MCKENNA’S GUY by Mike Lawson

4 stars

A professional assassin breaks into 65-year-old Robert Smith’s house in the D.C. suburbs, only to be killed by Robert with a baseball bat his deceased wife encouraged him to keep under the bed. A clear case of self-defense, but seasoned D.C. police detective Grace Lillinthal wants to figure out what Robert is up do that lead him to be a target of assassin. Smith seems innocuous, working for the Government Publishing Office and designig artistic greeting cards in his basement. Turns out that Smith has had a side-business going for twenty years with his neighbor, criminal fixer and ex-con, John McKenna, to forge one passport a year for $50,000.

Smith and McKenna have no idea what prior client could be targeting them and why, and fear that another assassin may be sent their way. They launch their own investigation running in tandem with Lillinthal.

A non-stop thriller ensues with connections to a celebrity chef, a Canadian crime syndicate, and another killer arriving in D.C. Smith proves a compelling anti-hero and Lillinthal proves an intuitive, dogged detective.

Highly enjoyable!

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.