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THE ISCARIOT CONSPIRACY
by Al Blanchard
A James Callahan Mystery
ISBN 0-9700458-6-7 (278 pages) $19.95
From the award-winning author of Murder at Walden Pond comes a new psychological thriller.
A representative of the Pope arrives in Boston for a secret meeting. When the priest is killed in a car bombing Lieutenant James Callahan is assigned to the case. As Callahan investigates he is forced to fight his own hidden demons, deal with the tight-lipped Vatican and confront his superiors who are pressuring for a quick arrest, but questioning his hard-nosed unorthodox style.
As the investigation unfolds Callahan uncovers a document, which if real, would change the course of human history. When Callahan’s twelve-year-old daughter is kidnapped he slowly realizes the killers have targeted him for a horrendous act of revenge. The question is why and will he be able to solve the crime in time to save his daughter’s life.
The Iscariot Conspiracy takes the reader from Boston’s darkest neighborhoods to the sand dunes of Cape Cod as it explores the hidden corners of the human heart.
Excerpt:
Callahan’s annoyance turned to anger and he knew he had to let off steam.
It wasn’t just Denise he was upset with. Some of what she said made sense. He
was frustrated and angry with God who seemed to be tumbling his world one more
time.
He slid out of the booth, not saying a word, and went into the men’s room.
He banged the door open with such force it shook on its hinges. Denise was
right. He was bottling up his emotions and it wouldn’t take much for him to
let loose. He splashed water on his face and stared into the mirror. Maybe he
was grasping for someone to blame by focusing on Rappaport. But what else did he
have to go on?
He grabbed a paper towel and patted his face. He seemed to have aged
overnight. He crumbled the towel and heaved it into the basket.
He shouldn’t take his frustrations out on Denise. She didn’t deserve it.
She had tracked him down and offered to help. Sure, in the past few months they’d
had words like any two people that work closely together. But, overall she’d
been good for him. Probably the best partner he’d ever teamed up with. He
should tell her. Maybe it was time to stop keeping his inner feelings locked up
and start sharing them with those he loved and respected.
He looked at his watch. He had just enough time to get to Mandy’s school
before dismissal. Denise could help with the questioning and give him someone
intelligent to bounce his ideas off. He took one last look in the mirror and
brushed his fingers through his hair wondering when this nightmare would end.
That’s when he heard the gunshot.
Author Biography:
(photo by Linda Rosenthal)
Al Blanchard is the author of numerous short
stories and two mystery series, one featuring eighth-grade history teacher Steve
Asher, and the other James Callahan, a Boston Homicide Detective. Mystery writer
William Tapply stated Blanchard’s first novel, Murder at Walden Pond,
was "an intriguing puzzle and an insightful commentary on human
nature."
Al got his start by rewriting "Matlock" and "Murder She
Wrote" episodes in his head. As a kid he was fascinated by Perry Mason and
devoured each of Agatha Christie’s novels. He wrote a science fiction short
story when he was ten. The story was lost long ago, but Al still remembers the
plot.
Before becoming a fulltime writer Al owned an art gallery, a music store, a
restaurant, taught computer literacy to blind adults and geography to
seventh-graders in a public school.
Al started writing short stories during the nineties and decided to expand his
storytelling to longer venues, thus the birth of his two mystery series.
Music has always inspired Al as a writer. He listens to Dylan, Springsteen, Tom
Petty, Jimmy Buffet and other "musicians who paint stories with their
songs."
Al’s favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Lawrence Block and "anyone
who has a knack for storytelling and surprises me. It’s all about getting lost
in the story and not wanting to come out."
Al has lived his
entire life in Massachusetts. He has traveled widely, once driving across the
United States on Route Twenty. He has visited Europe numerous times. His dream
is to reside on a Caribbean island and write, eat lots of fish and sample as
many rum drinks as he can, not necessarily in that order. Currently he lives in Massachusetts with
a music collection that has grown
to alarming proportions.
Al continues to
write short stories while putting the finishing touches on another Steve Asher
novel. His next project will be a new James Callahan novel. "Writing two
series characters keeps me fresh."
Visit Al’s website at www.alblanchard.com.
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