Tim Cockey Books In Order

Publication Order of Fritz Malone Books

Publication Order of Hitchcock Sewell Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Author Tim Cockey grew up in and near the city of Baltimore, Maryland, which is the land of such greats as: Anne Tyler, Poe, Ogden Nash, Mencken, John Waters, and John Barth. He spent all of his early life here, except for two years he spent in Central Florida.

He has worked as a story analyst for quite a few major television and film companies that include: ABC, American Playhouse, and Hallmark Entertainment.

He has been educated in Copenhagen, Ohio, and London, and his first post college job was tearing down a barn by hand. All so that the often drunk owner of the barn (who was an heir to a laundromat chain fortune) could put it inside his kitchen.

Tim was able to come back to earth after this and worked for a local newspaper in the fields of advertising sales and design. All the while, he moonlighted as the book reviewer for the paper under a pen name. He worked as the head for the Baltimore Opera Company as the head of the Public Relations Department, a job he had for four years, and pretended to know all there is to know about opera.

Moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the catalyst for him putting writing on the front burner. He was aided by one of the smallest grants in the world, that came from the Maryland State Arts Council. Tim lived life as idle poor for two whole years, which resulted in an unpublished novel (which is called “Zen Bastard”), and the choice to go off to New York City to find his fortune. He even won a P.E.N. Sponsored short story contest.

Here in New York City he came across the idea for his “Hearse” series of books. Bitten by the mystery bug, he wrote his first book (“The Hearse You Came In On”, which was released in the year 2000). It is a noir in cheek novel, creating a bon vivant narrator and the undertaker of Fells Point (named Hitchcock Sewell).

“The Hearse You Came In On” was nominated for a Dilys Award and was a Top Ten pick by Book Sense. “The Hearse Case Scenario”, the third book of the series won a Lefty Award from Left Coast Crime Association.

After being sent hundreds of awful hearse related pun titles from his readers, he called the fifth novel “Backstabber”, which was released in the year 2004, making him such a clever guy. The hearse was pulled into the garage after this novel was released, and never heard from or seen again.

Since this book, he started writing under the pen name of Richard Hawke.

“The Hearse You Came In On” is the first novel in the “Hitchcock Sewell” series, which was released in the year 2000. No self respecting undertaker would get himself wrapped up in a murder investigation, political blackmail, some dirty videos, and corruption within the police department? Not to mention one of the most terrible amateur theater companies in recent memory. No surely not.

Unless you are Hitchcock Sewell, a very charming suspense hero to come about in a long time, of course. Who could have thought that an undertaker might look so good?

The book is a lot of fun, and Hitch is a sleuth that raises the bar for both sleuths and undertakers all over. Fans of the novel found this to be the humorous and different mystery they thought it would be. Hitchcock has a dry wit, and the book features some eccentric characters from Baltimore. He is tough to keep up with at times for how funny he is with his observations and one-liners.

“Hearse of a Different Color” is the second novel in the “Hitchcock Sewell” series, which was released in the year 2001. Hitchcock Sewell does for undertaking that Marilyn Monroe did for the ukulele, give it some class. There is a surprise blizzard that dumps much more than snow on Sewell & Sons funeral home steps. It leaves behind a dead waitress as well, one who was murdered.

Hitch has a girlfriend, who works on television as a meteorologist and sees this as a chance for her to make a move into harder news. Her ambitious mentor would like to beat Hitch to the punch. Hitch’s sleuthing takes him off to the low rent strip joints to mansions. It proves, once again, that undertakers and the clue happy buddies can be a lively bunch.

Fans of the novel find these books to be a quite fun and funny way to spend your reading time. Some liked the continuation of the hilarious and still friendly relationship that Hitch has with his ex-wife. Some highly enjoy reading these books, and Hitch is a great character who keeps the reader laughing.

“The Hearse Case Scenario” is the third novel in the “Hitchcock Sewell” series, which was released in the year 2002. A childhood friend of Hitch tells him that she did indeed shoot her boyfriend (who is the owner of a jazz club) but insists she did not kill the guy. Nonetheless, he is dead. He takes up her cause, since he is always a sucker for a childhood friend.

A kid named “Squeak”, pro basketball, and grand opera are all a part of the mix. Not to mention the first woman in all of his adventures not to be all that interested in hopping in bed with him. There are some mysteries you aren’t ever going to solve.

Another great funny mystery novel to add to this excellent series of books. Fans of the novel found themselves laughing throughout the entire book. There is an interesting story and the book is able to hold your attention the entire time.

“Murder in the Hearse Degree” is the fourth novel in the “Hitchcock Sewell” series, which was released in the year 2003. A young nanny is pulled out of a river near the Naval Academy in the city of Annapolis. The only clear thing is that she has pushed the last pram. She was also pregnant.

She worked for one of Hitch’s old flames. Hitch starts to dig when it seems like her estranged husband could know something about the woman that drowned.

How does this lead him to a flim-flamming evangelist’s home in Georgetown? And the deadly encounter with the political operative with a lot of power? Well, let’s just say that some folks have all the luck in the world.