Byron Ward

Death and Duty: a Novel Byron Ward

After surviving an intense military action overseas and thwarting a domestic terrorist plot the year before, small-town police detective Joe Hanlon had settled into a life of quiet routine, at least until the morning of April 9th. While driving to work, Hanlon stops to investigate suspicious activity at the home of the town's most notorious resident, only to find that the disturbance is caused by federal agents engaged in removing the body of the master of the house. Although it appears that the man expired peacefully in his sleep of natural causes-a heart attack-the policeman has big doubts. For one thing, the arrogant agents seem to have known about the death from the moment it occurred. For another, the man's pet cat also died that night, right under the bed. Hanlon's search for truth quickly evolves into a quest for vindication after he is framed for two brutal murders and becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. His week-long journey takes him through eight states and into encounters with a bewildering panoply of personalities: lovers and lawyers, military men and made Mafiosos, physicians and physicists. Soon, he faces decisions having international implications. Packed with intense action, diverse characters, intelligent dialogue, and a series of mysteries sustained from the first paragraph to the last sentence, this is a thriller that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.