PUBLISHING ON JULY 7, 2026

My friends at Blackstone Publishing sent me an early copy of this mystery thriller. To be honest, I thought when I read it: “Gee, it’s too bad dad can’t read this.” My dad, who passed away in 2011, loved a good mystery – not too violent or gruesome, but packed with thrills, suspense, and clever thinking. This was one of those stories.

Here’s the scoop:

When an assassin breaks into Roger Smith’s home one night, he gets more than he bargained for and ends up a bloody corpse.

Washington, DC, Detective Grace Lillinthal is summoned to the crime scene to investigate who would want to kill a gray-haired, respected family man and civil servant. But the more Grace investigates, the more it becomes clear: there’s more to Roger than what meets the eye–especially after discovering that Roger called John McKenna, a gregarious owner of a local bar that doubles as a den of thieves, before calling the police. Now, it’s up to the three of them to figure out who wants Roger dead and why–and it’s up to Grace to unravel the secrets Roger would rather keep hidden. 

Here’s Amazon’s overview:

From Edgar, Barry, and Shamus Award finalist Mike Lawson comes McKenna’s Guy, a fast-paced thriller full of secrets, lies, and betrayal.

When an intruder with murderous intent breaks into Roger Smith’s modest home one night, the big brute gets more than he bargained for, ending up a bloody corpse staining Roger’s carpet.

Washington, DC, Detective Grace Lillinthal is summoned to the crime scene and marvels at the outcome. Why would anyone want to kill gray-haired Roger Smith? He’s the picture of respectability–a widower devoted to his family, an amateur painter, and a civil servant who works at the Government Printing Office. When asked why he’d be a target, a clearly shaken Roger claims to be baffled.

But instinct tells Grace there’s more to Roger’s story, and when she learns that Roger–after killing his home invader and before calling the police–phoned John McKenna, she knows she’s onto something. John McKenna is a disreputable character of the first order. He’s the gregarious, larger-than-life owner of a local bar that’s a notorious den of thieves.

After one hired assassin fails, another’s bound to show up. The clock is ticking for Roger and McKenna to find out who wants Roger dead and why–and suspects abound. Stubborn Grace is as determined to dig up Roger’s secrets as he is to keep them hidden, and soon the investigation becomes a relentless game of cat and mouse. Even if Roger doesn’t consider himself a criminal, as chaos takes hold of his world, survival requires that he think like one.

Early rave reviews are in for MCKENNA’S GUY:

“Lawson’s stand-alone strips plot, characters, and prose down to exceptional efficiency, producing maximum thrills without a wasted word. The perfect in-flight read, starring a surprisingly resourceful antihero.”

–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Brisk, clever…The pace never flags, and many of Lawson’s characters and set pieces evoke the best of Donald Westlake. It’s a highly enjoyable thriller.” 

–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Lawson unfurls his story in a literal, economic, almost deadpan prose that becomes hypnotic. It’s a delightful book.” 

–Booklist

About the Author:

Mike Lawson is the author of twenty-four novels. He’s been a finalist for the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, the Barry Award, and has won the Friends of Mystery Award three times. The nineteen books in his Joe DeMarco political thriller series revolve around a character who is a fixer for a corrupt politician. The first book in his Kay Hamilton series, Rosarito Beach, was optioned for television. Before becoming a writer, Mike was an engineer and senior executive employed by the navy for work related to naval nuclear reactors. He and his wife live in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks for my copy, Blackstone Publishing! This one’s for you, Dad!