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Explore the Thrills
Forest Bowman
I am a retired WVU law professor and a life-long West Virginian. In my retirement from teaching I have pursued my deep interest in rural life, history and its accompanying mysteries.
I had a successful teaching career, having been named "Professor of the Year" by an unprecedented seven graduating classes during my 23 years on the faculty of the WVU College of Law and in 1988 I was named "Professor of the Year" for all of higher education in West Virginia.
I am a veteran of the United States Army and in the 1960s served with the Judge Advocate General's Corps in Germany, representing soldiers charged with offenses ranging from minor crimes to five clients facing the death penalty. In my defense of one soldier I caused a congressional investigation which resulted in a change of policy by the Federal Republic of West Germany.
A passionate student of history, in 2023 I was honored by the National Association of the DAR for, while president of the WVU Student Body in 1959-60, having started and organized the successful effort to bring to the West Virginia University campus the mast of the battleship USS West Virginia. The USS West Virginia was the only vessel sunk at Pearl Harbor and, following repairs, was present in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender.
In my retirement from teaching I have enthusiastically jumped into the self-publishing world with tales that have their genesis in my small-town West Virginia upbringing and my passion for historical mysteries.
Having spent my youth fascinated by what the folks I grew up around in rural West Virginia did when faced with great peril, my characters, unlike those in many mystery/thrillers, are not fearless, nor are they trained in weaponry or hand-to-hand combat. They are ordinary folks who face often life-threatening situations head-on with cunning, grit and uncommon good sense.
I had a seminar business on various legal issues that took me to 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces while I was teaching, and today I do presentations on various historical issues and speaks to organizations about my novels.
My novel, All Our Yesterdays, was named the winner of the 2023 Kindle Book Award in the Mystery-Thriller category. Kindle Book Awards are designed to recognize self-published or small press authors. The awards are based upon merit and not because the author buys promotion or any goods, real or imagined from the Kindle Book Review and/or its sponsors, and the judges decisions are subjective and final.
I have been married for over 64 years to the love of my life, Myla, and we are the parents of two sons and have three grandchildren.
My Books
The Secret of the 48th Foot
When a coded message from a missing student leads Ben and Julia to a hidden chest of gold and silver, they’re thrust into a deadly chase across West Virginia and western Maryland. Pursued by ruthless militiamen, the pair rely on their wits, disguises, and a few unlikely allies to stay alive and one step ahead.
The Richmond Exchange
As the Civil War grinds to an end, the desperate Confederacy hatches a daring plan to kidnap President Lincoln and trade him for thousands of captured soldiers to turn the tide of the war. But when a young Union lieutenant uncovers the plot, he races against time to stop the scheme and save the nation.
The List
When professor Ben Tourini digs up a buried box for an old classmate, who is now in jail for a nighttime burglary, he uncovers a list exposing powerful criminals. Hunted by those desperate to keep their secrets, Ben and his allies fight to survive and bring the truth to light. Everyone on that list wants it, no matter what it takes.