Ron Phillips & The Hands of Juan Peron

Ojai author Ron Phillips starts his new book with a macabre true incident; Argentinian dictator Juan Peron's gravesite was disinterred and his hands were severed and stolen by unknown burglars in 1987, 13 years after his death. Why? It remains a mystery. Phillips joins the podcast to talk about "The Hands of Juan Peron" and the journey to getting his suspense-filled novel out into the world. It was during a visit to Buenos Aires that the idea was hatched, and it took decades to get it told. It is Phillip's second novel, his first, "Donnyboy," about German POWs in South Dakota, was released in 2011. Phillips' distinguished pedigree includes winning every major advertising award, including Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes, having helmed international advertising agencies, N.W. Ayer and Campbell-Ewald for clients such as AT&T and United Airlines. He has also written for print media in Reader's Digest, TV Guide and the Detroit Free Press, and directing a feature film and several award-winning children's films. He is also involved in many local causes, including the Ojai Music Festival and Ojai Film Society. He attributes his success in commercials to storytelling, and he applies that talent to this story, which posits a terrifying, yet plausible, story about an investigative reporter with a dark legacy and a tenacious thirst for the truth that takes him into page-turning drama and astonishing twists and turns. We also talk about growing up in small towns, fathers and sons, travel and men's fashion. We did not talk about Baz Luhrman's "Elvis," the Hulu series, "The Bear," or the Chinese treasure fleet.