Author Bio
M. Brooke McCullough was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in LaGrange, Illinois. During her teen years, she developed a love of reading, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery books, and later became an avid fan of the entire detective/crime genre. In preparing to write this story, two things were clear: it would be about a detective, and must take place in Chicago. Early in 1992, she committed to writing her first novel and began putting pen to paper. Her lengthy career with the secret service and federal court system afforded her many insights into criminal behavior and motivation, which she relied on to create the Canarytown, City of Grief story.
Co-Author Bio
Joel Boydston, a retired Professor Emeritus, has an extensive background in education and publishing. He produced a popular annual reference guide for school personnel in the U.S. while serving as the Technical Manager and Consultant in a central Florida school district. For fifteen years, he served as a Professor of Networking Technologies. A Vietnam Veteran, he earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor during his tour.
He loves crime stories prominently featuring hard boiled detectives in the style of Lew Archer, Philip Marlowe, and Alex Cross. Boydston is currently finishing the next Kyle McNally detective story, Cigar City Crimes, Book Two in the Kyle McNally Detective Trilogy.
Reviews
"In this debut Chicago-set crime novel, police nickname a brutal serial killer Slugger because he beats his victims with a "bat-like weapon" and leaves a folded, collectable baseball card. ...fans of gritty crime stories and methodical police work will find the book a page-turner, complete with notable characters, dialogue, and descriptions ("He guessed her at six foot two and skinny as a Ball Park frank"). Names and depictions fo Chicago attractions and streets are accurate, with the exception that Canarytown is most likely a stand-in for Canaryville, a community on the city's South Side that was originally a largely Irish neighborhood.
The authors hit this one out of the park; a highly recommended mystery."
--Kirkus Indie