What would you do if you lost the two most important people
in your life, your spouse and your child, to a terrorist
act? Would you use all your life savings, hire
investigators, stalk and premeditate a mass murder to exact
revenge? Calvin Thompkins does just that. He suffered the
greatest loss of his life and as retribution hunted down
the terrorists and brutally and graphically murdered six
would-be terrorists. Unfortunately, he did not plan on
surviving, and so did not keep a paper trail to justify the
murders. Attorneys Zach Wilson and Terry Tallach are given
the unenviable task of defending Calvin and put together a
reasonable case. Because of a lack of tangible evidence,
the public, and more specifically, the jury have no
knowledge of the real reason why Calvin acted as he did.
Intertwined in Calvin's story are two other seemingly
unrelated stories. Matt Ferguson never wanted to be
President and was thrust into the limelight and the
unreality of the presidency when he was appointed to be
Vice President. Matt, a decorated war hero, suddenly finds
himself President of the United States when the sitting
President dies of an aneurysm. He quickly has to not only
make dramatic and life-altering decisions, but also stay
true to his personal character.
Lena Takamura, an investigative reporter in metro Detroit,
comes upon a story of a young girl who shows her courage by
not only calling 911 when she finds her grandfather passed
out on the kitchen floor, but does what she can to revive
him. Lena finds the story not only amazing, but full of
discrepancies as she begins her investigation. As she
proceeds, she unwittingly stumbles on a conspiracy that not
only impacts the lives of people in Detroit, but reaches to
the highest authorities in the United States government.
PREMEDITATED MURDER is a fast-paced, dramatic ride through
the decisions that have affected everyone's lives since
September 11. As the three stories build and ultimately
collide, Gaffney poses the question of how far an
individual or a government can or should go to stop
terrorists and ensure domestic tranquility, and what is
beyond an acceptable standard of behavior for a civilized
society. As a first novel, Ed Gaffney (husband of
Suzanne Brockmann) does not disappoint as a
storyteller. He paints a picture that is vivid and taut
with tension. Readers who enjoy legal thrillers or
political suspense will enjoy this novel.
In a New England courtroom, two young defense lawyers face
a trial they cannot win. For attorneys Zack Wilson and
Terry Tallach, partners and best friends, it seems an open-
and-shut case. Their client confessed to a horrific
multiple homicide – and Zack and Terry have only one hope:
to spare him from the death penalty. But even that is a
long shot…until the case takes a sudden, strange turn.
The two lawyers may have stumbled on a loophole: their
client had a secret motive for his indefensible act – a
motive that might even free him if Zack and Terry can pull
off an ingenious defense.
But as the media descend on a quiet Massachusetts town, and
as Zack and Terry fight to save their client’s life, a
surprise witness turns the trial into something no one
could have predicted. Because only he can put all the
pieces of an astounding puzzle together – and expose a
conspiracy that is more shocking, far-reaching, and
treacherous than anyone could guess.