A Shattered Circle
Barbara Lonergan is ferociously protective of her husband, Judge William Lonergan. After a New Year’s Day accident leaves the judge mentally impaired, Barbara draws a small circle around him to protect his health, his career, and his reputation. The circle consists only of Barbara, who doubles as the judge’s confidential secretary, and the judge’s law clerk. Together, and with the cooperation of the administrative judge of the well-known New York County Courthouse, they support Judge Lonergan enough for him to fulfill his judicial duties. Months pass under this exhausting routine, but as August deepens into heat and humidity, Barbara finds her small circle under siege from a persistent private investigator who needs the judge’s help in investigating the April murder of a well-known lawyer in upstate New York and a demented litigant in Judge Lonergan’s last trial who has filed a grievance with the Judicial Conduct Commission. Meanwhile, court officer Foxx, in keeping a deathbed promise to a childhood friend, pokes at the edges of Barbara Lonergan’s protective circle.
As the private investigator reveals troubling information and the judicial grievance heads toward resolution, Barbara removes her husband to the supposed safety of their summer home in the Berkshires. She does not realize that she has placed both of them in greater danger.
“Egan’s excellent third legal thriller … his best to date” – Publishers Weekly Read Publishers Weekly Starred review
“… tense and suspenseful pages will have the reader engrossed until the end.” Gloria Feit, MBR Reviews
Read Kevin’s interview with Gilbert Colon on bare*bones
The Missing Piece
At the start of a trial over the ownership of an ancient Roman silver treasure, two gunmen invade a courtroom and steal an exhibit worth $5 million. A shot goes off, and court officer Gary Martin is hit. No one ever sees the gunmen or the exhibit again.
Three years later, the case returns for trial before Judge Linda Conover. Judge Conover is relatively new to the bench, but she is familiar with the case because she was the law clerk to the judge who presided over the first trial. She is also at a crossroads in her life and privately plans that this trial will be her last.
Meanwhile, the paraplegic officer Gary Martin believes the stolen treasure piece is hidden somewhere in the courthouse. He convinces another officer to search for this missing piece with the idea that they will sell it to whoever prevails at the trial.
The new trial has summoned not only the parties and their lawyers to the New York County Courthouse, but also the other unknown players in the heist. The Inspector General worries about Judge Conover’s safety and her impartiality, while Foxx, working his usual undercover gig, has his own ideas.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Feature Article
“A masterful story of murder, corruption, and sexual obsession,with the tension meter on high” — Booklist
“In this engaging legal thriller, Egan demonstrates a gift for making legal technicalities easy to understand.”— Publishers Weekly
“Brisk and suspenseful. John Grisham with a dash of men’s adventure and Dan Brown.” — Noir Journal
KIRKUS REVIEWS NAMES MIDNIGHT
A BEST BOOK OF 2013
Midnight
The story begins with a simple premise: when a judge dies, the judge’s law clerk and personal secretary keep their jobs until the end of that calendar year. So, when Judge Alvin Canter quietly expires in his chambers on the morning of December 31, his clerk and secretary find themselves in a difficult predicament. Their jobs will vanish at closing time – unless they can conceal the judge’s death until after midnight. Neither Tom Carroway nor Carol Scilingo can afford to lose their jobs. Tom is deeply in debt to an impatient loan shark, while Carol is a struggling single mom with a young son and an aging mother depending on her. And both have secrets they’re desperate to keep hidden.
The plan seems simple enough: make it look like the judge died at home on New Year’s Day. But that’s before a crooked union boss gets involved, and a brutal mob enforcer, and Carol’s suspicious ex-boyfriend …
Soon, Tom and Carol find themselves embroiled in an increasingly dangerous conspiracy. And if they’re not careful, more than one body may be discovered in the new year.
“Slowly, methodically, excruciatingly … Egan shows his heroes’ plan spinning out of control in a classic illustration of the law of unintended consequences. … A crystalline noir nightmare built on the premise that yes, things can always, always, always get worse”
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“MIDNIGHT is a wonderful, high-end caper novel … a tale of desperation borne out of circumstance that implicitly asks, “What would YOU do?” You may not like the answer, but you will enjoy this book.”
-Bookreporter.com
“In Kevin Egan’s Midnight, what initially seemed a farce quickly became a serious mystery with more twists and turns than I anticipated. It’s a great plot, with one twist in particular at the finale that I really didn’t expect … a new and refreshing slant on mystery.”
-Bookloons.com
“In this strong legal thriller … Egan deftly parlays a simple administrative rule and the desperation of regular people into a thrilling read.”
