwriter, account executive, accountant, systems administrator, information specialist, and, now, professional writer. Prior to returning to Tuscaloosa in 1989, Bill lived in Florida, the Panama Canal Zone, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Georgia.
Bill credits the tornado that ripped through his hometown on April 27, 2011, for giving him the impetus to retire from the University of Alabama and start writing professionally, and his wife, Anne Gibbons, for giving him the support, encouragement, and editorial assistance necessary to be successful at his new profession.
Two Needed Killing?
Book 6 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
334 pages
April 2018
Asked to help an old lady get her family home back from greedy developers, Crawford reluctantly agrees. Mrs. McGillicuddy is thrilled. “I can’t tell you how excited I was when Frank told me I’d get to meet a real detective. I just love murder mysteries.” When Ms. Mac convinces Crawford to pretend to solve a mystery, he finds himself caught up in the most perplexing case of his career.
Who Needed Killing?
Book 5 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
400 pages
November 2014
Provost Rufus George is worried. “Something,” he tells Crawford, “is not right at University Village. I want you to look around and see if anything bothers you.” Checking out a retirement community seems harmless enough. Crawford begins with a question here and a question there--until he asks the wrong question and he and the provost find themselves the target of a wily and ruthless killer.
She Needed Killing
Book 3 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
392 pages
August 2013
Newly licensed PI James F. Crawford had never considered taking his cat to the local folk festival. But when a friend wants The Black for a photo shoot, Crawford obliges. That a snake will be part of the shoot is just the first surprise in store for Crawford. Snakes, arson, blackmail . . . this festival will be unlike any other in the history of Jemison County.
He Needed Killing Too
Book 2 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
284 pages
February 2013
Dr. Douglas was often described as a man who “needed killing.” When someone takes the description literally and puts a bullet through his head, the provost calls in James Crawford. As Crawford tackles his second case as a private eye, he also wrangles with the particulars of becoming a licensed detective, including the burning question of business cards.
He Needed Killing
Book 1 in the Needed Killing Series
List Price: $14.95 PB
244 pages
February 2013
When several employees get ill from tainted potato salad and one actually dies, the university issues condolences and goes on with business as usual. But another death cannot be ignored, and university retiree James Crawford is thrust into the role of private eye. Murder, he finds, begets murder. Can he expose the killer before someone else is killed?
Reviews
I hadn't expected to get so absorbed in reading this mystery. This is the first time he's been asked to prove someone was killed rather than committing suicide. As our hero becomes involved, he begins to see a link to somebody else being accidentally killed by food loosen. Then there are 2 dogs that were loosened. We do have a heroine that give the hero info that helps solve the murders. Am sure you'll enjoy this mystery as much as I did. Perhaps you'll solve the mystery long before I did, I only had a gut feeling and no evidence.
—Theila
The first book in the Needed Killing Series is a delight. The narrator and amateur sleuth, one Crawford by name, along with his pets, Tan (a dog) and The Black (a cat), are a wonderful addition to the cozy mystery tradition. Set in the Deep South (which is lovingly, though objectively, portrayed), this stand alone book, which has a sequel, is well worth your time to read.
—Jody Gilchrist
They are just good. Easy reading but one of those that you just can't put down but also don't want to see the end come. Give Bill Fitts a try. His books are really good.
Wow! The third book in this series. Still a fresh plot with new and believable characters. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend this book to those who enjoy mysteries. It isn't a thriller, but rather a mystery that uses brains not force to solve.
I could easily visualize the story taking place and it could've been authentic. Multiple characters with designed personalities that went well with the scenes. I personally like the animals portrayed since I relate "talking" to my loved dog companion. Murder mystery with an obvious perpetrator always has a twist... or two! Hard to put down but easy to reenlist to the story. Good read!
