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Dead Ringer: A Novel
Nationally bestselling author Chris Hauty, one of the high-octane writers “to take the thriller world by storm” (The Real Book Spy), returns with a riveting stand-alone novel that explores what might have really happened at the JFK assassination.
Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service office and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active—and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?
Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service office and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active—and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?
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Published December 2, 2025
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December 6, 2025
A disgraced former Secret Service agent, Joseph Mingus, is keeping his head low and living a mundane life when two detectives show up on his doorstep, telling him the news that his ex-girlfriend had been murdered. Outraged, Mingus drives to her house and meets a Jesuit professor, Juan Verduago, who believes Mingus’s ex was trying to tell him something about her new discoveries concerning the assassination of JFK. So the two set out in search of the truth, avoiding trouble and the hired assassin who is chasing them.
It’s been a minute since I’ve read a book as long as this one, and although it was 103 chapters, I enjoyed every hour I spent reading it. ☺
Now, I’m not a big conspiracy theorist, but I do find them very interesting and highly entertaining, especially when it involves the assassination of JFK, so I was fairly excited to read this book. All the clues and information were so freaking cool and intriguing! I was proud of myself when I would guess the right answer for the clues. 😂🤭 And, oh boy! I was not expecting that ending! The entire time, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping nothing would happen to Mingus and Juan because I really liked their characters and their growing respect for one another. 😭 I don’t know if you could actually consider them friends, but to make myself feel better, I will. 😂 I certainly related to our truth seekers: Mingus with his love for baking and Calvin, his sourdough starter, and Juan with the slew of facts in his head because of his love for history. 💙
And Santos, the killer? Uh-huh. I did not like him at all. That man has issues, I swear to God. 😅
But seriously, that ending made me gasp, and my jaw dropped to the floor! 🤯 I mean, this whole book is just filled with what-ifs about that fateful day in 1963, and I was so excited to see how everything and everyone connected. It was just so fun, and I’m so glad I took a chance and read this! If you are into conspiracies, history, and adventure, I definitely recommend this book!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, murder, blood, violence, nudity, one of the characters is dying of cancer, & religious extremism.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No
It’s been a minute since I’ve read a book as long as this one, and although it was 103 chapters, I enjoyed every hour I spent reading it. ☺
Now, I’m not a big conspiracy theorist, but I do find them very interesting and highly entertaining, especially when it involves the assassination of JFK, so I was fairly excited to read this book. All the clues and information were so freaking cool and intriguing! I was proud of myself when I would guess the right answer for the clues. 😂🤭 And, oh boy! I was not expecting that ending! The entire time, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping nothing would happen to Mingus and Juan because I really liked their characters and their growing respect for one another. 😭 I don’t know if you could actually consider them friends, but to make myself feel better, I will. 😂 I certainly related to our truth seekers: Mingus with his love for baking and Calvin, his sourdough starter, and Juan with the slew of facts in his head because of his love for history. 💙
And Santos, the killer? Uh-huh. I did not like him at all. That man has issues, I swear to God. 😅
But seriously, that ending made me gasp, and my jaw dropped to the floor! 🤯 I mean, this whole book is just filled with what-ifs about that fateful day in 1963, and I was so excited to see how everything and everyone connected. It was just so fun, and I’m so glad I took a chance and read this! If you are into conspiracies, history, and adventure, I definitely recommend this book!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, murder, blood, violence, nudity, one of the characters is dying of cancer, & religious extremism.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No
November 30, 2025
3.5 Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this compelling, fast-paced thriller. Dead Ringer is scheduled for publication on December 02/2025. Those old enough to remember the shock, trauma and despair on November 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated will recall the series of books that followed. Each referred to a conspiracy theory before our era of 'fake news' on the internet. These books were written from the authors' initial ideas and researched by finding material that supported their viewpoints. Conspiracy theories in the 1960s involved the CIA, the Mafia, pro-Castro Cubans, anti-Castro Cubans, President Johnson (MacBird), Russia, with Lee Harvey Oswald trying too hard to show his love of Communism, and a second shooter. After the Warren Commission, these conspiracy theories seemed to have run their course.
Moving to the present time, a woman working in the National Archives discovers documents pertaining to the 1963 assassination and is murdered. Her ex-lover, Mingus, a disgraced former member of the Secret Service, newly released from prison, and a young Jesuit history professor Verdugo, who shared the woman's interest in the assassination, make an unlikely pair as they hunt for cryptic codes hidden in places associated with the 1963 murder of JFK, and decipher the codes with a device stolen from a museum.
They learn that none of the early conspiracy theories apply and discover that a previously unimagined conspiracy was in place in 1963 and connected to a cabal still active today. There is a fanatical, cold-blooded killer bound to brutally murder anyone coming close to the truth, which makes Verdugo and Mingus targets. I found Chris Hauty's plot gripping, suspenseful, with unexpected twists, and a propulsive reading experience. It was rather far-fetched, but very believable. An ultra-right-wing Christian group is set to gain political power, turning the government into a theocracy, thus making America 'Godly' again. This is the first book I have read by Chris Hauty, but I intend to read others.
BUT, its ending was extremely bizarre.
Moving to the present time, a woman working in the National Archives discovers documents pertaining to the 1963 assassination and is murdered. Her ex-lover, Mingus, a disgraced former member of the Secret Service, newly released from prison, and a young Jesuit history professor Verdugo, who shared the woman's interest in the assassination, make an unlikely pair as they hunt for cryptic codes hidden in places associated with the 1963 murder of JFK, and decipher the codes with a device stolen from a museum.
They learn that none of the early conspiracy theories apply and discover that a previously unimagined conspiracy was in place in 1963 and connected to a cabal still active today. There is a fanatical, cold-blooded killer bound to brutally murder anyone coming close to the truth, which makes Verdugo and Mingus targets. I found Chris Hauty's plot gripping, suspenseful, with unexpected twists, and a propulsive reading experience. It was rather far-fetched, but very believable. An ultra-right-wing Christian group is set to gain political power, turning the government into a theocracy, thus making America 'Godly' again. This is the first book I have read by Chris Hauty, but I intend to read others.
