Mystery Writer’s Death Mirrors His Unpublished Novel

CHICAGO —  Mystery writer Eugene Izzi, who was found hanged from his office window in a downtown high-rise a month ago, left an unpublished novel whose hero nearly dies the same way, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune, citing unidentified sources, said the FBI found the manuscript on computer discs discovered in Izzi’s pockets Dec. 7. Like Izzi, the novel’s central character is a Chicago mystery writer with a 14th-floor office, the newspaper said. Each is hanged in a similar manner.

In both fact and fiction, the victim was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a .38-caliber revolver in his office. In the book, however, the hero hoists himself up the rope and shoots his assailants, members of a secret Indiana militia, the newspaper said.

Police have said there is no evidence of foul play and that they believe Izzi, 43, killed himself.