A critically praised thriller sprints from Philly to Monaco, Paris, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica, and Panama. Hit the white arrow with volume on to meet a book character: real-life Oscar winner and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly Grimaldi.
STORY LINE: This history-mystery thriller is told through the eyes of a woman and man who have no options.
Criminal lawyer Lee Gunther discovers the true-to-life Mafia connection to the murders of the Oscar winner who became Monaco's Princess Grace, her brother, and brother-in-law. Now he must join Jaime Calero.
Jaime immigrated to the U.S. when her uncle Hugo Spadafora, a true-to-life Central American freedom fighter, was taken down by Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. Jaime becomes an FBI special agent. She is drawn into a back-channel FBI/CIA operation designed to shut down Noriega's partnership with Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel that ships mountains of cocaine into the U.S. through the Panama canal. The mission sends Jaime and Lee on A Run to Hell.
HIDDEN TRUTHS: Where did Frederick Schofield find them? His father grew up next door to Grace. He knew what happened to the Hollywood star and what was behind the same-day murders of her brother and brother-in-law.
And as a lawyer, the author represented clients associated with the Philadelphia Mafia family, which was vicious even by Mafia standards. Nervous lips whispered truths.
Schofield's mentor in the law, Raymond J. Takiff, was one of three lawyers defending Manuel Noriega on U.S drug trafficking charges. Takiff had relocated from Philly to South Florida and earned a reputation as a flamboyant criminal defender. He also played a hidden and mindbogglingly dangerous role as defense counsel to federal agents playacting as drug dealers. Takiff extended bribes to willing judges when Operation Court Broom swept the drug-money corrupted Florida judiciary clean.
This story came to Schofield many ways. Lee and Jaime don't care. Why things happen is inconsequential. All that matters is staying alive until tomorrow . . . when you take A Run to Hell.
Back Cover: Brutal dictator, drug kingpin, and Panama President Manuel Noriega. Front Cover: Grace drives Cary Grant on the road where she will be murdered.
Join Grace's brother Kell and his companion Rachel Harlow. Dubbed "Philadelphia's famous transsexual" by the press decades before LGBTQ+ support, Harlow was a regular guest on the nationally syndicated Mike Douglas television show. David Bowie credited her as "an influence during my androgynous stage."
The Press of Atlantic City raves: "Schofield is fun. He's entertaining. A storyteller." Have him bring that fun live to your book club or group. Put him on big screen, desktop computer, laptop or other device.
READER'S DIGEST ASKS "11 Unanswered Questions" about the death of Hollywood's Academy Award winner for Best Actress, who became Monaco's Princess Grace Kelly Grimaldi. A Run to Hell answers those questions. 3 minutes reading. Photo to the left: site of her life-taking "accident."
DICTAOR AND DRUG KINGPIN GENERAL NORIEGA rises from poverty to wealth and infamy. His partnership with Pablo Escobar, head of the Medellin drug cartel, pumps mountains of cocaine into the United States through the Panama Canal. 2 Minute CBS News Video.
THE CIA PRESERVES A SPECIAL RECORDING OF HUGO. Doctor Spadafora, the dashing physician-revolutionary, remains beloved throughout Central America. His demise is forever a loss to the principles of democracy throughout the region. His sister tells his story. 3 minute video.
“Packed with secrets, intrigue, and adventure . . . something for everyone.” —Book Dealers World
“Tom Clancy and John Grisham fans will REALLY love this one! Fiction and fact are mixed so well that I cannot tell where the truth ends and lies begin. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING.” —Huntress Book Reviews
“A great mix of fact and fiction, thriller and history.” —Naples Daily News
"A Run to Hell is a fictional tale about the deaths of [Philadelphia] native Princess Grace of Monaco and her brother Philadelphia Councilman Jack Kelly, which suggests they were murdered by the Philadelphia Mafia. Now there's a novel idea!" —Philadelphia Daily News
“It’s the way the mob stuff really ran.” —Fat “Joey “A” Altimare, longtime alleged and prison-pedigreed Philly mob member
“A Run to Hell superbly mixes a Grisham-style law story with the intrigue of organized crime, with a romantic subplot.” —Ambience Magazine
“Devilish adventure with room for romance.” —Philadelphia Out on the Town News
“Frederick was motivated by his personal history to write A Run to Hell, a thriller that highlights the murders of . . .” —Writers Life Magazine
“Thoroughly enjoyed.” —Dale Thornberry of Veterans Radio
“A Run to Hell jabs like a pitchfork to your heart.” —Don Cannon, WOGL-FM, Philadelphia
“A spellbinder.” —The Tampa Tribune
“Recommended reading.” —Royalty.nu, The World of Royalty
5 out of 5 stars. “Wow! Amazing story. Just finished A Run to Hell and what a read. You won’t want to put it down. Schofield has a knack for transporting a reader into the heart of a story that’s filled with amazing twists and turns in an exciting historical backdrop.”
5 Stars for “A Great Way to Get Away. This is the perfect read for these days when you’re tucked inside because of stay-at-home orders. You can lose yourself in seedy back alleys or the opulence of Monaco, while experiencing the horror of the tyrant who was Manuel Noriega, from a safe distance.”
5 stars for “A Story That Packs A Punch. I needed a read that would help me escape these troubled times. I found it in A Run To Hell. The characters are a mélange of gritty, flawed, but relatable actors. Schofield shows us humanity in the face of horror, but the emotional journey never slows the pace of the action. Highly recommended.”
5 stars. “The book moved quickly. Being an OC (Organized Crime) buff, I loved every minute of it.”
Legal thriller king John Grisham (The Firm) mates with romance genre queen Nora Roberts (The Next Always). Because it’s only a dream, Nora also wraps with mob master Mario Puzo (The Godfather). The child they spawn creates terrific pleasure reading for any beach or comfort zone and is named Frederick Schofield.
But look over your shoulder in a critically praised 70-year adventure happening on the world's longest boardwalk.
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