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.