-Publisher’s Weekly
‘Midnight is absolutely riveting. There are so many layers of suspense and so much activity in such a short period of time that I often found myself holding my breath while reading. All the characters, be they good or evil, are fully drawn. … That authenticity combined with the incredible tension and apprehension tumbling off page after spellbinding page makes this a book not to be missed.”
-Terrie Farley Moran, Criminal Element
Read an Excerpt Peek into J. Canter’s Chambers
Where it Lies
Jenny Chase loves her job as assistant pro at the Harbor Terrace County Club in the charming suburban town of Poningo. But her idyllic lifestyle is threatened when she discovers the body of greenskeeper Rick Gilbert hanging from a rafter in the cart barn. The police rule the death a suicide, but Jenny soon has her doubts. Why did Rick, who she barely knew, call her five times on the night before he died? Is Kit Gilbert’s fervent belief that her husband did not kill himself based on self interest or some shared secret? With a $2 million insurance policy at stake, Jenny investigates Rick Gilbert’s death. But as evidence of foul play mounts, so do the complications in Jenny’s life. Her teenage son is arrested for petty theft, jeopardizing the legal custody she won in her divorce decree. Her best friend on the police force proves himself to be a shaky ally as well as a fickle lover. And someone is willing to kill her to bury the truth.
“This is a well written amateur sleuth sports mystery starring a strong support cast and a super lead protagonist. The story line plays fast on and off the greens. Fans will root for Jenny as K.J. Egan easily breaks par with this engaging golf murder mystery.” “In WHERE IT LIES, K.J. Egan provides great golf scenes, a clever plot with twists you won’t see coming, and, in Jenny Chase, a protagonist you’ll care about long after the final putt–a great read for both golf fans and mystery enthusiasts.”
– John R. Corrigan, author of the Jack Austin PGA Tour mystery series.
“A refreshing debut … down-to-earth characters and a conclusion notable for its realism will leave the reader eager for more from this promising author.”
– Publishers Weekly
“This is a well written amateur sleuth sports mystery starring a strong support cast and a super lead protagonist. The story line plays fast on and off the greens. Fans will root for Jenny as K.J. Egan easily breaks par with this engaging golf murder mystery.”
– Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews
“A strong heroine anchors a tense series debut that will appeal to more than just golfers.
– Kirkus Reviews
“For a male author to create a believable female protagonist can be tricky, but K.J. Egan accomplishes the feat with finesse. … He accurately portrays the worlds of golf and crime.
” Where It Lies” is skillfully played.”
– Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch (blog)
“Jenny Chase is a strong heroine for whom readers’ affections grow as she careens through life.”
– Peter Bassano, White Plains Times
Read an Excerpt or Purchase an eBook at Reanimus Press
Local Knowledge
Illus. by Phil Singer for Kensington Pub. Corp.
After sinking the winning putt in the Metropolitan Golf Championship, golf pro Kieran Lenahan learns that Sylvester Miles, the owner of the country club where Kieran works, has been found dead in a water hazard. The police quickly focus on Kieran’s shop assistant, an ex-juvenile delinquent that Kieran has taken under his wing. As if that isn’t enough, Kieran finds himself entangled in Miles’ peculiar will, which designates Kieran to auction off a rare set of golf clubs and give the proceeds to Miles’ sexy young widow. Kieran isn’t sure which is more trouble – the beautiful Blitzklubs or the beautiful widow. When two more bodies turn up, and the Blitzklubs vanish, Kieran needs to scramble – not just for his golf career but for his very life – in a case that stretches from post-war Germany to the modern Japanese mob.
“The pseudonymous Daly, a practicing attorney, scores a birdie with this spirited first mystery, set in the world of pro-am golf. Even non-golfers will delight in Lenahan’s love of the game and the fairway world.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Like all good mysteries, Local Knowledge is full of colorful characters with motive and opportunity. … Daly is superb at pacing and building suspense.”
– The New York Law Journal
“Local Knowledge is a punchy page-turner chock-full of colorful characters and snappy language.”
– Golf Magazine
“A fast-paced mystery.”
– The New York Times
Read an Excerpt or Purchase an eBook at ReAnimus Press
Buried Lies
Illus. by Phil Singer for Kensington Pub. Corp.
When Kieran Lenahan quit practicing law to become a professional golfer, he aimed to play on the PGA Tour someday. Six years later, his attempts have become legend, but he still hasn’t given up. Finally, he has managed to qualify for the PGA Championship, which is being played at the renowned Winged Foot Country Club. Then Kieran’s life takes a dreadful turn. First, a sudden fire destroys Kieran’s pro shop. A fireman is killed, and the fire marshal rules it is arson. Then Kieran’s caddie falls in front of a commuter train. Deirdre O’Meara, Kieran’s ex-girlfriend, insists the caddie was pushed. But who would kill a caddie? And is there a connection between the caddie’s death and the fire? Somewhere along the manicured fairways, saltwater inlets, and neatly trimmed greens, some of the most exclusive country clubs on the East Coast lies the shocking truth about the bad side of the good life. To prove his pro status on – and off – the green, Kieran needs to be better than good and more than lucky. He needs to stay alive.