BUT, its ending was extremely bizarre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Chris Hauty, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Always eager to return to authors I enjoy, I gladly accepted this ARC of Chris Hauty’s latest novel. Tackling a subject I have always enjoyed—the assassination of JFK—Hauty adds new fuel to the conspiracy fire in a well-paced thriller that leaves the reader hooked from the outset. In the present-day, a former Secret Service agent whose past is full of disgrace finds himself teaming up with a history professor to explore new leads in the Kennedy assassination. They are handed some intel that is coded and requires that they crack it, while traveling to key parts of the Kennedy and Oswald past for clues. All the while, a powerful cabal seeks not only to keep the truth of the assassination quiet, but also to kill anyone who seeks to shed light on the truth. As pieces of the story come together, no one is ready for what is revealed, but it will require staying alive long enough to share the news with others, or be left as two forgotten men enveloped in America’s greatest conspiracy of the 20th century. Chris Hauty delivers a great story that had me hooked with every turn of the page.
I have always enjoyed political thrillers and Chris Hauty has shown his abilities with a past series I enjoyed. In this piece, Hauty seeks not only to uncover new possibilities with the Kennedy assassination, but also to spin truths where falsehoods have been cemented in the history books. Hauty builds up the tension with each passing chapter, many of which are short and help propel things forward. There is much going on from a few perspectives and the reader must remain focussed in order to ensure they miss nothing. Hauty demands attention as he rushes through a great deal of information, but does so in an entertaining manner as the reader educates themselves with ease.
Character development is a key to keeping the reader invested in the piece. Hauty builds many great individuals to serve as conduits throughout this piece. From the cabal members and their potential presence even in today’s America through to the disgraced Secret Service agent who only wanted to leave his past behind and even the historian who wants the truth to see the light of day, no matter the cost. Hauty knows how to build up great interest in the subject matter by delving into the past to change the future.
Hauty takes the reader on quite the journey from the outset. I have a great interest in this subject and found myself tackling many of the twists that emerge to keep this book a powerful thriller. With some poignant surprises, Hauty keeps the reader guessing about where fact ends and fiction takes over. I can see much of what Hauty posits as being potentially truthful, but the way the story goes, it is anyone’s guess what could work in a 21st century where fake news seems to sit on everyone’s tongue. I am eager to see what Chris Hauty has in store next, as I have never had an issue with his writing or story ideas.
Kudos, Mr. Hauty, for one of the most gripping thrillers I have read in a while!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Always eager to return to authors I enjoy, I gladly accepted this ARC of Chris Hauty’s latest novel. Tackling a subject I have always enjoyed—the assassination of JFK—Hauty adds new fuel to the conspiracy fire in a well-paced thriller that leaves the reader hooked from the outset. In the present-day, a former Secret Service agent whose past is full of disgrace finds himself teaming up with a history professor to explore new leads in the Kennedy assassination. They are handed some intel that is coded and requires that they crack it, while traveling to key parts of the Kennedy and Oswald past for clues. All the while, a powerful cabal seeks not only to keep the truth of the assassination quiet, but also to kill anyone who seeks to shed light on the truth. As pieces of the story come together, no one is ready for what is revealed, but it will require staying alive long enough to share the news with others, or be left as two forgotten men enveloped in America’s greatest conspiracy of the 20th century. Chris Hauty delivers a great story that had me hooked with every turn of the page.
I have always enjoyed political thrillers and Chris Hauty has shown his abilities with a past series I enjoyed. In this piece, Hauty seeks not only to uncover new possibilities with the Kennedy assassination, but also to spin truths where falsehoods have been cemented in the history books. Hauty builds up the tension with each passing chapter, many of which are short and help propel things forward. There is much going on from a few perspectives and the reader must remain focussed in order to ensure they miss nothing. Hauty demands attention as he rushes through a great deal of information, but does so in an entertaining manner as the reader educates themselves with ease.
Character development is a key to keeping the reader invested in the piece. Hauty builds many great individuals to serve as conduits throughout this piece. From the cabal members and their potential presence even in today’s America through to the disgraced Secret Service agent who only wanted to leave his past behind and even the historian who wants the truth to see the light of day, no matter the cost. Hauty knows how to build up great interest in the subject matter by delving into the past to change the future.
Hauty takes the reader on quite the journey from the outset. I have a great interest in this subject and found myself tackling many of the twists that emerge to keep this book a powerful thriller. With some poignant surprises, Hauty keeps the reader guessing about where fact ends and fiction takes over. I can see much of what Hauty posits as being potentially truthful, but the way the story goes, it is anyone’s guess what could work in a 21st century where fake news seems to sit on everyone’s tongue. I am eager to see what Chris Hauty has in store next, as I have never had an issue with his writing or story ideas.
Kudos, Mr. Hauty, for one of the most gripping thrillers I have read in a while!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 28, 2025
The JFK assassination is reimagined in this latest thriller from Chris Hauty. When a civilian employee of the National Archives is murdered after she discovers long lost documents pertaining to Kennedy’s assassination, her ex-lover, a disgraced Secret Service agent, along with her friend, a Jesuit professor and expert on the assassination, work together to decipher clues uncovered by the archivist. There’s a lot going on here, and the plot can get a little complicated with all the moving parts. You’ll have to ignore a few plot holes and unlikely circumstances, but the story is entertaining, if a bit of a stretch, and the payoff is worth the effort. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2025
“Dead Ringer” by Chris Hauty is a modern and unique conspiracy thriller about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
A former secret service agent after serving a prison sentence, is tasked to protect a Jesuit brother after finding out his former lover and federal archivist is shockingly murdered. Her death is likely related to the alarming information she uncovered in the archives pertaining to Lee Harvey Oswald’s movements leading up to the moments before the presidents murder, and her last request is for the agent to protect the brother without exposing the details. We are taken on a well researched journey of discovery to find the evidence through the blending of authentic events with imaginative storytelling.
