Tarpey's tale
Former Times-Standard sports writer Neil Tarpey will release his first novel, "Darkness in the Redwoods," on June 3.
"It's a murder mystery set here in Humboldt County," said Tarpey, 74.
The book – which takes place during a rainy, dark winter on the North Coast – focuses on a judge's visiting 20-year-old granddaughter who goes missing.
Tarpey's website (https://tarpeydiem.com) offers this synopsis: "Inspector Kevin Valken and his Native American partner, Detective Naomi Marren, work the case and cross paths with scoundrels, a vengeful armed felon and a mysterious villain who takes one shoe from each victim. Valken's a troubled soul, grappling with bad dreams and unresolved grief since a drunk driver killed his wife and daughter. Marren's sensible, balanced and a sharpshooter, but she's disturbed by a sleazy rogue sergeant and her sadness about missing and murdered Indigenous people."
Tarpey said, "I wanted to have the mystery unfold in the redwoods, a beautiful place on the planet where I've lived for the past 49 years, so I created a fictitious town on the North Coast called North Valley. The town, all the characters and events are imaginary. I agree with Albert Einstein's quote, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.' But to add authenticity, the book mentions many Humboldt County places and businesses, including Ramone's Bakery and Cafe in McKinleyville, Los Bagels in Old Town, Kinetic Koffee, Jitter Bean Coffee, Hoopa Valley and the Trinity River, Samoa Beach, Humboldt Crabs games, Valley West, Broadway Cinema, the Clark Complex, the Ocean Grove."
The idea for Tarpey's novel grew from several short stories in his 2016 book "Flashes of Lightning."
"Inspector Kevin Valken appears, or is mentioned, in five stories in ‘Flashes of Lightning.' My friend Margot Genger, the poet and author of the great memoir ‘Shift Happens,' liked the Valken character and strongly suggested I write a novel with him as the protagonist. Margot's suggestion sparked ‘Darkness in the Redwoods.' Because it's a novel, I wanted Valken to have a woman as his partner, so I created Detective Naomi Marren, who is half-Yurok and half-Irish. Their working relationship anchors the book and gives the reader two viewpoints during the mystery."
Though this is Tarpey's first novel, he's been writing for many years.
"I worked as a sports writer for seven years (2006-2013) at the Times-Standard. Toyon published several of my poems in the '80s and '90s. In the past few years, one poem was published in ‘Behind the Mask: 40 Quarantine Poems from Humboldt County,' edited by David Holper and Anne Fricke, and another in the ‘Mash-ups: Where Poetry and Art Collide' show at the Ink People Center for the Arts. The North Coast Journal has published 15 of my flash fiction stories, including ‘Handgun Wedding,' which won their first contest in 2009," he said.
"I also kept a personal journal for 32 years, where I wrote about my thoughts, feelings and experiences," Tarpey added.
When it comes to reading, Tarpey says that about 80% of the novels he dives into are murder mysteries.
"I like how the detectives work their cases, even with problems and difficulties in their own lives, and how their choices often have life-or-death consequences," he said.
Tarpey will hold book signings for his new novel June 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Booklegger in Old Town Eureka as part of Arts Alive! and at Eureka Books in Old Town on July 10 as part of Friday Night Market. He will also be doing a reading July 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka.
On June 3, Tarpey's new novel will be available in print locally at:Booklegger and Eureka Books in Old Town Eureka, Pacific Paper in Henderson Center in Eureka and Blake's Books in McKinleyville. Northtown Books in Arcata will have the the book as well when the new store opens. On June 3, copies will also be available online at lulu.com/bookstore.
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 3:40 AM.