Hotshoe: A Jason Street Mystery

When motojournalist Jason Street is named in a lawsuit following the suicide of tire manufacturer Sherman Case, whose products he panned in print, he's put on leave by his editor at Motorcycle Monthly. But the dead man's daughter refuses to accept he killed himself, and hires Street to go on the road with racer Rusty McCann to find out who murdered her father. With his professional life on hold and his home life crumbling, Street takes the job. Along with Rusty and his mechanic Ozzie Davidson, Street travels the country, from groomed mile tracks to bumpy courses in backwater burgs, living out of a van and eating greasy diner food while Rusty and Ozzie close in on the championship. As the season draws to a climactic close, Street uncovers the plot behind Case's murder. But will he cross the finish line before he's the killer's next victim? 

Oder Hotshoe here.

Reviews of Hotshoe:

 "If you like the old gumshoe type novels you will love this one, Jerry Smith's writing style reminds me of John D. McDonald's Travis McGee novels. The storyline of the this novel is also helped out by the authors familiarity with the motorcycle world. Well written, a can't put it down book. This author has another book, Deadman's Throttle which is the prequel to this book. This novel can be read without having read the first novel as Mr. Smith has written both to stand alone without loss of the story line by not having read the first, again much like the Travis McGee novels of John D. McDonald."

"This book takes you inside of the dirt track culture and throws a little murder mystery into the mix. Nowhere have I found a book this fun to read while giving the reader insight as to what the dirt track world is like." 

"Great way to spend winter nights for a motorcyclists that can't get out and ride."

"Jerry Smith does a wonderful job of conveying the dirt track experience; I found myself grinning widely at his description of the main character's first dirt track, and at various other passages as well. The mystery plot is interesting, and kept me turning pages well after bedtime, oftentimes grinning or chuckling out loud at a particularly well-crafted passage. Smith's got an easy-going, laid-back sense of humor that waits quietly until the right moment, and then either speaks up softly for good chuckles, or bursts forth and brings the house down. I really enjoy Smith's writing voice - it suits him well, and I can sometimes catch a glimpse of his grinning face in the background of the pages. His writing is honest, straight-forward, no-BS, sometimes gritty real life [stuff], and that's partially why it works for me. As an avid motorcyclist myself, I always enjoy reading about bikes, and it was great to have two of my favorite genres, murder mystery & motorcycle adventure, put together. Smith's characters are well-written, and have their own shortcomings (which of course endears them to us and makes them much more real.)I plan to pick up Smith's _Dead Man's Throttle_ soon, to continue enjoying his work, and really recommend this book to anyone who's thought "hey, this might be good/fun/interesting," because it surely won't disappoint." 

Motojournalism isn’t like most jobs. On any given day you might show up for work and…Log a thousand miles in 24 hours on a Harley Softail just to see if you can, and learn how some riders do that for 11 days in a row––and call it fun.Cling to the bars of an FZR1000 streaking down the Mistral Straight at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France, watching the speedo needle creep past the 160 mark. Gaze in awe at the breathtaking emptiness of Alaska from the saddle of a high-mile dual-sport, or get hopelessly lost in the sun-parched landscape of eastern Washington state on a Gold Wing as black as sin. Ride one of Kenny Roberts’ TZ750 roadracers, then sit on the dusty floor of an empty racetrack building and talk to the King about it for a couple of hours. Trail sparks from your footpegs on the notorious Sunday Morning Ride, or cross several state lines in a day to eat a monster chiliburger with a dozen of your best and craziest friends. Missed Shifts is a collection of these and other stories told in the unique voice of veteran motojournalist Jerry Smith, who served on the staff of Rider, Cycle Guide, and Motorcyclist before setting out on a freelance career that’s 30 years old and counting. In this book he has gathered some of his favorite pieces, crafted in his witty style, and presented from his slightly off-center point of view. No matter what you ride––or whether you ride it solo or with friends––put up your sidestand, hit the starter, and come along for the ride. 

Order Missed Shifts here.

Reviews of Missed Shifts:

"Jerry Smith is a real storyteller, and my enjoyment of Missed Shifts went far beyond motorcycling. I found the book engaging and entertaining.
Not only does he write evocatively about his racing days, his descriptions of road trips made me want to grab my car keys and take off. He captures the warm camaraderie of strangers thrown together and the easy humor of long-time colleagues. The sweetness of the cord that runs from father to son and back, which brought a tear to my eye. Memories of dogs gone by. Then throws in a couple of pieces of researched reporting. This collection is rich in many ways. Missed Shifts is a peek inside the life of someone who has apparently, as Joseph Campbell urged us to do, followed his bliss. Actually, it seems like he has followed two blisses – motorcycles and writing – and has combined them here for a truly satisfying read." 

"I've always enjoyed Jerry Smith's writing but his somewhat nomadic career has not always made him easy to track down. This collection of his writings, covering everything from his racing career, long distance rides, testing new bikes and the trials and tribulations of old old and cheap bikes was just what I needed. A terrific read from start to finish and now Mrs Andy seems to be enjoying it as much as I did."

"Too bad it wasn’t 900 pages long. I enjoyed the wit, insight, and humor immensely. I even laughed several times like an idiot causing my wife to look over and shake her head. If there was a series of these I’d buy the whole darn thing today."

"Well written articles, some bring back memories to me: smells, before the rain, farm country (good and bad), routes ridden..... the sense of joy of a rider returning to riding after many years away. This book not only put a smile on my face, I had to explain to my wife what was so funny about "....are you together?...." You'll have to read the book to find out. It's well worth it."