Harry DeMaio, my
friend and fellow Cincinnatian, writes perhaps the most original mystery series
going. He calls the four-volume (so far) Casebooks of Octavius Bear “Alternative
Universe Mysteries for Adult Animal Lovers.”
A retired
business executive, consultant, information security specialist, former private
pilot and graduate school adjunct professor, Harry says he whiles away his time
traveling and writing preposterous poems, articles, and stories.
Since Octavius
Bear has at least one paw in the world of Sherlock Holmes (and the other in
that of Nero Wolfe, I asked Harry a few questions about the series:
Who is Octavius Bear?
Octavius is a nine-foot-tall, 1400-pound Kodiak
Bear/consulting detective/scientist/inventor/seeker of justice/mega-billionaire
owner of Universal Ursine Industries/narcoleptic war
hero/gourmet-gourmand/somewhat sedentary and grouchy just on general
principles. He is a hybrid character somewhat loosely based on Sherlock Holmes
and Nero Wolfe with some characteristics of each but definitely his own bear.
Octavius, among his many talents and accomplishments, is a
brilliant, self-taught practitioner in the wide ranging fields of biology,
physics, ursinology, voodoo, teleology, chemistry, apiculture and oenology as
well as a first rate electrical, electronic, structural, marine, aeronautical,
mechanical and chemical engineer. He has
a few other interesting characteristics such as falling into brief, deep
narcoleptic comas – side effects of his successful genetic experiments to
eliminate the need for him to hibernate. He, his associates and nemeses are all
figments of my warped imagination.
What is the story
behind the alternate universe that Octavius and his cohorts inhabit? Do you
believe in alternate universes?
Answer to your second question first -YES! Let’s hear it for Quantum Mechanics.
Here’s the story: About 100,000 years ago, according to
scientific experts, a colossal solar flare blasted out from our sun, creating
gigantic magnetic storms here on Earth. These highly charged electrical
tempests caused startling physical and psychological imbalances in the then-population
of our world. The complete nervous systems of some species were totally
destroyed. For example, homo sapiens
lost all mental and motor capabilities and rapidly became extinct. Less
developed species exposed to the radiation were affected differently.
Four-footed and finned mammals, birds and reptiles suddenly
found themselves capable of complex thought, enhanced emotions, self-awareness,
social consciousness and the ability to communicate, sometimes orally,
sometimes telepathically, often both. Both speech production and speech
perception slowly progressed with the evolution of tongues, lips, vocal cords
and enhanced ear to brain connections. Many species developed opposable digits,
fingers or claws, further accelerating civilized progress. Some others (most
fish and underground dwellers) were shielded from the radiation and remained
only as sentient as they were before the blast.
This event is referred to as The
Big Shock. It remains under
intensive study.
Alternate universes play an increasing level of importance
in each succeeding book.
Tell us about the
Casebooks.
Volume One - The
Open and Shut Case – a jewel
theft from a Chicago museum and an attempted mass assassination in Las Vegas. The
villainous Imperius Drake front and center.
Volume Two – The
Case of the Spotted Band – Not the famous snake, but a rock group in
Brazil (a cheetah, ocelot, jaguar and Himalayan snow leopard). Carnival in Rio
and mayhem in Cincinnati.
Volume Three- The
Case of Scotch – Murder in the Shetlands and strange problems in the
Scottish North Sea oil fields.
Volume Four – The
Lower Case – a vicious murder in Winnipeg of a very annoying voice
coach cow is blamed on two of Octavius’s protégés. The Great Bear to the
rescue.
Volume Five – The
Curse of the Mummy’s Case – (In development) Imperius Drake returns
trying to revivify an evil Pharaoh and his armies.
Who are some of
Octavius’ associates?
Maury (Mauritius) Meerkat – sidekick, narrator, detective and
theatrical agent
Inspector Bruce Wallaroo – Irrepressible but brilliant marsupial;
an international law and order
genius from Australia; often calls on Octavius and Maury for support.
Bearoness Belinda Béarnaise Bruin Bear (nee Black) – Now wife of
Octavius; very rich widow of Bearon Byron Bruin living in Bearmoral Castle in
the Shetlands; owner-pilot of the last flying Concorde SST; Gorgeous polar
superstar, with the Aquashow, Some Like
It Cold.
Otto the Magnificent – AKA Hairy Otter - An absolutely terrible
illusionist magician, Otto the Magnificent escaped the claws of super villain
Imperius Drake but not before he developed some amazing powers courtesy of
Imperius genetic alterations.
Frau Ilse Schuylkill – Swiss she-wolf; housekeeper-cook; jet pilot
and sharpshooter with other very strange and arcane abilities.
Tell me about the bad guys.
There are many but a major villain is Imperius Drake, a mad duck with dreams of world (nay! cosmic) conquest. Once a mild mannered
Mandarin Duck, he is now “Moriarty
with Wings.” Arch-villain, leader of
the Black Quack gang, a brilliant but loony anitidae who has developed a serum
to make the animal kingdom his slaves, he seeks vengeance for ridicule by the
scientific community and the death of his beloved Lee-Li-Li who swallowed all of
his serum in a vain attempt to stop his madness. He is aided(?) and abetted (?)
by Bigg Baboon, an archetypical dumb
heavy. They appear in Books One and Two and will reappear in Book Five. Other nasties include Pontius Puma, a Brazilian gangster; mysterious killers in the
Shetlands (Book Three) and vicious murderers in Winnipeg. (Book Four.)
Book Four, The Lower Case,
just came out. Does it differ from its predecessors?
Aside from being based entirely in one location, Winnipeg,
and dealing with music and theatre, Book Four follows most of the same patterns
established in its predecessors with two major exceptions. Octavius, who was
somewhat sedentary in the earlier books, is much more active and directly
involved in managing the progress and outcome of the case. As I mentioned
earlier, alternate universes play an increasing part in the overall structure
of these books. Book Four is a major example.
The
Lower Case: Octavius Bear Book 4 is available from all good
bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository.
Harry’s website is www.octaviusbearslair.com.
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