The book will keep you guessing and forming your own predictions, but there is a twist at the end you will never guess! I love a good conspiracy theory novel especially one that is based on history and this thriller hit all the marks for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
abandoned
December 24, 2025A fictional account of the JFK assassination and the conspiracy surrounding it in a new light. Quite engaging right from the beginning. Although I thought much of the character development throughout was amateurish.
Then I got to the part where the hired killer for the bad guys left his home to go on this murder quest, which was fine; the guy was a nut job anyhow. Unfortunately, at this point the guy strangled his dog and cat and flushed his fish and birds down the toilet. Totally unnecessary. That ended the book for me. DNF. Doesn't even deserve any stars.
Thanks to Atria Books for the free Advanced Reader's Edition of the book but I was disgusted by how it developed.
Then I got to the part where the hired killer for the bad guys left his home to go on this murder quest, which was fine; the guy was a nut job anyhow. Unfortunately, at this point the guy strangled his dog and cat and flushed his fish and birds down the toilet. Totally unnecessary. That ended the book for me. DNF. Doesn't even deserve any stars.
Thanks to Atria Books for the free Advanced Reader's Edition of the book but I was disgusted by how it developed.
August 7, 2025
Ya know I just thought uh, a book with JFK on the cover would maybe talk more about JFK? This was a painful read 🥴
September 21, 2025
Chris Haughty's Dead Ringer is a political thriller. If you enjoyed Stephen King's 11/22/63, you will probably be looking for plot similarities. Both books have JFK's assassination as the starting point, but the stories are told differently and each author pursues a unique theory. Haughty's book offers more death and violence with a more unique outcome. King's creates a more credible use of suspense. Haughty offers two unique characters for readers to follow on a present day quest to solve the mystery of what really happened on 11/22/63. The story takes Juan Verdugo, a Jesuit professor of history at Georgetown, and Joe Mingus, his bodyguard and former Secret Service agent, on a trail of clues across the US and beyond. The clues are mostly buried in archival boxes that need to be decoded using a decoder stolen from a museum. Each clue puts the duo in more danger. The people and groups behind the conspiracy that Verdugo and Mingus are unraveling are part of a Catholic organization with a political focus. Expect surprises.
January 10, 2026
Chris Hauty has rapidly gained a reputation as an author of high-octane thrillers and with his latest, DEAD RINGER, he takes on a mystery that has still confounded us for over six decades with no decisive answers.
They mystery in question is the assassination of then U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The history books initially laid all the responsibility on a lone gunman, an alleged Communist sympathizer named Lee Harvey Oswald. With Oswald himself being killed well before any public questioning could take place this mystery has continued to take on various conspiracy theories as well as commissions dedicated solely to re-examining the events of that terrible day to finally get the world some real answers.
What Hauty is proposing with DEAD RINGER is not only to propose a new theory that may be behind this decades-old mystery but also does so in such a fashion that brings about a supreme element of danger that still exists in the modern day for anyone seeking to reveal it. This latest deadly conspiracy falls directly into the lap of Joe Mingus, a disgraced former Secret Service officer whose ex-girlfriend may have just been killed to silence her efforts in uncovering the truth behind the Kennedy assassination.
Hauty provides plenty of historical context to mix with the fictional elements he is proposing, beginning with Oswald’s famous quote that he was ‘just a patsy’ along with the findings of the US House of Representatives Select Commissions on Assassinations which exclaimed in 1978 that at least two different gunmen fired at the President that day. We are also taken briefly back to the fateful day in question where we see how JFK was unsure about the decision to have his convertible go topless as it paraded through Dallas that day. The larger mystery that is suggested here involves the body of the President, a claim that I will not reveal here.
Joe Mingus is startled to be awakened in the early morning by banging on his door, revealed to be two female detectives with questions about his previous night’s whereabouts. The reason for the questioning is the fact that his ex-girlfriend, Olivia Heller, was found murdered in the parking structure at the National Archives in D.C. We are then introduced to a separate storyline involving the wealthiest man in the world, Mark Cristanti, who is of course involved with a sinister and powerful cabal akin to a modern-day Illuminati that have a vested interest in not only keeping the truth behind the JFK assassination a secret but are also in the process of funding the campaign of a modern-day successor to the U.S. Presidency.
Mingus begins his own investigation into Olivia’s murder, and it is not long before he finds out what information she may have been silenced over. His path crosses with a Jesuit professor named Juan Verdugo who was not only close to Olivia but also holds top-secret information behind the JFK assassination and the very real conspiracy that has kept the truth from coming out. More specifically, the findings of the initial Warren Commission that looked into those events has been thwarted by rumors, new conspiracies, and in this case an alleged piece of evidence known as the Tarasenko Report, which both Olivia and Verdugo were privy to.
Cristanti and his group continuously stand in the way of the truth coming out and will do anything to prevent anyone from revealing it. Amongst other methods, there is a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to see this mission done and is on the trail of Mingus and Verdugo. The action is very much non-stop and at such a frenetic pace it is impossible to stop the pages from turning as new characters, plot lines, and revelations drive this story to a fiery conclusion. DEAD RINGER deftly combines very real history with speculative fiction that feels both unbelievable and eye-opening and the result is an entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
They mystery in question is the assassination of then U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The history books initially laid all the responsibility on a lone gunman, an alleged Communist sympathizer named Lee Harvey Oswald. With Oswald himself being killed well before any public questioning could take place this mystery has continued to take on various conspiracy theories as well as commissions dedicated solely to re-examining the events of that terrible day to finally get the world some real answers.
