Synopses & Reviews
Willis Gidney is a born liar and rip-off artist, an expert at the scam. Growing up without parents or a home, by age twelve he is a successful young man, running his own small empire, until he meets Shadrack Davies. Thats Captain Shadrack Davies, of the D.C. Police. Davies wants to reform Gidney and becomes his foster father. Though he tries not to, Gidney learns a small amount of ethics from Shad---just enough to bother a kid from the streets for the rest of his life.
Now Gidney is a PI, walking those same streets. So it's no surprise that when his closest friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, asks Gidney to find his missing daughter, Gidney is compelled to say yes---even though she's been missing for twenty-five years. He finds a woman who may be the girls mother--and within hours she turns up dead. The police accuse Gidney of the murder and throw him in jail.
Maybe Gidney should quit while hes behind. But when his investigation puts him up against a ruthless multinational corporation, a two-faced congressman, and a young woman desperate to conceal her past, Gidney has no time left for second thoughts. In fact, he may have no time left at all.
Thomas Kaufman is a winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition. His debut novel, Drink the Tea, which boasts an original PI and an engaging cast of characters, adds a fresh perspective to the genre.
Review
"Thomas Kaufman is a welcome new voice in Washington, D.C. crime fiction."--George Pelecanos
"With rapid-fire dialogue and slightly twisted characters, Drink the Tea is fast-paced and funny as hell."--Robert Ward, author of Total Immunity "Drink the Tea is a top drawer P.I. novel that will keep the reader hooked cover to cover. Author Thomas Kaufman knows his stuff. Let's see more of his D.C. detective Willis Gidney."--John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author of Urge to Kill "Thomas Kaufman and his DC PI Willis Gidney (and there's a story behind that name) are the new guys on the block, and you'll be glad you met them. Gidney has a quick eye, a sharp tongue, and a fresh take. And Kaufman can tell a helluva tale. Welcome, fellas."--S.J. Rozan, Edgar Award-winning author of The Shanghai Moon
“Fast and funny, with a huge heart. Kaufman is clearly a writer worth keeping an eye on.”Steve Hamilton, author of The Lock Artist
Review
"Kaufman's debut ...benefits from brisk development and a flattering, textured portrait of the nation's capital. Wisecracking narrator Gidney is also an appealing spinner of yarns."--
Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Thomas Kaufman is a winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition. His debut novel, Drink the Tea, which boasts an original PI and an engaging cast of characters, adds a fresh perspective to the genre.
Willis Gidney is a born liar and rip-off artist, an expert at the scam. Growing up without parents or a home, by age twelve he is a successful young man, running his own small empire, until he meets Shadrack Davies. That's Captain Shadrack Davies, of the D.C. Police. Davies wants to reform Gidney and becomes his foster father. Though he tries not to, Gidney learns a small amount of ethics from Shad---just enough to bother a kid from the streets for the rest of his life.
Now Gidney is a PI, walking those same streets. So it's no surprise that when his closest friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, asks Gidney to find his missing daughter, Gidney is compelled to say yes---even though she's been missing for twenty-five years. He finds a woman who may be the girl's mother--and within hours she turns up dead. The police accuse Gidney of the murder and throw him in jail.
Maybe Gidney should quit while he's behind. But when his investigation puts him up against a ruthless multinational corporation, a two-faced congressman, and a young woman desperate to conceal her past, Gidney has no time left for second thoughts. In fact, he may have no time left at all.
About the Author
Thomas Kaufman is an award-winning motion picture director and cameraman. He has twice won the Gordon Parks Award for Cinematography, and an Emmy for his documentary about deaf children, See What I'm Saying. Drink the Tea, a winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competion, is his first novel. He lives with his wife and two children in Maryland.