Scott Geisel writes mystery and detective, suspense, thriller, and a bit of romance. He is known for the Jackson Flint detective series, the Appalachian suspense novel Miller Knew, and the Nils & Bly adventures. His work has been acclaimed by Publishers Weekly, published in Best New Writing and Best of Ohio Short Stories vols. I and II, and aired on WYSO. Scott has been interviewed on the Book Nook and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer fiction award. He lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, one of the coolest small towns in America.
Scott grew up in Ohio and was an avid reader from an early age. He fondly remembers his elementary school classes making weekly trips to the school library where he would exchange books he’d read for new adventures in the books he would find. Some early favorites were The Three Investigator series and Encyclopedia Brown solve-a-mystery books. Later influences include watching The Rockford Files and Magnum, P.I., noting that Magnum narrating the series was a key element of that show.
Scott left home to study physics at a small engineering college. Interests such as a chopper he built from parts and the isolated nature of the school were among distractions that kept him from completing a degree. Scott later completed a degree in math, then went to the blue-color world where he worked in food service, factories, and on loading docks. In his late twenties, he married Pam and returned to college to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities. He has been teaching college writing courses since the mid-1990s.
Scott kept a hand in writing and among other things has published a variety of short stories, been included in Best New Writing, been a finalist for the Hoffer Award, had an audio story aired on NPR station WYSO, and had his work published alongside well-known historical writers in the Kent State University Press anthology Christmas Stories from Ohio.
Scott and his wife often look for books set in places they travel to. One of their first destinations when away from home is bookstores, where they often ask where to find the local authors, especially if there are mysteries set in the locale. When he finally had some time for serious writing, Scott embarked on a series of mystery novels set in his own hometown, starting with Fair Game and Water to Bind. Those have been well received and positively reviewed by sources such as Publishers Weekly. To that series he added the Appalachian noir suspense novel Miller Knew and the Nils & Bly series.
Scott grew up in Ohio and was an avid reader from an early age. He fondly remembers his elementary school classes making weekly trips to the school library where he would exchange books he’d read for new adventures in the books he would find. Some early favorites were The Three Investigator series and Encyclopedia Brown solve-a-mystery books. Later influences include watching The Rockford Files and Magnum, P.I., noting that Magnum narrating the series was a key element of that show.
Scott left home to study physics at a small engineering college. Interests such as a chopper he built from parts and the isolated nature of the school were among distractions that kept him from completing a degree. Scott later completed a degree in math, then went to the blue-color world where he worked in food service, factories, and on loading docks. In his late twenties, he married Pam and returned to college to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities. He has been teaching college writing courses since the mid-1990s.
Scott kept a hand in writing and among other things has published a variety of short stories, been included in Best New Writing, been a finalist for the Hoffer Award, had an audio story aired on NPR station WYSO, and had his work published alongside well-known historical writers in the Kent State University Press anthology Christmas Stories from Ohio.
Scott and his wife often look for books set in places they travel to. One of their first destinations when away from home is bookstores, where they often ask where to find the local authors, especially if there are mysteries set in the locale. When he finally had some time for serious writing, Scott embarked on a series of mystery novels set in his own hometown, starting with Fair Game and Water to Bind. Those have been well received and positively reviewed by sources such as Publishers Weekly. To that series he added the Appalachian noir suspense novel Miller Knew and the Nils & Bly series.
ACCOLADES, REVIEWS, AWARDS, INTERVIEWS
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Publishers Weekly on FAIR GAME: www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-73501-830-0
“Assured prose matches the credible plot. Fans of realistic PI fiction will look forward to the sequel.” Publishers Weekly on WATER TO BIND: www.publishersweekly.com/9781735018324 “An original plot with fully fleshed-out personalities lifts Geisel’s second mystery featuring Yellow Spring PI Jackson Flint.” |
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FAIR GAME: www.wyso.org/show/book-nook/2020-07-13/book-nook-fair-game-a-jackson-flint-mystery-yellow-springs-ohio-by-scott-geisel
WATER TO BIND: www.wyso.org/podcast/book-nook/2022-08-01/book-nook-water-to-bind-by-scott-geisel ORCAS' CALL: (link coming soon) |
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Yellow Springs News - home of the Jackson Flint mystery series
FAIR GAME: ysnews.com/news/2020/08/new-mystery-novel-set-in-the-village WHEAT PENNY: ysnews.com/news/2024/05/book-review-local-complexities-in-geisels-wheat-penny WATER TO BIND - YS News review: “All the action, suspense, twists and turns… historical-racial theme lends gravitas to the work.” MILLER KNEW: ysnews.com/news/2023/02/miller-knew-geisel-pens-appalachian-noir-novel ORCAS' CALL: ysnews.com/news/2025/12/villagers-new-novel-heads-west |
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"Spring Early"
A short story published in Christmas Stories from Ohio (Kent State University Press) alongside Ohio writers including Kay Boyle, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, and James Thurber www.amazon.com/-/es/Dorothy-Dodge-Robbins/dp/1606350641 Audio version on WYSO: www.wyso.org/arts-culture/2018-12-24/two-christmases-home-and-away |
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"You're Not the One" (short story) Eric Hoffer fiction award: Honorable Mention Best New Writing (2008) |
"Cinderbox Road"
Best of Ohio Short Stories vol. I
"Trey"
Best of Ohio Short Stories vol. II
Best of Ohio Short Stories vol. I
"Trey"
Best of Ohio Short Stories vol. II
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WATER TO BIND:
“Another fast-paced mystery by Geisel, full of local color and history. A winner!” |
What readers are saying about Jackson Flint
“I love the Jackson Flint novels.”
“As good as anything you'll find in this genre.”
“Fast paced, riveting mystery.”
“Can hardly wait to read everything he has written! Keep them coming!”
“I recommend it to everyone.”
Readers on MILLER KNEW
“This story grabs you and you can't lay it down.”
“The story grabbed me in the first chapter and held me to the end.”
“Absorbing thriller with rich character development that kept me turning pages.”
“I love the Jackson Flint novels.”
“As good as anything you'll find in this genre.”
“Fast paced, riveting mystery.”
“Can hardly wait to read everything he has written! Keep them coming!”
“I recommend it to everyone.”
Readers on MILLER KNEW
“This story grabs you and you can't lay it down.”
“The story grabbed me in the first chapter and held me to the end.”
“Absorbing thriller with rich character development that kept me turning pages.”
Select list - publications/awards:
"Cinderbox Road" Best of Ohio Short Stories Vol. I
"Trey" Honorable mention, Glimmer Train Fiction Open
"The Master Mechanic" Delirium Journal
"Spring Early" Christmas Stories from Ohio, audio aired on WYSO
"You're Not the One" Best New Writing 2008, Eric Hoffer Award finalist
"Marathon" Delirium Journal
"Four Forked Nurses" Nexus
"A Lovely Bouquet" Rubbertop Review
"Grandmother's Quilt" Say Goodnight to Illiteracy
"Cinderbox Road" Best of Ohio Short Stories Vol. I
"Trey" Honorable mention, Glimmer Train Fiction Open
"The Master Mechanic" Delirium Journal
"Spring Early" Christmas Stories from Ohio, audio aired on WYSO
"You're Not the One" Best New Writing 2008, Eric Hoffer Award finalist
"Marathon" Delirium Journal
"Four Forked Nurses" Nexus
"A Lovely Bouquet" Rubbertop Review
"Grandmother's Quilt" Say Goodnight to Illiteracy
