To Be Continued Book Boutique and Cafe in Metuchen, will be host to the first public reading and signing event for HEARTLESS CRUELTY, the debut novel of the Mr. Bachman series by Richard Goffman, on Friday evening, October 5, from 7-9pm.

Set in 1983 in the fictional beachfront town of Atlantis, NJ, HEARTLESS CRUELTY tells the story of a teacher who looks for an absent student but instead discovers the horribly mutilated body of the boy’s father. The boy is missing, and everyone, including the police, the mayor and the press, believe the teenager committed patricide. Everyone except the teacher, Mr. Bachman.

Mr. Bachman, the teacher-hero who doesn’t believe in heroes, he only believes in protagonists, and the more he tries not to be one, the deeper he becomes involved, is a character who reminds readers of that special teacher they once had, and reminds teachers of their best selves.

Called a fast-paced, well-plotted and cleverly written, HEARTLESS CRUELTY is a crackling mystery, a passionate love story, a desperate race to save a motherless child who may not want to be saved. This is the first book in the Mr. Bachman series. The next Mr. Bachman mystery, a prequel, is coming in 2013.

About the Author
Richard W. Goffman is the author of two college textbooks on writing and reading, as well as magazine articles, novels, short stories, plays, screenplays and poetry. He writes, teaches and lives in New Jersey. For more information about HEARTLESS CRUELTY and public appearances by the author, please visit www.richardgoffman.blogspot.com or contact the author directly at 201-736-9517.

To Be Continued Book Boutique and Cafe, at 431 Main St. in Metuchen, is a unique, eclectic store where, in addition to new and used books, customers will also find music of all kinds, both live and recorded, including an impressive selection of classic vinyl albums. Owners Sergio Gonzalez and Karen Winters have intentionally made it a place where locals like to hang out, discuss topics of the day, read, drink coffee and eat fancy pastries served on fine china.

Jazzmyn Perez, a young Metuchen jazz singer, will be performing before and after the reading.