Michael Burke

Michael Burke has only recently arrived on the mystery scene, and he arrives with a rich and varied history. Following his graduation from Harvard (1960), and a tour in the army, his first career was in astronomy. He spent four years with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, gathering data on orbiting satellites in observatories from Hawaii to Iran. Michael Burke then earned a Master's Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University (1969). He worked in the planning department of New York City and taught in the Graduate School of City Planning at Columbia. In a rebellious mood in 1974, he left the planning field, declared himself an artist and moved into an illegal loft in Tribeca (NYC). Thirty years of a career in painting and sculpture has featured exhibitions and installations in the US and Europe. (His work can be seen at www.michaelburke-art.net).

Recently Mr. Burke's varied career has taken a new turn. His first novel, Swan Dive, a mystery featuring Johnny "Blue" Heron, was published in Sept. 2009 by Caravel Mystery Books, an imprint of Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press. (www.pleasureboatstudio.com)

In the words of Sidney Offit, author of Memoirs of a Bookie's Son: "Move over, Dashiell Hammett. Make room, Cornell Woolrich. With his first novel, Swan Dive, Michael Burke joins the pantheon of private eye muses. This fast paced who-done-it is a masterful achievement of unpredictable narrative cast with diverse and engaging characters. Michael Burke spices his tale with an artist's eye and philosopher's wit as he enlightens and entertains."

Or as John Gruen, author of Callas Kissed Me...Lenny Too! A critic's Memoir, has written: "Where has Michael Burke been hiding? His first book, a detective thriller called SWAN DIVE--has the speed and sex of Spillane, the plotting of Chandler and the wit and charm of Hammett. There's money, murder and mayhem and, to keep things bubbling, a bevy of gorgeous women---the most tempting and intriguing of whom may just be Leda and the Swan! I couldn't put it down."

Monica Carter in her review in ForeWord Magazine wrote: "This is a first novel by Michael Burke, best known as a sculptor and graphic artist. The son of philosopher Kenneth Burke, he has shown here a remarkable ability to connect contemporary life with ancient mythology. The result is sexy, thought-provoking, insightful, and a damned good read. Burke lives and works in New York City, and he is already well along on the next "Blue" Heron novel, another myth-based mystery with intrigue, lust, and more than one good laugh."

A second Johnny Heron novel, The Music of the Spheres, is due to be published in 2010 by Caravel Mystery Books.