Well done!, October 5, 2007
Ray Atkinson is a St. Louis native and was raised in Ohio. He holds an MBA from Thomas More College and is now also a lawyer, after graduating in May of 2007 (having gone into Law School at the age of 40). He has invented what he calls the "airplane novel," which is a small book that can be read on a trip from point A to point B.

Logan Bauer is a student at a small university in Crandon, Illinois. He got there via an impoverished childhood; a deceased mother; and a foster home. He is a brilliant math student and part-time astronomer. But when his telescope delivers pictures of a brutal murder by a group of Russian mafiosos his life takes on a bizarre turn as he and his childhood friend, Eddie, tear around the South looking for answers to why his sleepy college town has suddenly erupted in murder:

"Later that evening they packed a few things in Eddie's Ford Escort, then drove through the night. Their route took them through Saint Louis, Memphis, Jackson, and straight into LaPlace-thirteen hours including stops for gas and cigarettes. The air was warmer down in the South, and more humid. The air conditioner in the Escort did not work, so somewhere around Jackson they opted to roll down the windows. Once in Louisiana, they drove down I-55, and then they cut over to Airline Highway. From there they headed west straight into downtown LaPlace."

Ray Atkinson has produced a new and unique genre: the exquisite little murder mystery which he calls "airplane novel." His plot moves quickly as in a short story, but he takes his time winding out the real story. He gives his character, Logan Bauer, enough time to grow into a promising young man suddenly beset by problems that eventually lead him to re-evaluate his life and make drastic changes.

THE BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS is a world-wise and yet small town mystery that is sensitive and tragic. It's not really a whodunit, but there is definite mystery and secrets that keep the reader glued to the story. It is indeed an "airplane mystery," and hopefully there will be more to come from this ingenious author. Well done!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer