It’s an anniversary, but there’s won’t be any celebration. On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared from a suburban Detroit restaurant parking lot. Thirty-six years later, he continues to fascinate even those who hadn’t been born when he vanished.

For me, Hoffa’s story is personal because his life intersected with my father’s. The 1960 collision between the two headstrong men — a 31-year-old trucker vs. the one of the world’s most powerful labor leaders — became the subject of my first book, Crossing Hoffa – A Teamster’s Story. Among other honors, it earned Chicago Tribune‘s award as one of the “Best Books of the Year.” Beginner’s luck.

I’ll be gone for the next two-and-a-half weeks, but if you’ve already digested The Partnership (available for Kindle, iPad and Nook, as well as in paperback) and are looking for a true crime thriller to occupy time otherwise devoted to my musings, consider Crossing Hoffa for your beach bag, Kindle, iPad, or Nook. Just a thought.

I’ll have another post during the week of August 15.