Massapequa Author Linda Frank Pens New Mystery Novel

Fiction is host to a plethora of intuitive detectives who always solve the mystery and collar the crook: Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Hercule Poirot, to name just a few.

However, it's time for these super-sleuths to move aside and make room for the new kid on the block: 17 year-old Annie Tillery of Long Island.

The creation of Massapequa Park author Linda Maria Frank, Annie debuts in the supernatural mystery, "The Madonna Ghost," a book Frank calls, "Nancy Drew meets CSI."

With "The Madonna Ghost," Frank is attempting to create is a new "Girl Detective" mystery series.

"When I was a young girl, I loved Nancy Drew," she said. "But Nancy Drew is a 'perfect' girl, and while I loved the stories, I was a little upset that she was always so perfect, and I was not. So what I've made is a modern-day version."

So, with Annie Tillery, Frank hopes that she has created a crime fighter that contemporary audiences can identify with.

"Nancy Drew could do anything...she could learn to ski in ten minutes," she said. "Annie struggles like the rest of us. She also has problematic parents, including a father that's never home and a mother that's in and out of rehab for alcohol. Annie lives with her aunt, a police detective, who's her rock."

"The Madonna Ghost," published in January 2010, involves a trip to Fire Island with her aunt that soon lands Annie in the middle of dastardly plot involving a local ghost. And along the way, Annie finds a little romance, too.

Frank drew upon her teaching experience when it came to writing her debut novel.

"I taught forensic science for many years," she said. "I used to write little case studies for students to solve, and I eventually started to put characters in the case studies as I was writing them, and eventually I got to the point where I said, hey, I'm going to write a book."

However, Frank didn't really know how to pen a novel, so she took a class at the Institute of Children's Literature, and in the process of taking that course, she not only wrote The Madonna Ghost, but it's soon to be published sequel, "Girl With Pencil Drawing."

A third installment of the series is also pending.

Growing up in Manhattan, Frank moved to Massapequa Park when she got married in 1962.

"Massapequa is a good place. I like living there...I raised my son here," she added. "It's very convenient...plus, it's 15 minutes from the beach."

Frank taught chemistry and biology at Seaford high school, eventually becoming department chairperson before retiring in 1996.

"I call it graduating," she said. "I'm in graduate school now...I supervise at student teachers at Adelphi University."

"The Madonna Ghost" is currently available online and through Frank directly at the many appearances she makes to support it.

Response to the print-on-demand book varies depending on the venue, Frank said. On Tuesday evening, she was promoting the book at a signing at the Borders Books and Music in Westbury.

"If I go to a craft or book fair, I sell lots of books," she said. "However, these kinds of events are very poorly attended. I think it's the weather...last time I did an event, there was the snow storm, and the one before was rained out. But if I can present the book to a good crowd, I can sell a lot."

Frank chose a setting for her first book with some personal meaning to her.

"This book takes place in Fire Island, which I love," she said. "I also spent about 12 years sailing, so I tried to combine those two things into something I liked...the whole Long Island beach scene."

One person who showed up at the book signing was David Dubin, who was originally a student in Frank's 9th grade biology class. Dubin, who now teaches himself, had not seen his old teacher for 36 years.

"I opened the newspaper on Sunday, and I said, there's Miss San Angelo," he said. "That was her name back then, 36 years ago. But she looked exactly the same. I had to come and say hi."

Frank feel that her adherence to character development, realism, and especially forensics, is what sets "The Madonna Ghost" apart from all the "Twilight" wanna-bees flooding the market these days.

"If you love a mystery that has strong forensic science background to it, and a character who's actually a lot of fun, and who's smart and edgy and very interested in her surroundings and solving crimes, this is the story for you. It's a mystery lover's book."