"Identity Thief is an audacious and cleverly plotted, intriguing mystery that opens up new layers of deceit at every turn, like an endless trove of Russian nesting boxes, with one surprising twist after another." Paul D. Marks, Shamus Award-winning author, White Heat Out of work, down on your luck, desperate for cash. What if you could get rich with a few strokes of the keyboard? All you have to do is become someone else.
But nothing's that simple in this fast-paced, psychological thriller. As the story dangerously snowballs downhill, the characters discover how losing themselves can lead to duplicity, blackmail, and sometimes murder.
JP Bloch's darkly comic, edgy exploration of the mystery of the self will keep you guessing until the last word. You'll come away agreeing with the identity thief that "the biggest mistake you can make is thinking you know who you are."
"JP Bloch's Identity Thief careens through a spiraling labyrinth of stolen identities reminding one of Churchill's riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. After his identity is stolen, Dr. Jesse Falcon goes from the frying pan, into the fire, into the endless quicksand of identity theft, until you just want to ask, as they did on the old TV show, 'Will the real Jesse Falcon please stand up?' But like Bloch says, the real identity thief is life itself. Identity Thief is an audacious and cleverly plotted, intriguing mystery that opens up new layers of deceit at every turn, like an endless trove of Russian nesting boxes, with one surprising twist after another. Definitely looking forward to his next." Paul D. Marks, Shamus Award-winning author, White Heat
"This is a fun ride. Despite featuring deeply troubled characters, Bloch treats them with a sense of humor that softens some edges but dangerously sharpens others. There are times when you'll chuckle at a name or a seeming coincidence, then be blindsided with an unexpected-sometimes unsettling-turn. As the main players lose and find identities, you'll be pulled into their fragmenting worlds where truth is temporary and few are whom they seem-to others or to themselves." Frank Tavares, author of The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories
About the Author: JP Bloch has a PhD but hopes people won't hold it against him. His last name is pronounced "Block," not "Blotch," but he's gotten used to it. He has been called far worse. He has lived all over the country, and so far the feds have not busted him. He finally settled in Connecticut, where he is an indentured servant to his dog. JP writes on his king-size bed with the fan on. His hobbies include eating cashews while watching TV and overdosing on film noir favorites. Doc Bloch, as he affectionately calls himself, teaches criminology, gender, and other things. He has appeared on TV and radio numerous times. Having grown up in different households, he became interested at a young age in the fragility of self-identity. On his own since age 15, he also developed a lifelong interest in finding food and shelter. Thus he hopes you will buy this book. He has discarded many identities himself over the years before sticking with chocolate mint chip. JP is also a victim of identity theft, which is ironic since he has no money. He enjoys people who have gained wisdom from hardship, and ask questions more than they assume answers. His turn-offs include Brussels sprouts, bigotry, and people who think life is simple. Besides novels, he writes poetry, non-fiction and scholarly articles. JP's paintings have been hailed as naïve folk art. Tumultuous skies are preferred over sunny ones.
