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It's the Real Thing: Alum Pens Coca-Cola Thriller

Murder, blackmail, vengeance, sex and intrigue. Got your attention?

They are elements of a new novel by Washington and Lee alumnus Jim Gabler, of the Classes of 1953 and 1955 Law.

We last blogged about Jim’s writing in January 2012. At that time, he had just published two e-books — a guide to wine and a historical novel about the first American pope.

Now he’s back with a thriller, “The Secret Formula.” The formula in question is one of the world’s most closely guarded secrets — that of Coca-Cola. As Jim wrote in an e-mail about his new novel, his attitude is “the heck with The Coca-Cola Company.”

Jim was a civil trial lawyer for 40 years, practicing in the courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. During his practice, he became interested in wine, and he wrote his first books on that subject, including the 1995 volume “Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson,” which won the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Wine Book of the Year award.

His first novel, “God’s Devil,” was published in 2011. Now he’s back with “The Secret Formula,” which is available as an e-book and in paperback from Amazon and in paperback from Barnes & Noble.

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