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Welcome to my little corner of the internet!
I’m David Freed, author of the Cordell Logan mystery series, and I’m thrilled you’ve found your way here. If you like your mystery-thrillers with a touch of humor, along with a uniquely original protagonist who can’t help but attract trouble at seemingly every turn, you’ve come to the right place.
Here, you’ll find exclusive insights into what goes on behind the scenes in the making of a mystery novel. I’ll also share occasional reflections on whatever’s inspiring or bewildering me at the moment. Think of it as a mix of crime fiction and the musings of an author ever fascinated–and at times puzzled–by the world around him.
Whether you’re new to Logan’s adventures or a seasoned fan, I’m glad you stopped by.
Please enjoy your visit.
Please join my mailing list HERE to keep up with all the latest news.
My gratitude for your interest.
Blue skies,
David
A naked man drops from the night sky and crashes through the roof of a mobile home, nearly killing the elderly couple inside. The victim is soon identified as Pete Hostetler, a well-respected executive at a California-based toy manufacturing company. But detectives are baffled, and there are no leads. Did he accidentally fall out of an airplane or was he pushed?
For Cordell Logan–a sardonic, financially struggling flight instructor and former government assassin–Hostetler’s death is personal. The two men were classmates at the US Air Force Academy and later served together as fighter pilots during Operation Desert Storm, where Hostetler saved Logan’s life during one particularly perilous combat mission in Iraq. Logan is convinced Pete was murdered. But who would’ve killed someone in such bizarre fashion, and why?
Determined to avenge his battle buddy’s death, Logan starts digging and discovers nothing is as it seems, and that he may not have known Hostetler as well as he thought. Soon a vexing trail of clues lead him and his aging Cessna, the Ruptured Duck, across California, deep into Mexico, and relentlessly into harm’s way.
“David Freed’s Deep Fury has been a long time coming, I think around nearly eight years, and it was absolutely worth the wait. As the seventh entry in the Cordell Logan Mysteries series, it brings us back into the world of the sharp-tongued, self-deprecating former government assassin turned flight instructor. This time, the stakes are as high as ever, and the journey is nothing short of exhilarating.
The story begins in classic Logan style: with a bizarre, jaw-dropping incident. A naked man falls from the sky and crashes through the roof of a mobile home. That man is Pete Hostetler, a toy company Executive and, more importantly, one of Logan’s old Air Force Academy classmates and a trusted wingman from Desert Storm. But what initially seems like an odd and tragic accident quickly turns into something far more sinister. As Logan digs deeper into Pete’s death, he uncovers a tangle of lies, dangerous secrets, and a side of his old friend he never saw coming.
Mr. Freed’s writing is as sharp and engaging as ever. He masterfully blends Cordell’s sardonic humor with a captivating mystery that keeps you guessing at every turn. Logan is always compelling and I love every second spent in his company, but what makes this installment even more intriguing is the dynamic between him and his current partner, Layne Sterling. Their chemistry is natural and understated, and it adds an emotional depth to the story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Ray Porter is one of the best narrators in the audiobook industry and once again delivers a phenomenal performance, cementing himself as the perfect voice for Cordell Logan. His ability to bring the characters to life, capture Logan’s dry humor, and maintain the tension during action-packed moments is nothing short of extraordinary. Mr. Porter handles Layne’s character with finesse, giving her a strong, confident voice that complements Logan’s without overshadowing him. Listening to this audiobook feels less like hearing a narration and more like being immersed in a perfectly performed production.
After waiting so long for this audiobook, I couldn’t stop once I hit play – I devoured it in one session. Mr. Freed’s ability to craft a fast-paced, multi-layered mystery is on full display here. The plot twists are expertly executed, and the resolution is both surprising and deeply satisfying. What stands out most, though, is Mr. Freed’s knack for blending high-stakes suspense with moments of genuine heart and humor.
Deep Fury is a masterclass in mystery writing and a stellar addition to the Cordell Logan series. It’s witty, suspenseful, and emotionally resonant, with characters you can’t help but root for. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, this audiobook is a must-listen. David Freed and Ray Porter make an unbeatable team, and I can only hope it won’t be another eight years before we hear from Cordell Logan again.
