Michael crafts compelling thrillers rooted in the authentic Chicago neighborhoods where he grew up. His private detective series plunges readers into the heart of gritty investigations, driven by atmospheric prose and sharp character insight. He masterfully captures the essence of urban settings, making the city itself a central element of the narrative. Beyond fiction, Michael is a respected voice in literary criticism and journalism, bringing a thoughtful perspective to his work.
Genevieve Bower has hired Sam Kelson, a former Chicago cop turned private investigator, to recover her stolen shoes from her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend - but no one's seen Genevieve's boyfriend for the past two weeks. In his search, Kelson comes across a body, shot in the head. A clear-cut case of suicide - or is it? What is this case really about?
Introducing maverick Chicago private investigator Sam Kelson in the first of a hardhitting new crime noir series. Sam Kelson is a PI like no other. As a consequence of being shot in the head while working undercover as a Chicago cop, he suffers from disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned. But truth be told - and Kelson always tells the truth - he still feels compelled to investigate and, despite the odds, he's good at his job. Hired by Trina Felbanks to investigate her pharmacist brother, whom she suspects is dealing drugs, Kelson arrives at Felbanks' home to make a shocking discovery. Arrested on suspicion of murder, he makes an even more startling discovery concerning his client's identity. Kelson would appear to have been set up ... but by whom, and why? As events spiral out of control and the body count rises, Kelson realizes he's made a dangerously powerful enemy. Will he survive long enough to discover who has targeted him - and what it is they want?
Summoned to identify the trussed-up, naked body of a woman found amongst a pile of garbage on Blue Avenue, Florida businessman William Byrd recognizes the victim as Belinda Mabry, the girl with whom he spent a passionate summer 25 years before. Determined to find out what happened to the woman he once loved, Byrd must revisit his own troubled past.
When one of her students is found dead, English teacher Lillian Turner and her husband Johnny are drawn into the subsequent investigation - despite being warned off the case by Lillian's brother, homicide detective Daniel Turner. Just what is Daniel's connection to the dead girl? What does he know that he's not telling Lillian?
Homicide detective Daniel Turner was never able to forget the unsolved case: the disappearance of Amon Jakobsen 18 years ago. Now he has returned to the isolated house on Black Hammock Island following reports of a disturbance. Is this his chance to find out what really happened to Amon - and will he be in time to stop history repeating itself?
Having spent eight years on death row for a crime he didn't commit, Franky Dast now helps others in the same situation. But when he learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge, Franky must decide whether to help the man he loathes, the man who remains convinced of Franky's guilt.
While in the hospital recuperating from a gunshot wound, Chicago PI Sam Kelson is approached by a nurse who's troubled by three recent deaths - patients who died when they shouldn't have. Has someone been killing patients? As Kelson digs deeper, he comes to realize that someone is determined to prevent him finding out the truth. Whatever it takes.
A desperate Mexican family turn to Franky Dast, rather than trust the authorities, to help them track down their daughter's murderer. Franky is an unlikely hero, but his past makes him compelled to help even if it puts him in danger! Can Franky stop this vicious killer and escape his own personal hell before it's too late?