Tom Schreck

It is the mid 1970's and Elvis is frustrated with, well, being Elvis. His manager has just turned down a starring role in Streisand's "A Star is Born", a vehicle Elvis had hoped would challenge his true acting chops. Filled with existential angst and feeling misunderstood by everyone and everything surrounding him, he reluctantly reaches out to the one individual on the planet who just might understand the plight of being the most recognized person in the world - Muhammad Ali. Ali, struggling with his own self-image and humanity, enthusiastically invites the King to the log cabin on his training camp for a summit. There they discuss, argue, and almost fight as they pursue issues of fame, religion, the military, women and their place in this life. With turns at the piano and the guitar, their discussions are punctuated with lessons of the Blues, Southern Gospel and Folk. Ali's message to Elvis is simple, be true, be who you are and get back to being a person first and then get among the people. Elvis takes The Greatest up on his challenge and closes the show in an unforgettable way.A Note on Historical Accuracy According to most biographers, the two men met twice. The first time was a brief encounter before one of Elvis' shows. The second meeting was more significant and is the one that is captured in popular photographs. It was during this meeting that Elvis presented Ali with the robe styled after his jumpsuit. The back of the robe read "The People's Choice". Muhammad told a TV Guide interviewer in 1980 that he invited Elvis to his training camp and convinced him to sing at a local bar. Most historians believe that it wasn't uncommon for Ali to tell tales. The events the two men discuss in "The King and the Greatest" are taken from various biographies. Though the meeting at Deer Lake probably did not occur, the events that are discussed throughout the play are considered historically accurate.

The Day Elvis and Ali Met to Change Their World

The King and the Greatest

After twenty-five years in prison for murdering a couple of cheerleaders, a quarterback, and the class president, “Hackin’” Howard Rheinhart gets discharged. His case is assigned to Schlitz-drinking, Elvis-loving social worker and pro boxer Duffy Dombrowski. Soon, local high-school VIPs start showing up dead and Howard is nowhere to be found. Duffy throws himself into Howard’s defense while juggling a few problems of his own―like a huge upcoming boxing match, a new hormonal girlfriend, the unsolicited devotion of a goofy karate kid, and the ongoing misadventures of Al, Duffy’s basset hound. Praise for TKO: “Fresh, intense and funny, Schreck’s second mystery to feature unrepentant Elvis fan and dog lover Duffy Dombrowski packs a knockout punch.” —Publishers Weekly “Refreshingly iconoclastic.” —Kirkus Reviews “TKO is fast-paced, authentic, and funny as hell. Social worker and journeyman boxer Duffy Dombrowski is a workingman’s hero, and I want him in my corner!” —Sean Chercover, author of Trinity Game “Not for the faint of heart, I doesn’t let up. No holds barred, insightful characterization makes this series a stand-out.” —Mystery Reader “No sophomore slump here. I am now really excited about the planned continuation of this series. Hand me another Schlitz, would you.” —Book Bitch

