Kimberley kid Del Chatterson has released his very first novel, No Easy Money.
Although Chatterson is now semi-retired and lives in Montreal, he grew up in Kimberley, attended McKim and Selkirk and still has family in Cranbrook to this day.
The book is about a young entrepreneur, Dale Hunter from Cranbrook, who is in the computer business and under attack by gangsters and the Montreal Mafia.
“The main character’s birthplace is in Cranbrook, with his wife from Nelson,” explained Chatterson. “It follows adventures in crime and drama from a fictional, entrepreneurial point of view. It starts with a Kootenay connection, but heads to Montreal – there’s generally a lot more crime and drama happening there.”
Chatterson, who is an entrepreneur as well as a business advisor and consultant, has written extensively on business topics for decades. Chatterson has been working on his fiction writing for 15 years, with several other books about the main character, Dale Hunter, in the works.
“I’m interested in the how, why and what of fiction,” said Chatterson, who also has a series of short stories that he hopes to publish. “[The book] is not aimed at a business readership, but those interested in fiction novels. You find people on the beach or by the pool reading this sort of novel.
“There are a few hidden messages for entrepreneurs, or those who love, or hate, entrepreneurs. I tried to understand what they’re all about and the challenges they face. It follows the initial demands of an entrepreneur and escalates from there.”
He adds that the main character finds himself in the midst of the Montreal Mafia, caught between criminals in the 1980’s. While fighting off the criminals, he still has to manage challenges from his employees and customers, the bank and his partners and his two suppliers in Korea and Taiwan. He has to make deals with all of them to stay alive.
Hunter makes a deal with Frank the Fixer, a tough young Somalian refugee who now works on both sides of the law, says Chatterson. Hunter tries to deal with the gangsters himself and only digs himself in deeper again. Frank and Hunter decide the solution is to raise the stakes with an introduction to the Montreal Mafia who will take care of the other gangsters.
“Somebody is going to get killed,” said Chatterson.
He says that people like the book for different reasons, and that the reviews so far have been great.
“It’s great that my 14 year-old grandson likes the book just as much as my 90 year-old mother-in-law,” said Chatterson.
To find out more about Chatterson and his novels, or to purchase the book, visit his website at www.delvinchatterson.com.