What Hauty is proposing with DEAD RINGER is not only to propose a new theory that may be behind this decades-old mystery but also does so in such a fashion that brings about a supreme element of danger that still exists in the modern day for anyone seeking to reveal it. This latest deadly conspiracy falls directly into the lap of Joe Mingus, a disgraced former Secret Service officer whose ex-girlfriend may have just been killed to silence her efforts in uncovering the truth behind the Kennedy assassination.
Hauty provides plenty of historical context to mix with the fictional elements he is proposing, beginning with Oswald’s famous quote that he was ‘just a patsy’ along with the findings of the US House of Representatives Select Commissions on Assassinations which exclaimed in 1978 that at least two different gunmen fired at the President that day. We are also taken briefly back to the fateful day in question where we see how JFK was unsure about the decision to have his convertible go topless as it paraded through Dallas that day. The larger mystery that is suggested here involves the body of the President, a claim that I will not reveal here.
Joe Mingus is startled to be awakened in the early morning by banging on his door, revealed to be two female detectives with questions about his previous night’s whereabouts. The reason for the questioning is the fact that his ex-girlfriend, Olivia Heller, was found murdered in the parking structure at the National Archives in D.C. We are then introduced to a separate storyline involving the wealthiest man in the world, Mark Cristanti, who is of course involved with a sinister and powerful cabal akin to a modern-day Illuminati that have a vested interest in not only keeping the truth behind the JFK assassination a secret but are also in the process of funding the campaign of a modern-day successor to the U.S. Presidency.
Mingus begins his own investigation into Olivia’s murder, and it is not long before he finds out what information she may have been silenced over. His path crosses with a Jesuit professor named Juan Verdugo who was not only close to Olivia but also holds top-secret information behind the JFK assassination and the very real conspiracy that has kept the truth from coming out. More specifically, the findings of the initial Warren Commission that looked into those events has been thwarted by rumors, new conspiracies, and in this case an alleged piece of evidence known as the Tarasenko Report, which both Olivia and Verdugo were privy to.
Cristanti and his group continuously stand in the way of the truth coming out and will do anything to prevent anyone from revealing it. Amongst other methods, there is a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to see this mission done and is on the trail of Mingus and Verdugo. The action is very much non-stop and at such a frenetic pace it is impossible to stop the pages from turning as new characters, plot lines, and revelations drive this story to a fiery conclusion. DEAD RINGER deftly combines very real history with speculative fiction that feels both unbelievable and eye-opening and the result is an entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
June 3, 2025
I received an early copy of Dead Ringer from NetGalley.
This was a great book that kept me guessing throughout.
Although it starts in the 1960s, the rest of the story is current. We see death and Joe Mingus is quickly pulled into a life or death protection detail he was not prepared for.
A disgraced USSS agent, Joe is asked to protect Juan Verdugo who is hiding and running for his life.
Both of them are unwittingly thrown into a search for the truth behind the JFK assassination.
The story includes bits of trivia surrounding the assassination as they search in a Da Vinci Code style hunt for clues and more information.
Traveling across a couple of countries, they are running from a killer bent on stopping them, while trying to find these clues.
Great characters, with a story that blends fact and fiction. I did love that past events in US history were brought into this story. Very enjoyable.
As with all Chris Hauty books, you will love this one.
This was a great book that kept me guessing throughout.
Although it starts in the 1960s, the rest of the story is current. We see death and Joe Mingus is quickly pulled into a life or death protection detail he was not prepared for.
A disgraced USSS agent, Joe is asked to protect Juan Verdugo who is hiding and running for his life.
Both of them are unwittingly thrown into a search for the truth behind the JFK assassination.
The story includes bits of trivia surrounding the assassination as they search in a Da Vinci Code style hunt for clues and more information.
Traveling across a couple of countries, they are running from a killer bent on stopping them, while trying to find these clues.
Great characters, with a story that blends fact and fiction. I did love that past events in US history were brought into this story. Very enjoyable.
As with all Chris Hauty books, you will love this one.
June 9, 2025
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Make sure to check out the full review
Make sure to check out the full review
July 1, 2025
Hauty delivers a fantastic and fresh take on the JFK conspiracy theories. The story follows a down and out former Secret Service agent teaming with a Jesuit priest to track down a conspiracy relating to the president's assassination. Oozing with intrigue and historical significance, readers of the author's Hayley Chill series should love this one as well. Might there even be a Hayley Chill easter egg hidden within the pages? We shall see!
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the early access!
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the early access!
May 29, 2025
After coursing through the travails of an incursion underwater to retake an impregnable fortress held by an elite team of U.S. Marines in possession of 81 hostages and 15 guided rockets armed with V.X. poison gas, a newly preggers GF, a crusty former SAS captain, bureaucracy, Fibbies and thermite plasma, Stanley Goodspeed departed THE ROCK with body and spirit intact. Following a piece of advice from the man formerly in her Majesty's employ that points to Fort Fort Walton, Kansas, the chemical superfreak is in possession of US state secrets at the end of the 1996 box office hit, among them the real perpetrators of the JFK assassination. Fictionally, of course. Chris Hauty, the intrigue-master who rocked the world with DEEP STATE, returns with a novel like nitroglycerin--Who killed Kennedy, who benefited and who had the power to cover it up? From DC, to Dallas, to New Orleans and Mexico City, DEAD RINGER is a shocking, entertaining and fresh Thriller take on the greatest conspiracy in US History; an investigation with America's fate at stake.
