The fictional bar Widows Cove Tavern on Union Street in New Bedford has ties to a murder on a New Bedford scalloper in first-time author Paul Rooney’s thriller.
The locally-based murder mystery focuses on FBI Field Office Detective Rob Ragusa's efforts to catch a killer in Rooney’s debut novel.
“It has a lot of twists and turns and is tied in with the Portuguese and Cape Verdean cultures,” he said.
Rooney started writing "Widows Cove" by focusing on the history of New Bedford and the fishing industry. He interviewed fishermen and fishing boat captains on the docks, as well as interviews with members of the State Police and Coast Guard.
“I did a fair amount of research I think,” he said. “People who have read it feel like I covered it pretty well.”
Rooney took inspiration for many of his characters from people he knows from the Narrows in Wareham where he lives with his wife, Paula. He also writes about the redevelopment going on in the city.
“I think a lot of people like it because it’s local,” he said.
Ragusa ventures into other parts of the state, including locations such as the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, and passes through Boston and onto Cape Cod.
“It has been well-received as a local read,” he said. “The focus is on New Bedford, but it expands out into a little bit of Boston, a little bit of Saugus and a little bit of the Cape.”
A new author’s challenges
When the words weren’t flowing as he had hoped, Rooney spent four or five nights in Plymouth and another four or five nights in Rhode Island and was able to work through the writing process, particularly towards the back end of the book.
He said the book is fairly fast paced in the short chapters and he is pleased with the result during his first experience as a writer.
He said he has sold about 7,800 copies since its release in March, which he feels isn’t bad for a first-time novel.
“I’m happy with it, and it’s been a positive experience,” he said.
Sharing his story locally and beyond
Rooney said he hopes "Widows Cove" will be appreciated regionally as well as nationally for readers who once lived on the SouthCoast.
“If anybody is from New Bedford, lives in New Bedford, has worked in New Bedford and has been in New Bedford they might find it interesting because it has a lot of history and is well researched, such as some of the old clubs,” he said.
Rooney has left copies of the book at local libraries and plans on doing a book reading at the Marion Library this fall. He recently completed a reading in Hyannis. He may also return to the Narrows Restaurant after Labor Day.
"Widows Cove" is sold at Barnes & Noble in Wareham, Dartmouth and Hyannis in hardcover, paperback and on Kindle as well as through Amazon.
Copies are also for sale at the Moby Dick gift shop on Union Street and were available at Mike’s in Fairhaven.
He has ideas for future novels as well.
It’s a city for movie aspirations
With New Bedford’s track record of movies filmed in the city, Rooney wouldn’t mind seeing a movie version of "Widows Cove" being filmed here some day.
He said there are seminars about how to pitch movies to Hollywood.
"You never know,” he said. “We'll see what happens. Maybe it catches the eye of someone who has an interest in something like that.”
Helping others at his day job
Professionally, his patients know him as Dr. Paul R. Rooney with Whaling City Psychological Services. Most of his career has been in the mental health field and has worked at St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River doing case work.
Rooney started this work about 25 years ago and offers family, couples, marriage and individual psychotherapy services to patients out of his office on County Street in New Bedford.
He said having worked in the city, he has met many people through his therapy practice who helped inspire his characters in "Widows Cove," and he pays tribute to friends he has made through the years in Wareham.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com . Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford waterfront at the heart of new thriller 'Widow's Cove.' Here's what it's about.
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