Local author Jon Loomis (shown here sitting next to an ominous-looking wood pile) recently released Mating Season, his second crime novel.

11:32 a.m. on a recent Wednesday … suspected local mystery author Jon Loomis enters CourtN’ House Bar & Grill. It’s the kind of place the main character in his two mystery novels, Detective Frank Coffin, would hang out with fellow members of the force. Loomis is here for an interrogation interview. My name’s Szymanski. I carry a pen.

Few would expect that a book written by a professor could be something one could take to the beach. With his debut, High Season, and the current follow-up, Mating Season, UWEC English professor Jon Loomis shatters the stuffy ivory tower stereotypes and delivers a fast-paced, witty, seedy, quirky who-done-it that’s leaving fingerprints all over the crime novel world.

Jon Loomis, who has two volumes of published poetry, who can speak knowledgably about literary criticism and Shakespeare, who has been published in academic journals, is writing mystery novels one critic complimented as “delightfully campy.” One would think a professor would prefer “delightfully profound.” Loomis, however, revels in what he jokingly called the “lower rent” world of crime fiction.

“Ultimately, we write the book we want to read,” says Loomis, a fan of mysteries since childhood. Poetry’s limited market also played into Loomis’ decision. “Even students of poetry don’t read much poetry. I wanted to experiment with the prospects of a broader audience. And it seems to be working out.”

Yes it does. His debut earned high-profile praise across the country. Mating Season, the sequel released in April, will be featured on NPR’s Morning Edition sometime in July. Loomis flew to Provincetown, Massachusetts to do a walking tour with host Linda Wertheimer, with Loomis discussing different settings in the book. Exposure to NPR’s national audience will undoubtedly lead to another sales boost. High Season, meanwhile, is enjoying a second run in paperback.

    Part of his success is his ability to appeal to different crowds at the same time – like a songwriter who knows how to work intelligent lyrics into a catchy pop single. Loomis’ literary chops help him write with fast-reading clarity, punchy dialogue, and a plot with plenty of curveballs to keep the reader turning pages into the night. Add cool descriptions and characters with real depth, and the book ends up being something both his colleagues and beach readers can enjoy.

The main character, aging detective Frank Coffin, is strung out from seeing one too many dead bodies on the job in Baltimore and returns home to Provincetown in hopes of leaving the violent crimes behind. There, Coffin ends up in the middle of a body count, reluctantly trying to solve murders in this formerly peaceful town. With Provincetown’s many drag queens and free-spirited eccentrics, trying to sort through murder leads is like wandering through Twin Peaks with the Cohen Brothers. 

Both books actually read very cinematically; it’s easy to imagine these events on the big screen, tagged with strong R rating. A movie adaptation is the ultimate monetary payoff for an author – something his agent is currently shopping around. When asked about a dream cast, Loomis laughs and admits resistance at naming actors. “You end up embarrassing yourself,” he says. “It ends up saying more about you than it does the book.” But after minor prodding, he throws out a few names. Interestingly, for the part of Frank Coffin, he offers the same actor I imagined playing the role:  George Clooney (with 40 extra pounds and a bald spot). Clooney has shown he can be both comical and serious, much like the characters in Mating Season, and the author who created them. 

Having already surpassed his publisher’s expectations – not to mention his own – Loomis knows Frank Coffin has quite a few miles left in him. His publishers say that if they continue the series they’d want a new book every 18 months.

This all leads to a question. With all of this momentum, how have Loomis and his books stayed largely under the radar in the Chippewa Valley? That, book fans, is a mystery.

    Mating Season is available at Crossroad Books, 301 S Barstow St., Eau Claire.