“Despite attempts by a variety of crime writers, no one has been able to produce a convincing mystery series set in the world of golf. After all, bodies just can’t
keep turning up in sand traps indefinitely. Now in its second installment, Daly’s Kieran Lenahan novels just may break the pattern. … Daly mixes a believable plot involving illegal aliens (the caddies at Lenahan’s club) with the on-course drama of a club pro qualifying for the PGA. The fact that Lenahan is a former lawyer lends credibility to his sleuthing and allows the two plot lines to coexist peacefully. Of equal importance, the golf scenes ring true and are vividly described.”
– Booklist
“A quirky and amusing page-turner”
– The New York Law Journal
“Good golf scenes and a believable mystery make this second Kieran Lenahan novel the best golfing mystery on the market – and a sure bet for fans of the game and the genre.”
– Booklist
Read an Excerpt or Purchase an eBook at ReAnimus Press
Outside Agency
Illus. by Phil Singer for Kensington Pub. Corp.
After seven years’ exile, Kieran Lenahan is back on the PGA Tour–or he would be if somebody hadn’t bashed his head at a Gainesville apartment complex. In a sense, Kieran’s a lucky guy: He came out of his adventure a lot fitter than Cindy Moran, who was found lying next to him but never woke up. But his good luck isn’t enough to save him from the baying tournament staff, who disqualify him from the current event, Orlando’s Bay Hill Classic, and announce their willingness to bounce him from the Tour on account of his questionable, possibly immoral, behavior. And Kieran’s got no defense, because he can’t remember what he was doing in Cindy Moran’s apartment; he can’t even remember how he traveled the hundred miles from the 17th tee at Bay Hill to the Camelot Apartments. Though he’s solved mysteries before, Kieran’s never had a more urgent reason for tackling a case–so he uses the time he would have spent at Bay Hill tracking down accusations of beta-blocker use, unmasking a blackmail plot, and unearthing a 20-year-old scandal. Now if only he could just find out Cindy Moran’s real name, and remember just what he was doing when she got killed. . . . [from Kirkus Reviews]
“Conscientiously plotted, with a well-concealed killer. Golfing wannabes will be happy to see that Daly paints the PGA Tour as an endless round of backbiting, name-calling, and endorsement-chasing, with hardly a moment for a quiet 18 holes.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“A nicely evolving plot, smoothly told; of special interest to sports fans.”
– Library Journal
“If mystery fiction has taught us anything, it’s that, to paraphrase Michael Corleone, you can stage a murder anywhere–even in the notoriously antiseptic world of professional golf. This third Kieran Lenahan adventure finds the former lawyer now touring pro with a nasty bump on his head and a case of amnesia: he can’t remember a thing about the dead woman found on the floor beside him. No, this isn’t Mike Hammer, it’s the Players Championship, and the PGA bureaucrats don’t like their charges involved in murder cases. With the help of his no-nonsense caddy Meg, Kieran attempts to figure out what happened before he loses his spot on the tour. Although there isn’t much actual golf played here, fans will enjoy the view of corporate chicanery within the PGA Tour’s infrastructure. Daly pretty much sticks to formula in this series, but he does so competently and efficiently.”
– Booklist
Read an Excerpt or Purchase an eBook at ReAnimus Press
The Perseus Breed
The Perseus Breed combines a science fiction story-line with strong mystery genre elements. The story opens with Borley Share, a college psychology professor, interviewing an old woman in a remote area of upstate New York about the disappearance of her daughter. The woman’ story, which depicts her daughter’s odd psychological state in the days before her disappearance, fits the pattern of other disappearances that have occurred in thirty year intervals. Convinced that another spate of disappearances is about to occur, Borley advertises for participants in a psychological study and quickly identifies three women exhibiting the same psychological tendencies of other women who vanished. After two of these women disappear – one while being shadowed by a private investigator – Borley slowly realizes that he has uncovered the existence of an alien race using the Earth as a nursery to raise its young.
Snappy dialogue and a romantic interest add color to a novel of aliens among us.
– Library Journal
Could it be that some alien species is using Earth as a breeding ground … or is something more sinister afoot? A well done scientific mystery.
– S.F. Chronicle
Read an Excerpt or Purchase an eBook at ReAnimus Press