'Three Days Dead'

Keith Donnelly, author of “Three Days Dead” will sign books on Sept. 19 in Johnson City.

By Joe Tennis
Published: September 13, 2009

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Gatlinburg Resident’s Latest Mystery Features The Hunt For A Missing Woman

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Rolling into a second novel, Keith Donnelly aimed to avoid a sophomore slump.
The former Johnson City, Tenn., resident found great regional success with his debut novel, “Three Deuces Down,” released in 2008. It followed the story of detective Donald Youngblood and had readers rolling down familiar landscapes across East Tennessee.
Donnelly’s new “Three Days Dead” ($24.95) – published by Hummingbird Books, in association with John F. Blair, Publisher – continues the journey of Youngblood, a Tennessee private investigator.
Last time, in the first book, Youngblood vowed to never again go hunt down a missing person.
Only, this time out, the detective changes his mind when a teenage girl shows up looking for help in finding her mother.
Along with looking for that woman, Youngblood also tries to find a proper home for the teenager.
The new adventure takes Youngblood from East Tennessee to Las Vegas and eventually to the mountains of Utah.
Donnelly, a 60-something retiree living in Gatlinburg, Tenn., made a trip to Utah for research and to shoot the cover photo of the book, showing a desolate highway.
He started writing “Three Days Dead” even before his first book appeared.
Though part of a series, both books are independent of each other, Donnelly said.
“I think [the second book] stands alone,” Donnelly said. “I make veiled references to the first book to hopefully get people interested in going back and reading the first book. But I think there’s enough backstory in the second book that you don’t have to read the first one first.”
A 1962 graduate of Science Hill High School, Donnelly attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. Before retiring earlier this year, he spent decades in the book-manufacturing industry.
Looking back, Donnelly thinks the new “Three Days Dead” is a better book than “Three Deuces Down,” he said.
“I think I learned a lot on the first book,” Donnelly added. “I think it’s a better-crafted book. I like them both, but I’m probably a little prouder of the second one.”
In both, Donnelly uses references to local places.
“I think you should write what you know,” the author said. “I know the area ... and I think East Tennessee is a good place to base my detective.”
With “Three Days Dead,” Donnelly retains the same style of funny, real-life dialogue as “Three Deuces Down.”
In this new book, however, his detective spends about a week visiting topless bars, looking for the teenager’s mother. And yet, all the while, Youngblood must convince his girlfriend that this “work” in Las Vegas is really “work.”
So, what’s next for Donnelly?
Well, in between book signings, the author is currently working on a new Donald Youngblood mystery – this time called “Three Devils Dancing.”
The titles are purposely meant to be similar, Donnelly said. “And I think we’re going to go with the Three D-D thing until that runs out.”

BOOK SIGNING
Who: Keith Donnelly
What: Author of the new “Three Days Dead” and 2008’s “Three Deuces Down”
Where: Barnes & Noble, Franklin Terrace, Johnson City, Tenn.
When: Sept. 19, 2 p.m.
Info: (800) 222-9796
Web: www.donaldyoungbloodmysteries.com