Author of
Thrilling
Stories
Whiz Kid
A Novel by Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat
In 1950 Philadelphia, as the Phillies fight for glory, Ben Green risks everything for his future.
—Whiz Kid is a raw, riveting story of ambition, love, betrayal, and the price of chasing greatness.
“A fresh, heartfelt take on the American dream and the golden era of the national pastime.”
— KIRKUS Reviews
“Whiz Kid is a heartfelt historical novel about identity and ambition that recreates in vivid detail post-war Philadelphia, particularly post-war Jewish Philadelphia and Camden. In this remarkable homage to his father Joel Burcat has fashioned a beautiful setting into which he has set the sparkling gem, the manuscript of a novel that his father had left him…[A] loving, beautiful work by his son.”
— Howard Langer, winner of the 2025 National Jewish Book Award (Book Clubs)
“Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, compelling, raised to an impressive level of literary excellence and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, Whiz Kid by co-authors Joel and David Burcat is a truly memorable coming-of-age novel centered on the conflict of family expectations and personal aspirations, the security of guaranteed future and the uncertainty of attempting to realize a driving personal ambition.”
— James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review
“Whiz Kid is a vivid evocation of a lost era in America, where baseball and love were enough to get people up in the morning.”
— Peggy Kurkowski, Independent Book Review
“If All-American Frank Capra had been Jewish, this is the movie he would have made.”
— Niki Kantzios, Historical Novels Review
Would you drive from Houston to Cincinnati in a rented Lincoln Town Car in the midst of the worst hurricane of the century to be with your girlfriend who is giving birth to your baby?
Josh Goldberg does.
—Jon Land, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“I highly recommend this lightning-paced, modern-day Odyssey.”
—Jon McGoran, award-winning author
“Reap The Wind by Joel Burcat is a great story. Burcat provides us with a compelling fictional account of what climate dangers may lurk in our future if we fail to act on climate. Reap the Wind is a gripping tale that engages both the head and the heart.” — Michael E. Mann, Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania
“It’s flat-out excellent writing…An excellent and careful use of detail…Josh is an interesting and compelling character.” —ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition Reviewer Comments
“Strange Fire is complex and intelligent, deftly plotted and character rich. As a bonus, it’s also like a college course in fracking and the moral and technical issues surrounding fossil fuel extraction; as such, it couldn’t be more timely. Joel Burcat has a winner with this one.”
—John Lescroart, NY Times best-selling author of The 13th Juror.
“Burcat writes with an insider’s edge about a dangerous battle over fracking. Strange Fire is a dark, suspenseful read that ranges from the gas fields to the courtroom, all handled with gritty style. A treat for thriller fans.”
—William Landay, NY Times best-selling author of Defending Jacob.
“A superb cast spearheads the story of an incendiary social and environmental issue.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Watch the Trailer for Strange Fire
—John Ellsworth
“Amid Rage is a smart thriller with a tight and twisty plot that keeps the story moving at warp speed. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Robert Bailey
Joel Burcat’s “writing is tight and clean…Gritty, tough, poignant. AMID RAGE tells a good story in a way every thriller aficionado will appreciate. Well done.”
—Steve Berry
“Writers like Burcat demonstrate that “within the densest fog and darkest black, you can find clarity and color if your imagination is 20-20”
—Frank Bruni
“With excellent handling of dialogue, description, characterization, and plot, Drink to Every Beast is Quite a feast and a wonderful debut novel.”
—Viga Boland
“DRINK TO EVERY BEAST Provides a great look into an uncommon thriller subject.”
—Keshana Hanson
“…a fast-paced environmental legal thriller with smart, engaging characters and a level of complexity that serious readers of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy.”
—Jeff Gunhus