Jeb Ladouceur, Master of Suspense To Visit Westhampton Beach

Visitors to The Open Book in Westhampton Beach are literally in for a thrill on March 27 when the bookstore hosts an appearance by suspense novelist Jeb Ladouceur on Sunday, March 27. 

Ladouceur, best known for his trilogy of thrillers about a Hannibal Lector-like psychopathic killer with a twisted fondness for  word play, will be signing copies of all five of his novels. He’ll also be tantalizing the audience with excerpts from his most recent thriller, The Oba Project, due out this summer.   

Ladouceur, who grew up in Riverhead, first made his mark in the arena of non-fiction when he founded the newspaper, The Fire News, in 1973.  He retired in 2001 to write fiction, but remains publisher emeritus of the monthly publication that serves as a literary lifeline to  Long Island’s 25,000 volunteer firefighters.  

What has drawn the disciplined author, who has been known to write for 15 or 16 hours straight, to the thriller genre?  

“I write thrillers because I like action. Also, I tend to be comfortable writing in an episodic, bang-bang style,” Ladouceur explained.  “All of my books contain an element of crime, even if only underlying. I think crime is the glue that holds a thriller together, and suspense is what gives it thrust.”  

Ladouceur, often called Smithtown’s most popular writer, will be accompanied on his visit to Westhampton Beach by a large entourage of fans from Western Suffolk, most of whom have read all of his books.  

According to his publicist, Debbie Lange Fifer, Ladouceur’s sixth novel represents an intriguing departure for Ladouceur, who seldom wrote about politics or international intrigue in the past.  

“The Oba Project has to do with a secret cache of Ebola poison that is buried in a military facility in Northern Canada,“ Ladouceur said, adding that there’s actually a town called Oba in Ontario.

“Given the current interest in weapons of mass destruction, the story is bound to touch some cords,” he said.  

Rich descriptive detail and meticulous research are among the hallmarks of  Ladouceur’s writing, and The Oba Project is no exception. Ladouceur adds additional spark and realism to the story by weaving in history gleaned from correspondence, dating back 50 years, between his friend, Saul Richmond and a prize fighter, Kid Granite, who settled in the part of Canada where the story is set. 

The Open Book, which has served Westhampton Beach and its environs since 1999, moved to its current location on Glover Lane about a year ago.  

“It’s a good community bookstore, ” Owner Terry Lucas said of the establishment that she opened to meet the literary needs of residents and tourists year-round.  

Lucas said she is delighted that Ladouceur is launching his 2011 book tour at her shop.  

“I love to support local authors,” said Lucas, who coincidentally  hosted an appearance by Jodi Picoult, a friend of Ladouceur’s who grew up in the neighboring town of Nesconset, earlier this month.  

The Open Book is located at 1 Glover Lane, Westhampton Beach. The event kicks off at 2:30 pm. For information, call The Open Book at  (631) 288-2120.