Raymond Fleischmann Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Raymond Fleischmann is a mystery author who has published short fiction in the “Los Angeles Review,” “The Iowa Review,” “The Pinch,” and the “Cimarron Review” among many other publications. He has an MFA from Ohio State University and over the years he has earned scholarships and fellowships from the likes of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Richard Hugo House. Fleischmann grew up just outside Washington and got his bachelor’s and graduate degrees in the Midwest. He has lived all over the place and for some time he lived in Seattle though he currently makes his home in Bloomington, Indiana. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Writing has never been something he knew he wanted to do. He came to it through a very circuitous path. Raymond never loved reading any kind of fiction whether it was contemporary or the classics until he was in college. Even then, prose was not something he wanted to do as he was more interested in comic book writing. He even invented his own scriptwriting for comics major that he named “Writing for Sequential Art.” Part of the curriculum included taking some fiction workshops. Raymond soon learned that he loved writing novels and short stories more than writing comics. He still loves comics that he says is his first love even though he prefers prose even though it came very late in his life. The 36-year-old author currently lives with his wife and daughters in Bloomington, Indiana.

Fleischmann got much of the inspiration for his debut novel “How Quickly She Disappears” from his time with his grandparents. His paternal grandparents resided in Tanacross, Alaska during the 1940s, where they taught under the jurisdiction of the Office of Indian Affairs. While the characters in his novel have little resemblance to her grandparents and the many friends they had in Tanacross, he has had a fascination with the Alaskan bush for a long time. He still remembers the stories his grandfather told her about Alaska which made the wilderness of the state become almost like a character. A lot of the momentum in the novel is derived from that wilderness setting. Fleischmann has also taken inspiration from the many teachers and books he has read over the years. However, some of his biggest influences have been Ian McEwan, JM Coetzee, and books such as “In Cold Blood.” He is typically drawn to stories that have often violent but relatively simple acts that allow for a deep examination into human nature. He has also been influenced by his children who he believes have been the biggest drive. As a man with three daughters, he thinks a lot about child-parent relationships and the bittersweet aspects of growing old and growing up. All of these aspects often find their way into how he writes his themes and plots.

“How Quickly She Dissapears” by Raymond Fleischmann is a novel that has been called “Dry” meets “Silence of the Lambs.” It is an intoxicating story of literary suspense full of obsession and madness, grief and loneliness, and the ferocious bonds of family with a setting in the Alaskan landscape. It is 1941 and Elisabeth Pfautz the lead protagonist is living in a small town in Alaska. She does not have the best life given that she has an unhappy marriage teetering on the edge; she is far from home and spends most of her days teaching her young intelligent daughter. Elisabeth’s twin had gone missing and it has been two decades since but Elizabeth has never reconciled herself with the fact that her sister may never be found. She is haunted by visions of her sister and her crushing loneliness has only grown stronger over time. Through it all, she believes that she will be reunited with her sister that she believes is still alive. Elizabeth’s world is turned upside down when an enigmatic German bush pilot named Alfred Seidel comes into town and kills a resident in cold blood. He is arrested and while sitting in jail he refuses to talk to anyone and only Elizabeth can get anything from him. He tells her that he knows what happened to her sister that had disappeared all those years ago, but he wants her to do something for him first. Imprisoned by her own obsession, bitter cold, and isolated from the neighbors, it is not long before she is getting pulled into the intricate web Alfred spins. They form a tenuous friendship as Elizabeth tries to learn what game Alfred is playing and what he wants from her. She is willing to play his game as long as she gets the answers she needs. She is ready to do anything to get her sister back even if it would put herself and her family in danger.

2 Responses to “Raymond Fleischmann”

1. Craig Morford: 2 years ago

   Is there a sequel to “How Quickly She Disappears”.

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     Not at the moment.

     Reply