The brutal throat-slashing murder of Crawford Academy's football coach has the city on edge. The fact that his body was found in the gay section of Jefferson Park has created more than a few whispers about the macho coach. That creeps social worker Duffy Dombrowski out enough, but not nearly as much as the fact that the kid he's counseling said he wanted to slit the coach's throat the day before. Now Duffy is assigned to the high school as a grief counselor, and before he can confront his client, the kid gets beaten into a coma by the captain of the football team. As the rumors of a high school sex club run rampant, murder becomes routine in Crawford-until a victim is someone close to Duffy. Everything points to the coach, his sex life, his players, and maybe to the coach leading the team into a different arena. Duffy is not so sure. Add in a new love affair with TJ Dunn, a concussion that might drive Duff out of the boxing game, and the daily challenges of Al the basset hound and you have the fastest paced, most complex and culturally challenging Duffy mystery yet. Praise for the Duffy Dombrowski Mysteries: "The Vegas Knockout is a funny book, full of engaging characters that cover the spectrum of human likeability. What makes it more than a piece of fluff is how Schreck uses Duffy's love of boxing to stand in for any devotion truly held. Duffy's success is in his journey, just as the greatest fun in The Vegas Knockout is in the reading." -Dana King, author of the Penns River Crime Novels "Out Cold floored me with a quick one two of the serious and seriously funny. Schreck's unique blending of the absurd and the sublime along with his rather oddball cast of characters makes Out Cold a great read." -Reed Farrel Coleman, two-time Shamus Award winning author of Empty Ever After "Out Cold is a fast, funny, rip-roaring read, and Shreck's wit and humor shines through on every page. But what I love most about Schreck's creation, Duffy Dombrowski, is the decency and dignity with which he treats the unforgettable cast of loonies, addicts, and criminals who parade through his office. I haven't cared this much about a protagonist in a good long while. Duffy is real hero and a true original." -Blake Crouch, author of Abandon "Fresh, intense and funny, Schreck's second mystery to feature unrepentant Elvis fan and dog lover Duffy Dombrowski packs a knockout punch." -Publishers Weekly, for TKO "Refreshingly iconoclastic." -Kirkus Reviews, for TKO "TKO is fast-paced, authentic, and funny as hell. Social worker and journeyman boxer Duffy Dombrowski is a workingman's hero, and I want him in my corner!" -Sean Chercover, author of Trinity Game "Not since Carl Hiassen's Tourist Season debut has there been a novel with such superb comic timing and laugh-out-loud lines." -Ken Bruen, Shamus Award-winning author of The Guards, for On the Ropes "An Everyman with a big heart and a wicked jab, Duffy Dombrowski may well be the new Spenser. I can't wait for Round Two." -Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself, for On the Ropes

The Ten Count

SUPERANNO Duffy Dombrowski is not your average social worker. When he's not counseling sex addicts and drug users you can find him crooning Elvis tunes, getting "Schlitzed" with his quirky friends, or fighting ex-Olympians in the boxing ring. When Walanda, a schizophrenic, crack-addicted prostitute, is murdered, Duffy pledges to take care of her basset hound "Allah King" and find her missing stepdaughter, Shony. He's horrified to discover the teenager is ensnared in a web porn ring.

On the Ropes

Andrew Grant

Marcus Sakey

Megan Abbott

Greg Rucka

Brad Parks

Gary Phillips

Hilary Davidson

Kat Richardson

Reed Farrel Coleman

Jeri Westerson

Chris F. Holm

Dana Cameron

Zoë Sharp

Sean Doolittle

J.M. Edwards

Ted Hertel, Jr.

Nathan Banks

Bryan VanMeter

Since 2005, Murder & Mayhem in Muskego has welcomed and hosted over 150 authors a thousands of fans of crime fiction to the Milwaukee area. Just in time for the 8th annual benefit, a short story anthology featuring bestselling, Edgar and Shamus award-winning writers who have attended the day-long convention has been created. The collection is edited by Jon and Ruth Jordan. Contributors include: Megan Abbott, Dana Cameron, Reed Farrel Coleman, Hilary Davidson, Sean Doolittle, J.M. Edwards, Andrew Grant, Ted Hertel, Jr., Chris F. Holm, Brad Parks, Gary Phillips, Kat Richardson, Greg Rucka, Marcus Sakey, Tom Schreck and Nathan Banks, Zoë Sharp, Bryan VanMeter and Jeri Westerson. All profits from sales of this anthology will benefit the Murder & Mayhem in Milwaukee crime festival.

Murder and Mayhem in Muskego

After twenty-five years in prison for murdering a couple of cheerleaders, a quarterback, and the class president, "Hackin'" Howard Rheinhart gets discharged. His case is assigned to Schlitz-drinking, Elvis-loving social worker and pro boxer Duffy Dombrowski. Soon, local high-school VIPs start showing up dead and Howard is nowhere to be found. Duffy throws himself into Howard's defense while juggling a few problems of his own—like a huge upcoming boxing match, a new hormonal girlfriend, the unsolicited devotion of a goofy karate kid, and the ongoing misadventures of Allah-King, Duffy's Muslim basset hound.

Tom Schreck

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