Deep Six: The Continuing Adventures of LJ Tibbs by Thom E Gemcity


Title: Deep Six: The Continuing Adventures of LJ Tibbs

Author: Thom E Gemcity (a ludicrous anagram of Timothy McGee)

Publisher: not known - we know Lyndi Crawshaw is Tim’s contact at his publisher but do not know if it is her firm

Source book: CBS TV series NCIS 

Anyway (which believe it or not appears to be French for ‘anyway’ these days), Tim McGee, a very earnest NCIS agent, who is badly bullied by another agent, Tony DiNozzo, takes to his typewriter, and writes a mystery/crime novel. And rather to his surprise (I suspect), has a huge success with his first LJ Tibbs thriller: Deep Six

The plot may be great, but Tim is useless at choosing names for his characters. The team at NCIS are a bit surprised to find that all the characters in his book are named after them. Deep Six character LJ Tibbs is obviously Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Agent Lisa is Ziva David, Agent Tommy is Very Special Agent Tony diNozzo, Abby Sciutto the forensic scientist becomes Amy Sutton, and autopsy gremlin Jimmy Palmer has become the improbably named (although you can never tell with Americans*) Pimmy Jalmer. Oh, and Tim McGee becomes Agent McGregor.

Tim apparently makes lots of money from Deep Six. He starts wearing Armani jackets and even gets the team into a fancy nightclub because the bouncer is a fan, or gets a witness to provide confidential information because they want a selfie.

The next book in the series is Deep Six: Rock Hollow - The Continuing Adventures of LJ Tibbs. Tim isn’t great at naming his characters, and I don’t really think he has got to grips with titles either. Don’t let’s even try to scrutinise his absolutely ridiculous nom de plume Thom E Gemcity. Yes, it’s an anagram, but Gemcity? Still, if the reading public buy your books I don’t suppose it matters. However, when a maddened fan takes to burglary and murder to influence your plots, that’s less than ideal.

In a third book LJ Tibbs has retired, and the new lead agent is a Cryptologist called Delena Flemming. Her name is taken from Tim’s wife Delilah Fielding who is a cryptologist. How Tim will rename his series we do not yet know. Maybe we never find out.

If you are interested, some fan has added Deep Six to Goodreads.

* no offence meant 

Barbara Hepworth at the Fondation Gianadda 
Both photographs by me






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