Aptly timed for publication during the year that witnessed the election of the first American Pope, DEAD RINGER revisits John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. president and first Catholic to rule the Oval Office. Taking the lofty premises of fiction like Steve Berry's THE 9TH MAN and Stephen King's 11/22/63 a step farther, DEAD RINGER shines a light on the US Secret Service's (USSS) most ignominious failure and looks into the true circumstances of ending Kennedy's presidency by extralegal means. Obviously, it's a doomsday scenario for certain politicos, power brokers and aspirants to the most powerful office in the world. Operating behind the scenes, as it were, 'The Movement' is most interested in letting sleeping dogs lie and keeping old secrets buried. Incidentally, they're not a Swiss watch aficionado group but a gaggle of orthodox, ultra conservative Catholics in the US looking to bring America into the Golden Age. Or thereabouts. An inexplicable concept like 'La Onda' from BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT, the Movement, or el Yunque (the anvil), is run by a pious and self-righteous leader with rosary from a long dead pope and a preference for sending a Cuban assassin who is just as scary and ice cold as Anton Chigurh to do the necessary dirty work. In true buddy movie fashion, DEAD RINGER puts a duo in the path of America's "prosperity", pairing a LEO washout yet still hard ass with a Jesuit sidekick who's a massive JFK expert, a religious nut and sports serious love for history.
After a service future shattered by blind career allegiance and a too-deep look into the bottle, Joseph 'Joe' Mingus, convict, 6'3", 225 lbs of hard eyed discouragement IS security inside a B-more striptease establishment, and, incidentally, a former USSS agent. Like THE LAST BOYSCOUT's Joe Hallenbeck, also former Secret Service, rap music makes Mingus scream in pain. He's a man with a serious bread addiction. The baked kind, that is, and he's got the sourdough starter nicknamed Calvin to prove it. With a face of 'don't give a damn', he's a man of anonymity, by preference and choice. Clean and sober for all but a flare of the Lord's nostril, Mingus also mirrors the laconic, stoic demeanor and predatory vigilance of Steve McQueen's BULLIT. Betrothed with a religious nut on a CELESTINE PROPHECY like scavenger-hunt clue-chase, Mingus at the wheel of his near and dear '67 Thunderbird coupe is the resistance's only hope. What could go wrong? For a former federale and a good-natured bible thumper, an enthralling rich chaos ensues that is a thriller fan's hellscape, technicolor havoc of the highest quality shining with interpersonal chemistry and hilarious dialogue.
Sharing the curious name choice of the Medico-Psych-Horror film DEAD RINGERS and its TV series remake, DEAD RINGER probably wanted to dodge the German sounding moniker Doppelganger as well as avoid cutting into DePalma's territory of BODY DOUBLE. Despite the serious title, DEAD RINGER deserves kudos for Chris Hauty's comic sense and ability to make fun of his own books and giving a shoutout to Hayley Chill, the heroine of said series. Including funny morsels like the 13th Step, apiphobia, 'the franchising of America, and that New Orleans has more guns than denizens, DEAD RINGER also reminds that the United States of the 1960s no longer exists and that the only thing you'll learn in the narrative is that you know nothing. And that's probably the most powerful lesson there is. As such, DEAD RINGER is a tale of second chances, redemption, mystery and the healing of America's heart and psyche and is as American as the blues, as American as apple pie. Thus, ask not what you can read for your shelf. Ask what you can read from Chris Hauty: DEAD RINGER--a dead ringer for thriller of the year.
Many thanks to Chris Hauty, the Atria Mystery Bus, Simon & Schuster, and all the wonderful people at Atria/Emily Bestler for the advance look. <3
December 17, 2025
An unlikely pair of colleagues set out on a quest to find new information linked to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. As they try to keep one step ahead of a shadowy, all-powerful organization, they will find their own views about the historic event challenged in unforeseen ways. Author Chris Hauty focuses his talent for writing cinematic novels on this turning point in American history in a novel that is surprisingly sluggish at times in Dead Ringer.
Joseph Mingus used to be a Secret Service agent—used to be. These days he’s just trying to keep it all together, working security at a strip club in D.C., earning a day’s living, and putting the baking skills he learned in prison to good use. It’s a little lonely, but with an on-again, off-again relationship with Olivia, the woman he knows deep down he loves, life is manageable. Then comes word that Olivia has been murdered, and Mingus’s world gets tossed upside down.
He doesn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her. Olivia worked in the National Archives, so she had access to some important documents, but not anything worth being killed over. Then Mingus meets Juan Verduago, and everything he thought he knew about, well, everything, changes.
Juan is a Jesuit priest, a professor, and a self-proclaimed expert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He’s convinced that Olivia saw something she wasn’t supposed to see, which is only confirmed by a posthumous message he receives from Olivia. That message gives Juan just enough information to set him on an adventure to find hidden information that could upend what everyone knows about the death of JFK. What’s more, Olivia pleads with Mingus in the message to stick with Juan and protect him.
In another part of the country, a mysterious organization simply referring to themselves as The Movement are preparing their latest favorite candidate for a presidential bid. Horrified by the godless turn the country has taken, the powerful members of The Movement are determined to put America back on the right track. They know that if certain facts come to light, it will be the end of everything they’ve worked for but it doesn’t matter. Saving the country’s soul is more important, and if that means getting rid of a disgraced Secret Service agent and an insignificant professor, so be it. Except the methods used to do just that may be too unsavory even for the likes of The Movement.
As Mingus and Juan fight to stay alive and keep one step ahead of the assassin on their heels, they’ll form an uneasy alliance with each other. In light of the clues they discover, the challenge of their alliance is nothing compared to what they’re being asked to accept: that they, and the world, really don’t know the truth at all about what happened on November 22, 1963.
Author Chris Hauty is a seasoned veteran in writing in broad gestures with detailed descriptions that immediately come alive in readers’ minds, and this book is no different. Setting up a hunt for clues some have compared to The DaVinci Code, Hauty offers plausible reasoning for the “facts” his characters uncover. Anyone fascinated with JFK’s murder may find new information here to ponder.
