Thomas J. Keevers, Music Across the Wall

ADVANCE PRAISE

FOR

THE CHAINSAW BALLET

"Keevers is a master, and The Chainsaw Ballet is his masterpiece. Sharp writing and compelling characters combine in a hard-hitting mystery you won't be able to put down. Highly recommended."

-- Joe Konrath, author of Dirty Martini and the Jack Daniels series.

"In some ways, Thomas J. Keevers' work reminds me of Raymond Chandler.
Maybe it's the lean, first-person prose, the cynical tough-guy protagonist,
and the exploration of a big city's dark underbelly. At any rate, THE
CHAINSAW BALLET is a first-rate modern noir."

--Raymond Benson, author of Sweetie's Diamonds and several James Bond
novels.

"Thomas J. Keevers has created a work that bows to both the beauty and the brutality of the dance of life. The Chainsaw Ballet is a gripping story, filled with compassion and carnage in equal measure, and choreographed with one unexpected twist after another. Never have the mean streets of Chicago been evoked so eloquently or so well."

-- William Kent Krueger, award-winning author of Thunder Bay, Copper River, and others in the Cork O'Connor series:

"Powerful, intimate, and authentic, The Chainsaw Ballet is a truly excellent novel. I love the title, too."

Barbara D'Amato, award-winning author of Death of a Thousand Cuts.

“With a noir melody and the beat of the Chicago streets, Thomas J. Keevers’ The Chainsaw Ballet proves that tough guys do dance.”

-- Craig Johnson. Author of The Cold Dish, Death Without Company and Kindness Goes Unpunished.

You might think that P.I. Mike Duncavan, disgraced ex-cop and disbarred
lawyer, would have little pride left—but pride was one of the deadly sins that
brought him down in the first place. So when his friend, criminal lawyer
Stanley Janda, asks Mike for help in defending an accused child killer, he has
some serious qualms.
Janda’s client, Justin Ambertoe, a gay freelance photographer, was seen
loitering near the scene of the crime, an abandoned building in a Chicago
ghetto, about the time the little boy was murdered.
Out of loyalty to his friend, Mike takes the case, but as the investigation
proceeds, the State’s evidence against Ambertoe mounts, and so do Mike’s
own doubts about his client. Maybe Ambertoe really is the killer.
But if pride has been Mike’s downfall, persistence is his strength.
Doggedly following a few feeble leads, he eventually uncovers a scheme so
bizarre, so diabolical, that no one—not the police, not the prosecutor, not
even his own ex-partner—will believe him.
The sweep of Mike’s investigation takes him through Chicago’s seedy
back streets, to a west Texas game ranch where African animals are bred for
“hunting,” to a South African village where witchcraft flourishes and ritual
sacrifice is routine. In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Mike becomes as much
quarry as hunter, and wonders whether the forces he’s battling might even be
supernatural.

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Praise for What the Hyena Knows

"This who-done-it is fun to follow trhough the ties between Chicago , Texas , and Africa . . . Fans of interesting private investigative tales will want to learn WHAT THE HYENA KNOWS".

Harriet Klausner, Instant List

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”Fortunately, Thomas J. Keevers, one-time Chicago homicide detective, is well past the accident report phase, and What the Hyena Knows is a more than credible page turner.”

Mystery Scene Magazine

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“Thomas J. Keevers’ What the Hyena Knows is a good, solid, old fashioned mystery that is positively all engaging . . . a wonderful job of weaving a complex mystery that takes readers on a fast paced race against time to find a killer before he kills again. The scenic elements of this book are wonderful. Whether Duncavan is searching the underbelly of Chicago , visiting a dog trainer in Texas or chasing a witchdoctor in Africa , Keevers’ talent in describing the scene and the inherent danger his leading man is in draws readers in and refuses to let them put the book down until the final page is read.

