DECEIT by Mark McGinn

Last month I introduced Crime Watch readers to Mark McGinn, a relatively new Kiwi thriller writer who now has a handful of books available on the Smashwords website. Although self-publishing and indie publishing can be a bit hit and miss (well, just like big publishers too, I guess), I've really enjoyed a couple of local crime thrillers I've discovered on Smashwords in the past couple of years.

Today I got my hands on DECEIT by McGinn, which I am really looking forward to reading. As an ex-lawyer who likes crime fiction myself, I'm intrigued as to how McGinn will weave his own courtroom experience into his thrillers. New Zealand has been crying out for a good legal thriller or two - it's a popular subgenre in the United States and elsewhere, but is relatively untapped down here, despite the diverse array of crime writing produced from our shores.

McGinn's bio says that: "During a lengthy career working in the court system he had the privilege of witnessing some of New Zealand's finest barristers and jurists in action. Both that experience, and the psychological assessment and observation of people that are central to his business consultancy, have enriched and driven his writing."

Here's the blurb for DECEIT:

Suspended lawyer turned PI, Clay Tempero, is doing it hard in Sydney. Then an old mate asks for his help in defending a client charged with murdering her son, though his body has never been found. But it’s not long before he finds the most important witness, a wannabe superstar, dead in her own home. The woman bankrolling the defence, Helena Carter, candidate for the lord mayoralty of Sydney, persuades Clay to find the missing boy – dead or alive. But what’s her real motive? Is this case too close to home for Clay, who has his own demons to cope with? Fast moving, taut, darkly humorous and rich in memorable characters, Deceit is a must-read for Mark McGinn fans.

I will let you know in due course whether I am a Mark McGinn fan. Having started DECEIT, I am hopeful.

You can try the book for yourself, and read a short interview with McGinn about his writing, at the Smashwords website here.