The book falters, however, in how long it takes for Mingus and Juan to go from clue to clue. Copious information dumps also make the pace drag, which may lead some readers to feel that this may have worked better as a nonfiction work positing a theory different from the accepted one for the historic event. Hauty’s narration rings with authenticity, emphasizing what must have been months or even years of research, but it also comes across more didactically than the average thriller should. With Juan eager to educate Mingus and, by proxy, readers on every aspect of every clue they encounter, readers’ eagerness for the premise may turn into impatience. The level of violence shown by the assassin after Juan and Mingus is also hard to stomach at times.
Those wanting to explore additional possibilities connected to Kennedy’s death may find this one interesting. Others may want to try a different book instead.
Joseph Mingus used to be a Secret Service agent—used to be. These days he’s just trying to keep it all together, working security at a strip club in D.C., earning a day’s living, and putting the baking skills he learned in prison to good use. It’s a little lonely, but with an on-again, off-again relationship with Olivia, the woman he knows deep down he loves, life is manageable. Then comes word that Olivia has been murdered, and Mingus’s world gets tossed upside down.
He doesn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her. Olivia worked in the National Archives, so she had access to some important documents, but not anything worth being killed over. Then Mingus meets Juan Verduago, and everything he thought he knew about, well, everything, changes.
Juan is a Jesuit priest, a professor, and a self-proclaimed expert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He’s convinced that Olivia saw something she wasn’t supposed to see, which is only confirmed by a posthumous message he receives from Olivia. That message gives Juan just enough information to set him on an adventure to find hidden information that could upend what everyone knows about the death of JFK. What’s more, Olivia pleads with Mingus in the message to stick with Juan and protect him.
In another part of the country, a mysterious organization simply referring to themselves as The Movement are preparing their latest favorite candidate for a presidential bid. Horrified by the godless turn the country has taken, the powerful members of The Movement are determined to put America back on the right track. They know that if certain facts come to light, it will be the end of everything they’ve worked for but it doesn’t matter. Saving the country’s soul is more important, and if that means getting rid of a disgraced Secret Service agent and an insignificant professor, so be it. Except the methods used to do just that may be too unsavory even for the likes of The Movement.
As Mingus and Juan fight to stay alive and keep one step ahead of the assassin on their heels, they’ll form an uneasy alliance with each other. In light of the clues they discover, the challenge of their alliance is nothing compared to what they’re being asked to accept: that they, and the world, really don’t know the truth at all about what happened on November 22, 1963.
Author Chris Hauty is a seasoned veteran in writing in broad gestures with detailed descriptions that immediately come alive in readers’ minds, and this book is no different. Setting up a hunt for clues some have compared to The DaVinci Code, Hauty offers plausible reasoning for the “facts” his characters uncover. Anyone fascinated with JFK’s murder may find new information here to ponder.
The book falters, however, in how long it takes for Mingus and Juan to go from clue to clue. Copious information dumps also make the pace drag, which may lead some readers to feel that this may have worked better as a nonfiction work positing a theory different from the accepted one for the historic event. Hauty’s narration rings with authenticity, emphasizing what must have been months or even years of research, but it also comes across more didactically than the average thriller should. With Juan eager to educate Mingus and, by proxy, readers on every aspect of every clue they encounter, readers’ eagerness for the premise may turn into impatience. The level of violence shown by the assassin after Juan and Mingus is also hard to stomach at times.
Those wanting to explore additional possibilities connected to Kennedy’s death may find this one interesting. Others may want to try a different book instead.
November 15, 2025
My thanks to both NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this thriller that looks at the conspiracy behind the death of an American president, a cabal that is still active, and still just as dangerous.
I was a big fan of thrillers growing up, reading all the classics, from Ambler, Ludlum, Clancy and the like. I was also a huge reader of conspiracy theories, devouring accounts of the New World Order, the Illuminati, Black Helicopters and the other things that made the X-Files a popular tv show. Not that I believed in any, but the more I read history the more I could see why people believed in the things they did. I've gotten away from thrillers. A book about protecting the American government from shadowy figures kind of pales when we try to memory a real coup attempt on January 6th. That and the fact that many thrillers seem like Boy's Own Adventures with a lot of jingoism tossed in. However I am a sucker for a good take on one of my favorite parts of conspiracy history. One who's shadow still will not fade with all the sunlight people try to put on it. The murder of the American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A story that still has many questions, many unanswered questions, and the plot to many a story. Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty is a thriller about the real reasons for Kennedy's death, the efforts to find the truth, and the consequences that come with excavating a past that people will kill to keep buried.
A woman working for the National Archives is found dead in a parking garage, her body showing signs of violence, before being shot in the head by her own hand. Olive Heller had found something that certain people wanted to keep buried, something that lead to her death. A death that gives motivation to someone who has pretty much given up. Joe Mingus was once a member of the United States Secret Service, but is now a disgraced ex-con with little to look forward to. Mingus was once involved with the dead woman, and her death starts him on a path not only of revenge, but of redemption. Mingus crosses paths with a Jesuit professor, Juan Verdugo, with ties to Olive. Verdugo is an assassination buff, one who has done a lot of research into the death of President John Kennedy, and sees that the story told by the official sources is not real. Something far darker had a hand in the death of an American president, something that is still around today, and still willing to kill to keep its secrets.
A mix of JFK, with John Grisham and the Da Vinci Code. With a lot of paranoid 80's thrillers mixed in. The story starts quick introducing the characters, and setting the scene for what is to come. This is pure thriller writing, so the book moves fast, though nothing is rushed. There are clues, real history mixing with imagined history, a lot of violence, and a lot of figuring things out. The cabal behind the killing, actually a lot of killings, is well presented and works well. A book that is perfect for this time of year, to sit before the fire and enjoy, or on a beach if one is lucky and relax.
This is my first book by Chris Hauty, and I enjoyed it. Recommended to conspiracy buffs, and people who like historical thrillers with a bit of today's action.
