Shady Place: An Introduction to Jim Phillips

James Mortimer Phillips is the main character in Shady Place. He just wants to be left alone and eventually die in peace.

Since his wife passed, he’s been a solitary man, one who just wanted to wallow in self-pity in his suburban Philadelphia home, but his daughters wouldn’t have it.

They forced him to move to Florida, to the 55+ community he and his wife had picked out several years before: Shady Place.

Jim is a candidate for the class superlative of “Most Likely to Yell: Hey you kids, get off my lawn!” just before turning the hose on them. A retired detective, he can’t help but get involved in events around him even when he tries to bury his head in the sand.

Shady Place is a neighborhood you are likely to find neighbors standing around in front your house. Active and lively, a veritable Peyton Place. Never a dull moment. The perfect landing spot for a curmudgeon who longs for isolation.

What happens when Jim and Shady Place collide? Shady Place the novel is born.