Thomas J. Keevers is a masterful storyteller who weaves a tangled web of intrigue and suspense that makes What the Hyena Knows a mystery sure to please all. Mystery fans take heed, Keevers is a writer you are sure to be hearing a lot of buzz about.”

From Loveromances.com

From FIVE STAR MYSTERY NEWS

"Thomas J. Keevers makes an assured debut in his first novel, Music Across the Wall--it's a tough look at broken lives and lost hopes in the inner city, and features a new private eye hero with guts and baggage to spare.

"P.I. Mike Duncavan is twice divorced, an ex-cop, and a disbarred lawyer. Hired by defense counsel to look into the murder of a "solid family guy" on the premises of an in insured landlord's building, he is up against a hard deadline, with only fifteen days to conduct his investigation.

"Among the many unanswered questions: what was the deceased, a Polish immigrant who worked two jobs and left behind a wife and six kids, doing in the building in the first place? If he was killed in a robbery, why was his wallet left behind? And was the building, located near the infamous Cabrini-Green public housing project in Chicago, a run-down slum--as the plaintiff's star (but conveniently missing) witness claimed in her deposition--or a neat, clean building with a waiting list of potential tenants?

"With very little to go on, Duncavan follows a trail of cryptic clues, risking his life and what's left of his reputation, leading to an unlikely killer with the most likely motive."

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From BOOKLIST

In this solid mystery debut, Chicago's streets and neighborhoods are described by one who knows them well--Keevers is a former homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. His flawed hero, Mike Duncavan, has been rejected by almost everyone: two ex-wives, the police department, and the Chicago Bar Association. About all that's left is PI work and staring at girls walking under his downtown office window.

With his hot temper and fondness for Stolie on the rocks, Duncavan is a disaster waiting to happen--and you don't have to wait too long. While investigating the death of a Polish immigrant murdered in an abandoned building in the notorious Cabrini-Green housing project, Duncavan stumbles into a deeper mystery involving the occult.

His involvement with a beautiful Polish woman doesn't help matters, nor does his continuing obsession with his first ex-wife. Despite his propensity for bad decisions, Duncavan is an appealing underdog. An affectionate and powerful portrayal of a big-shouldered city and one of its bighearted denizens.

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Jeremiah Healy, critically-acclaimed author of TURNABOUT and SPIRAL, had this to say about MUSIC ACROSS THE WALL:

"It is such a joy to read a well-crafted novel that also gets the life--and heartbreaks--of both private investigators and police detectives pitch-perfect on every level. MUSIC ACROSS THE WALL is a wonderful riff on Chicago's under-belly, and a perfect example of how to introduce an appealing principal character that I hope will appear in many books to come. "Highly recommended."

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Martha Powers, award-winning author of Sunflower and Bleeding Heart, said this about Music:

“The voice in MUSIC ACROSS THE WALL is so strong it's like sitting down for a conversation with the flawed private eye Mike Duncavan. The gradual unfolding of Duncavan's own story and the complexity of his inner life makes one eager for a continuation of the series. Keevers background in law and police
procedure brings clarity and assurance to the writing as clues combine to solve an old murder. With Keevers precise descriptions, Chicago becomes another well drawn character and the reader feels a sense of familiarity wandering through the Windy City. The prose is spare with fresh, right-on, similes and the lean writing style makes for a fast and entertaining read. I'm looking forward to the next adventure.”

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D. C. Brod, author of Paid In Full and the Quint McCauley series said:

Mike Duncavan is a wonderfully flawed character, and his combination of angst, wit and legal savvy propel him through this tale of corruption and its victims. Keevers' eye for detail brings the plot characters and Chicago to life on the page. This is a series to watch.

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Harriet Klaussner, reviewer for Allreaders.com, said:

MUSIC ACROSS THE WALL is a superb private Investigative tale with powerful insight into the Illinois civil legal system. The story line moves at a rapid pace ...a delightful thriller that readers will value and want more novels starring Iron Mike making the rounds of Chicago,

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