The 5 Cent Murder

The novel, set in 1973, follows a narrator who takes a chokerman job in a remote B.C. coastal logging camp. He soon realizes the company has hired work-release prisoners to fill out the full crew--including a dangerous, serial rapist. In this narrative comedy, the author captures the local color, danger and humour of those who did “run or die!” in logging camps, culminating in a confrontation for the finale of the story.

The story follows a narrator who takes a chokerman job in a remote B.C. coastal logging camp. He soon realizes the company has hired work-release prisoners to fill out the full crew--including a dangerous, serial rapist. In this narrative comedy, the author captures the local color, danger and humour of those who did “run or die!” in logging camps, culminating in a confrontation for the finale of the story. The narrator brings the reader with him, as he takes his first steps into the working world, then adventures through the logger’s lifestyle: grinding out a punishing workload, attending raucous parties, surviving fights, flights and pranks with the many personalities he encounters living on the BC coast. The story captures the local color and the many hilarious characters such as: Superlogger - the logging foreman, Dutch - the wizard mechanic, Bergen - the moody hook tender, Zit - the buddy from high school, Braggs - his mentor and friend in logging, Der - the source of many troubling days in the camp, the New Guy, and Carleigh - the blonde bombshell and love of his life.

Alfred Cool was born and raised in BC. He attended Simon Fraser University where he took English and Computer courses. He is a member of the Canadian Authors Association. He worked as a logger for over a decade, traveling extensively on the coast of central and northern BC. For 26 years, as an accomplished computer professional, he lived in various BC communities where he harbored the simple truth that writing would eventually take over his life Now that persistent dream, to his great satisfaction and pleasure, has become reality. This novel the second of a collection of 5 to be produced by the author inspired by his travels on the coast of BC. ‘DRY CAMP!” was published the summer of 2012. . “THE 5 CENT MURDER” was published the fall of 2012.