For flawless writing and perfect narration, Deep Fury gets my highest praise: the Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Entertainment. This award celebrates the exceptional cooperation between author and narrator, which always elevates the narrative experience to the highest level of immersion and entertainment as humanly possible and it is given to both of them together.
Congratulations and thank you for the entertainment!”
“Freed’s novel digs deep into the danger.”
Alta Online
“What is it with aviators who write? Whatever the mystic connection between flying and writing, David Freed has it. Deep Fury is the seventh of his novels featuring former black ops government agent Cordell Logan—a deceptively easygoing, good-humored, struggling flight instructor and private investigator with other darker and more deadly skills. It’s action-packed, fun, funny, deft, touching, and addictive. Warning: you read one of Freed’s Logan books, you’ll want to read them all.”
Hart Hanson, author of The Seminarian and The Driver
At the height of the Cold War, a twin-engine Beechcraft bearing top-secret cargo departs from the Santa Paula Airport near…
More than forty years after being freed from the infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” three aging former American prisoners of war return…
A father and son hunting deer in the mountains of Colorado happen upon a stunning sight: a vintage sports car…
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It’s called ‘Deep Fury’ and is now available through Blackstone Publishing and Amazon
The Duck is modeled after an aging Cessna 172 my father-in-law once owned and let me fly so long as I paid for gas and its upkeep. A fine airplane with the worst paint job you ever saw. I logged several hundred hours on that plane before acquiring a Piper Cherokee 180 that I flew for more than ten years. I now own and fly a Cirrus SR20.
If only I knew! I’ll be sleeping or hiking or eating a burrito or taking a shower or watching TV, with my brain essentially on autopilot, and then—shazam!—an idea for a plot will come to me, seemingly out of the ether. One place I can tell you where plot ideas never hit me is when I’m behind the controls of an airplane. That’s one activity that requires full focus.
Each has its challenges and rewards, and each benefits the other. Writing fiction can help teach a journalist how to tell a fact-based story more engagingly. Practicing journalism, meanwhile, teaches the writer of fiction the values of veracity, technical accuracy, and detail in prose.
When a talented student is motivated to improve their craft and receptive to coaching, nothing is better than teaching! Conversely, little is more frustrating to me than when a student repeats the same mistakes over and over. You start to feel after awhile like you’re wasting their time and visa versa.
Mostly I helped intelligence collectors and analysts learn to do their jobs more effectively.
I fantasize about doing the Indiana Jones thing—only my version would involve tromping through the jungles of New Guinea, finding the wrecks of World War II aircraft, and restoring them to airworthiness. In reality, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing than my current day job, which is making up and telling stories. It definitely beats working for a living!
On that day in June 1994, when Los Angeles police officers brought in O.J. Simpson for questioning in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ron Goldman, I was 800 miles in Durango, Colorado, working on a cheeseburger, nursing a cold beer, and watching the media frenzy play out on a wall-mounted TV in the bar where I was having lunch. The sky over downtown LA…
What happens when you write a novel, setting much of it in the real world, and then part of that real world is erased before the novel can be published? This was my dilemma in writing The Impossible Turn, my eighth and newest Cordell Logan mystery. A fair amount of the story originally took place in Malibu, California, where I drew references to actual streets I’ve driven on…
Date:01/16/2025 Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm Place: Chaucer’s Books3321 State StreetSanta Barbara, CA 93105-2623 Join bestselling author David Freed for a thrilling evening of mystery and suspense at his book signing event for “Deep Fury”! Mark your calendars for January 16, 2025, at 6:00 PM and prepare to delve into the captivating world of Cordell Logan, a former government assassin turned flight instructor, as he navigates a treacherous web…
Several years ago, on a dark day of deep despair, a silly idea came to me—one that would eventually become a silly book, while finding me crossing paths with a former President of the United States who was anything but silly. I was working back then in the entertainment industry, writing film scripts for the major studios, TV networks, and independent producers. My annual income could best be…