I was a big fan of thrillers growing up, reading all the classics, from Ambler, Ludlum, Clancy and the like. I was also a huge reader of conspiracy theories, devouring accounts of the New World Order, the Illuminati, Black Helicopters and the other things that made the X-Files a popular tv show. Not that I believed in any, but the more I read history the more I could see why people believed in the things they did. I've gotten away from thrillers. A book about protecting the American government from shadowy figures kind of pales when we try to memory a real coup attempt on January 6th. That and the fact that many thrillers seem like Boy's Own Adventures with a lot of jingoism tossed in. However I am a sucker for a good take on one of my favorite parts of conspiracy history. One who's shadow still will not fade with all the sunlight people try to put on it. The murder of the American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A story that still has many questions, many unanswered questions, and the plot to many a story. Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty is a thriller about the real reasons for Kennedy's death, the efforts to find the truth, and the consequences that come with excavating a past that people will kill to keep buried.
A woman working for the National Archives is found dead in a parking garage, her body showing signs of violence, before being shot in the head by her own hand. Olive Heller had found something that certain people wanted to keep buried, something that lead to her death. A death that gives motivation to someone who has pretty much given up. Joe Mingus was once a member of the United States Secret Service, but is now a disgraced ex-con with little to look forward to. Mingus was once involved with the dead woman, and her death starts him on a path not only of revenge, but of redemption. Mingus crosses paths with a Jesuit professor, Juan Verdugo, with ties to Olive. Verdugo is an assassination buff, one who has done a lot of research into the death of President John Kennedy, and sees that the story told by the official sources is not real. Something far darker had a hand in the death of an American president, something that is still around today, and still willing to kill to keep its secrets.
A mix of JFK, with John Grisham and the Da Vinci Code. With a lot of paranoid 80's thrillers mixed in. The story starts quick introducing the characters, and setting the scene for what is to come. This is pure thriller writing, so the book moves fast, though nothing is rushed. There are clues, real history mixing with imagined history, a lot of violence, and a lot of figuring things out. The cabal behind the killing, actually a lot of killings, is well presented and works well. A book that is perfect for this time of year, to sit before the fire and enjoy, or on a beach if one is lucky and relax.
This is my first book by Chris Hauty, and I enjoyed it. Recommended to conspiracy buffs, and people who like historical thrillers with a bit of today's action.
January 11, 2026
Chris Hauty has rapidly gained a reputation as an author of high-octane thrillers. With his latest, DEAD RINGER, he takes on a mystery that has confounded the world for over six decades.
The event in question is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The history books initially laid all the responsibility on Lee Harvey Oswald, who was widely seen as a Communist sympathizer. With Oswald himself being killed well before any public questioning could take place, this tragedy has continued to yield various conspiracy theories, as well as commissions dedicated to re-examining the events of that terrible day to finally produce some real answers.
Hauty proposes a new theory and does so in such a fashion that brings about a supreme element of danger that still exists for anyone seeking to reveal it. He provides plenty of historical context mixed with fictional elements, beginning with Oswald’s famous quote that he was “just a patsy,” along with the findings of the US House of Representatives Select Commission on Assassinations, which concluded in 1978 that two different gunmen fired at JFK. The larger mystery that is suggested here involves the body of the President, a claim that I will not disclose here.
Joe Mingus, a disgraced former Secret Service officer, is startled to be awakened in the early morning hours by two detectives who have questions about his whereabouts the previous night. His ex-girlfriend, Olivia Heller, a researcher for the National Archives in Washington, DC, has been found murdered.
We are then introduced to a separate storyline featuring the wealthiest man in the world. Mark Cristanti is involved with a sinister and powerful cabal akin to a modern-day Illuminati that has a vested interest in keeping the truth about the assassination a secret and is in the process of funding the campaign for a right-wing presidential candidate.
Mingus begins his own investigation into Olivia’s murder, and it is not long before he finds out the information that she may have been silenced over. His path crosses with that of a Jesuit professor, Juan Verdugo, who was close to Olivia and holds top-secret information about the assassination and the very real conspiracy that has kept the truth from coming out. More specifically, the findings of the Warren Commission have been thwarted by rumors, new conspiracies and, in this case, an alleged piece of evidence to which Olivia and Verdugo were privy.
Cristanti and his group will do whatever it takes to prevent anyone from revealing what actually happened. Among other methods, there is a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to see this mission done and is on the trail of Mingus and Verdugo. The action is very much non-stop and at such a frenetic pace that it’s impossible to stop the pages from turning as new characters, plot lines and revelations drive this story to a fiery conclusion.
DEAD RINGER deftly combines very real history with speculative fiction that feels both unbelievable and eye-opening, resulting in a highly entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
The event in question is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The history books initially laid all the responsibility on Lee Harvey Oswald, who was widely seen as a Communist sympathizer. With Oswald himself being killed well before any public questioning could take place, this tragedy has continued to yield various conspiracy theories, as well as commissions dedicated to re-examining the events of that terrible day to finally produce some real answers.
Hauty proposes a new theory and does so in such a fashion that brings about a supreme element of danger that still exists for anyone seeking to reveal it. He provides plenty of historical context mixed with fictional elements, beginning with Oswald’s famous quote that he was “just a patsy,” along with the findings of the US House of Representatives Select Commission on Assassinations, which concluded in 1978 that two different gunmen fired at JFK. The larger mystery that is suggested here involves the body of the President, a claim that I will not disclose here.
Joe Mingus, a disgraced former Secret Service officer, is startled to be awakened in the early morning hours by two detectives who have questions about his whereabouts the previous night. His ex-girlfriend, Olivia Heller, a researcher for the National Archives in Washington, DC, has been found murdered.
We are then introduced to a separate storyline featuring the wealthiest man in the world. Mark Cristanti is involved with a sinister and powerful cabal akin to a modern-day Illuminati that has a vested interest in keeping the truth about the assassination a secret and is in the process of funding the campaign for a right-wing presidential candidate.
