Daniel P. Douglas, an Albuquerque indie author, has released "Blood Wing: A Cold War Noir Thriller," the second entry in the Jack Morrison's Blood & Bourbon Mystery Files series. The novella was named one of ten finalists in the inaugural ProWritingAid Novel Beginnings Contest, selected from 14,570 entries worldwide. The contest, run by the writing-software and education company ProWritingAid, advanced the book through a longlist of 183 to a shortlist of ten finalists judged on opening pages, voice, and character.
Set in January 1951, "Blood Wing" follows ex-LAPD detective turned private investigator Jack Morrison as he investigates the death of a Black night-shift janitor at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in Long Beach. The company dismissed the death as an industrial accident and closed the file without interviewing the widow. The family hires Morrison because the dead man's brother once shared a foxhole with him in Italy in 1944 during the Gothic Line campaign. As Morrison digs deeper behind the plant's windowless concrete walls, he uncovers a Cold War espionage operation and a murder that the federal government will classify into official nonexistence before it can be proved. The story centers on the widow who refuses to accept a lie and the federal prosecutor who can pursue the spying but cannot restore the man who died, raising questions about what justice means when the official record will never tell the truth. The investigation moves through the McCarthy era and the Lavender Scare, the period purge of suspected homosexuals from federal and defense employment.
"Being a finalist for the Novel Beginnings Contest is one of the most meaningful moments in my writing life," Douglas said in a press release. "I'm grateful to ProWritingAid, the contest readers, and the judges for recognizing 'Blood Wing.'"
"Blood Wing" is a novella of roughly 25,000 words, a complete story readable in a single sitting. It requires no prior reading and works as an entry point to the series. Readers who want Morrison's first case can find it in "Blood Tide: A Harbor Noir Thriller," set on the Los Angeles waterfront. The book is now available in eBook and paperback.
Writing as Daniel P. Douglas, a pen name he shares with his identical twin brother Paul, Phillip Garver has authored short stories and novels across space operas, supernatural westerns, and hardboiled thrillers. His experience as a U.S. Army veteran and former senior analyst in the U.S. intelligence community provides authentic detail for the conspiracy and thriller elements in his stories. Daniel P. Douglas was named a 2014 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Book-of-the-Year Award Finalist in Science Fiction and is a Readers' Favorite Award winner. Phillip lives in the greater Albuquerque, New Mexico area.
The release of "Blood Wing" highlights the growing recognition of indie authors in literary contests and the enduring appeal of noir fiction that tackles historical injustices. By weaving Cold War espionage with the Lavender Scare and racial discrimination, the novella offers a lens into a dark period of American history, reminding readers of the personal costs of national security policies. For fans of historical thrillers, this story provides an accessible entry into Jack Morrison's world, while the contest finalist status underscores the quality of the writing and character development.
