Naugatuck writer releases ‘Spying for Keeps’

THE SUNDAY REPUBLICAN JULY 16, 2017

Labriola’s latest novel inspired by his visit to Normandy

BY ELIO GUGLIOTTI

SPECIAL TO THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

On a visit to France several years ago with his wife, Lois, Jerry Labriola looked down on the beaches of Normandy-the site of the Allied invasion in June 1944 — and over the bunkers used by the Nazis to try to repel the Allied forces that litter the beach still.

Nearby, gravestones marked the final resting place of thousands of American soldiers.

The visit stirred emotions in Labriola.

I remember saying, “Lois, I’ve got to write about this,” recalled Labriola, an 85- year-old Naugatuck resident.

Labriola, a former forensic pathologist in the U.S. Navy, pediatrician and politician who now pens mystery novels, did just that.

Labriola’s latest book, Spying for Keeps, was released in June through Strong Books. The historical mystery novel follows the character of Jim Hunter, an undercover agent who assists the Allied forces in their assault on Normandy and is later hired to track down criminals in the aftermath of World War IL

Writing mystery novels isn’t anything new for Labriola, whose interest in the genre was sparked by such

authors as Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie and Rex Stout.  Spying for Keeps is the 19th book Labriola has written — the first four were co-authored with renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee and focused on high profile criminal cases before Labriola turned his pen to mysteries.

Spying for Keeps does mark a first in Labriola’s writing career, though. It’s the third of three books he wrote in a nine-month period.

Labriola, an early riser in the morning, said he starts writing at about 5 a.m. and typically stops at around lunchtime or a little after. Then, last September, those days become longer, and rather than writing six days a week, Labriola was writing every day as he became more wrapped up in his work.

“I just had the desire; I’m not exactly sure why except I was enjoying it more than I usually did, to write longer,” he said.

LABRIOLA: He wrote 3 novels in 9 months

First came The Blue Baron Mystery, followed by The Saga of Hodge, and finally Spying for Keeps. Each took about three months to write, Labriola said. They were all published this year.

“I didn’t say, ‘OK, I’m going to write three books.’ I didn’t know how many I would write quickly, but I was determined to write more quickly because I had the energy at the time and I had the ideas in my mind,” he said.

Labriola said he never had two books going at the same time, but he had ideas for each book and would often write notes to himself. One of the problems with an idea in writing, he said, is as he gets up in years they are easier to forget.

“I had the ideas in my mind,” he said. “I knew what all three were going to be about.”