Michael Shayne. Writer of political, murder, and conspiracy thrillers
In Arizona, the brother of a Latino mega-star and an infant are murdered by border patrol agents. In Toledo, a Turkish Sheik and his entire security team are wiped out. And, in the tiny town of Princeton, West Virginia, Liam Curran watches from the seat of his tractor as cops, EMS and INS remove the body of his neighbor and one-time lover.
Certain his past has caught up with him, he soon learns that a witness to his neighbor’s murder is now missing. A witness that now has a target on their back. With his own paranoia demanding he get involved, Curran must ignore his past at the risk of being discovered by those who loved him and those who still want him dead sending him head-first into a conspiracy that runs all the way to the White House.
To protect his own identity and avenge the death of his lover, he must find the killers before they find—The Last Witness.
Interesting real-life tidbits from: The Last Witness
Chapter 1: Human smuggling
The murders of Rolando Alvarez and the infant take place in the desert just beyond the Lukeville Point of Entry. The immigrants travel through tunnels that rise from the ground on the U.S. side. This is an example of what Rolando, Catarina and the infant would have seen on their way up.
Interesting real-life tidbits from: The Last Witness
Chapter 11: DeVine and Curran having lunch
Here's a fun fact about Chapter 11: that theater with the restaurant next door is a real place, folks. If you ever find yourself near the small town of Princeton, WV (yes--it's real, too), take a detour and try out the local attractions and checkout the places Curran enjoyed before taking off to Arizona.
Interesting real-life tidbits from: The Last Witness
Chapter 14: Concord University
Liam Curran, as he completes his PhD thesis at THE Ohio State University, is an associate professor at a place called Concord College (University now). Personally, I have a deep and fond bond with the college as both a student and ancestral ties to the French family, integral in its founding.
Interesting real-life tidbits from: The Last Witness
Chapter 26: Credit Swaps and Aid to Mexico
In my novels, I use historical events as backdrops (and sometimes, major drivers) for the story. In The Last Witness, we learn that a Greek banker is leveraging information he has concerning weapons from Central America for a piece of a $20billion aid package to Mexico. This legislation was the result of Mexican idiocy
Interesting real-life tidbits from: The Last Witness
Welcome to Princeton, WV. The Salt of the Earth.
In Liam Curran's town of Princeton, WV there's no shortage of patriotism. Proof is here in my favorite mural in the downtown area. Windy and cold? Yepper!