Special to the Star

Special to the Star, the latest book from local writer Richard Thomas. This is the fifth detective story featuring D.B. Murphy, a blacksmith who was forced to seek an alternative career after the success of the automobile. Set in Owen Sound, Southampton and Mackinac Island in 1923, the fast-paced adventure includes bootlegging, bank robbery and murder. As with Thomas's other books, Special to the Star combines accurate local history with a fictional plot line.

Author Richard Thomas is a professional writer and videographer who lives in Owen Sound with his family. He continues to support the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library Adult Learning Centre with Special to the Star. Many of the characters in the book are based on local residents who have "purchased" their way into print by making donations to the Adult Learning Centre; however donors have no control over the creative ways in which Thomas includes their names in the book. Thomas has raised thousands of dollars for the program, which teaches literacy skills, with his novels.