Josh Pahigian’s novel, 'Strangers on the Beach,' tapped as Indie Sleeper Title by Publisher's Weekly

University of New England Adjunct Faculty Member Josh Pahigian  has worked in Old Orchard Beach and spent many summer days and nights on its sandy beaches watching the Atlantic roll in and beachgoers roll past. 

So it is no mystery that his debut novel, Strangers on the Beach, plays out in the sand, streets, and hot spots of the famed southern Maine resort town, which provides an authentic and moody setting for the book’s intrigue and sinister developments.

Pahigian’s mystery novel, officially set for release Oct. 16, 2012 tells the tale of Ferdinand Sevigny, a brave, bold, and brash billionaire whose failed stunt to sail blindfolded across the Atlantic lands him in Old Orchard, triggering a series of events that redefines him and all those people caught up in the mysteries that surround him.

It has already been tapped as an Indie Sleeper Title to Watch by Publisher’s Weekly, the influential trade journal of the book publishing industry.

While Strangers on the Beach marks his debut as a novelist, Pahigian is a veteran author with seven baseball-related books to his credit, including 101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out and The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip. He is also a contributing writer to ESPN.com.

The novel returns Pahigian to his creative writing roots. Before finding his baseball writing success, Pahigian earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a concentration in fiction from Emerson College, and he has seen a dozen of his short stories published in national and international literary magazines.

Pahigian, who grew up in central Massachusetts and earned his bachelor’s degree from The College of the Holy Cross, is an adjunct faculty member in UNE's Department of English where he has taught composition, American Literature, and British Literature.

Strangers on the Beach is published by Islandport Press.