Please welcome author Gerald Elias
to the blog today. As I recently noted in a “Thursday Treats” post, Mr. Elias’
latest book is his short story collection. Published by White City Press, Murder on Vacation:
Stories from the Case Files of Maury Gross, NYPD (Ret.), is available at
the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors in digital and
print formats.
Where does an author get ideas for
a story? From personal experience? Deep contemplation? From a passing comment
or casual glimpse? From other authors? Totally from out of the blue?
How about by accident?
Eight years ago, my wife and I
stayed at a modest motel on the beach in the cozy coastal town of Cambria,
California, in order to attend our niece’s ritzy wedding in wine country.
During our stay, which lasted only a long weekend, three curious things popped
out to me. (Maybe they were curious only to me because murder mysteries run in
my blood.)
The first was an elderly couple
strolling along the beach’s boardwalk. What was curious about that? Not that
they were elderly—Who isn’t these days?—but that the gentleman in question was
dressed in what his wife—who I imagined determined his attire–– probably
considered appropriate for a California vacation: a 1950s style pair of Bermuda
shorts and a gaudy Hawaiian shirt. And ankle-length, black socks—Don’t forget
those—to round out the eye-catching ensemble.
The second curiosity was a
state-of-the-art Porsche sportscar in the motel’s parking lot, which might have
cost more than the motel itself.
The third and final item was the
colony of dozens of elephant seals lolling on the beach about 10 miles north of
us. In your mind’s eye, do not mistake an elephant seal for a sea lion. They’re
twice as big, up to 4,000 nasty pounds, with a protruding proboscis which gives
them their name. They only spend about a month per year out of the water, and
you can imagine what they do while on shore leave, like most seafarers: rest,
fight, and screw. And when they fight, it’s not for play. It’s for keeps: to
become king of the hill or, more appropriately, king of the beach. Why? To win
the dear damsel of choice, of course. Why else?
As my wife and I observed elephant
seal festivities safely ensconced on a bluff with a chain link fence high above
the beach, I got an idea to package curiosities one and two together with
number three and write a short mystery. What emerged after a few days of
resharpened pencils and crumpled paper was a draft of a story I initially
called “Elephant Seals,” starring retired NYPD Police Chief Maury Gross and his
wife Bobbi (the couple on the boardwalk).
I wrote this story only to amuse my
wife and myself, with no further thoughts about where it might end up. But I
really liked my two protagonists, and so did my wife, so on our next vacation I
gathered more curiosities for a story. And the next. And the next…
Fifteen Maury Gross stories later,
I had spanned the wonders of our great nation from sea to shining sea and
decided they were worthy candidates for a collection. There is a great saga to
be told how I ultimately found the perfect publisher in White City Press, but
that’s another story in its entirety.
Suffice it to say that Maury Gross
is the nicest, most unassuming and thoughtful cop you’d ever want to meet, and
Bobbi is not only his longtime soulmate but also his astute partner in crime
solving. And they’re both sharp as a tack.
The title of the first story,
“Elephant Seals,” was changed to “Murder on Vacation” and, appropriately, is
the name of the whole collection. If you’re looking for entertaining summer
reading, here’s my advice: get an ice-cold beverage, a comfortable chair or
lounge, a shady spot, and Murder on Vacation. As Maury would say, “What’s not
to like?”
Amazon Associates Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4alkqNN
Gerald Elias ©2026
Silver Falchion finalist Gerald
Elias can’t help writing about everything that interests him, from his Daniel
Jacobus mystery series (and audiobooks) set in the dark corners of the
classical music world, to his Western mystery, Roundtree Days. His short story
collections, It’s a Crime! and Murder on Vacation (May, 2026, White City Press)
cover everything from spies to sea elephants.
A former Boston Symphony musician,
Elias is an internationally recognized violinist, conductor, and composer. He
spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, travel, coffee, good food, and most
of all, being a devoted grandpa. https://www.mysteriesandmusic.com/
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