Mingus begins his own investigation into Olivia’s murder, and it is not long before he finds out the information that she may have been silenced over. His path crosses with that of a Jesuit professor, Juan Verdugo, who was close to Olivia and holds top-secret information about the assassination and the very real conspiracy that has kept the truth from coming out. More specifically, the findings of the Warren Commission have been thwarted by rumors, new conspiracies and, in this case, an alleged piece of evidence to which Olivia and Verdugo were privy.
Cristanti and his group will do whatever it takes to prevent anyone from revealing what actually happened. Among other methods, there is a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to see this mission done and is on the trail of Mingus and Verdugo. The action is very much non-stop and at such a frenetic pace that it’s impossible to stop the pages from turning as new characters, plot lines and revelations drive this story to a fiery conclusion.
DEAD RINGER deftly combines very real history with speculative fiction that feels both unbelievable and eye-opening, resulting in a highly entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
December 7, 2025
📚Dead Ringer
✍🏻Chris Haughty
Blurb:
Nationally bestselling author Chris Hauty, one of the high-octane writers “to take the thriller world by storm” (The Real Book Spy), returns with a riveting stand-alone novel that explores what might have really happened at the JFK assassination.
Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service office and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active—and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?
My Thoughts:
A disgraced former Secret Service agent, Joseph Mingus, is keeping his head low and living a mundane life when two detectives show up on his doorstep, telling him the news that his ex-girlfriend had been murdered. Outraged, Mingus drives to her house and meets a Jesuit professor, Juan Verduago, who believes Mingus’s ex was trying to tell him something about her new discoveries concerning the assassination of JFK. So the two set out in search of the truth, avoiding trouble and the hired assassin who is chasing them.
The JFK assassination is reimagined in this latest thriller from Chris Hauty. When a civilian employee of the National Archives is murdered after she discovers long lost documents pertaining to Kennedy’s assassination, her ex-lover, a disgraced Secret Service agent, along with her friend, a Jesuit professor and expert on the assassination, work together to decipher clues uncovered by the archivist
A former secret service agent after serving a prison sentence, is tasked to protect a Jesuit brother after finding out his former lover and federal archivist is shockingly murdered. Her death is likely related to the alarming information she uncovered in the archives pertaining to Lee Harvey Oswald’s movements leading up to the moments before the presidents murder, and her last request is for the agent to protect the brother without exposing the details. We are taken on a well researched journey of discovery to find the evidence through the blending of authentic events with imaginative storytelling.
The book will keep you guessing and forming your own predictions, but there is a twist at the end you will never guess!
Thanks NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Author Chris Hauty for the advanced copy of "Dead Ringer" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#Simon&Schuster
#ChrisHauty
#DeadRinger
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warning: Death, murder, blood, violence, nudity, one of the characters is dying of cancer, & religious extremism, and swearing
✍🏻Chris Haughty
Blurb:
Nationally bestselling author Chris Hauty, one of the high-octane writers “to take the thriller world by storm” (The Real Book Spy), returns with a riveting stand-alone novel that explores what might have really happened at the JFK assassination.
Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service office and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active—and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?
My Thoughts:
A disgraced former Secret Service agent, Joseph Mingus, is keeping his head low and living a mundane life when two detectives show up on his doorstep, telling him the news that his ex-girlfriend had been murdered. Outraged, Mingus drives to her house and meets a Jesuit professor, Juan Verduago, who believes Mingus’s ex was trying to tell him something about her new discoveries concerning the assassination of JFK. So the two set out in search of the truth, avoiding trouble and the hired assassin who is chasing them.
The JFK assassination is reimagined in this latest thriller from Chris Hauty. When a civilian employee of the National Archives is murdered after she discovers long lost documents pertaining to Kennedy’s assassination, her ex-lover, a disgraced Secret Service agent, along with her friend, a Jesuit professor and expert on the assassination, work together to decipher clues uncovered by the archivist
A former secret service agent after serving a prison sentence, is tasked to protect a Jesuit brother after finding out his former lover and federal archivist is shockingly murdered. Her death is likely related to the alarming information she uncovered in the archives pertaining to Lee Harvey Oswald’s movements leading up to the moments before the presidents murder, and her last request is for the agent to protect the brother without exposing the details. We are taken on a well researched journey of discovery to find the evidence through the blending of authentic events with imaginative storytelling.
The book will keep you guessing and forming your own predictions, but there is a twist at the end you will never guess!
Thanks NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Author Chris Hauty for the advanced copy of "Dead Ringer" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#Simon&Schuster
#ChrisHauty
#DeadRinger
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warning: Death, murder, blood, violence, nudity, one of the characters is dying of cancer, & religious extremism, and swearing
December 30, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars
Thank you @Atriabooks #AtriaPartner for the free book 💖.
A disgraced ex–Secret Service agent and a Jesuit professor team up to investigate the truth behind the JFK assassination. But as they dig deeper, they discover the conspiracy isn’t just history—it’s still active. Now they have to uncover the truth before they become the next casualties.
Read if you like:
🕵🏻♂️Conspiracy theories
🕵🏻♂️Political thrillers
🕵🏻♂️Looking into JFK Assassination
🕵🏻♂️Short chapters
🕵🏻♂️Stories that keep you guessing
🕵🏻♂️Fast paced thrillers
I’m one of those people who refuses to believe something just because someone says it. I need to research, look at all the evidence, all the facts, and the different points of view, and then I can come to my own conclusion. Recent events have definitely changed the way I think about conspiracy theories—I don’t dismiss them as quickly as I used to. Some are pretty far-fetched, sure, but others have turned out to be true.
So when I saw what this book was about, I was immediately interested.
Right from the start, the book kicks off with a bang: an employee at the National Archives is murdered after discovering documents related to the JFK assassination. She’s smart enough to realize the danger she’s in, and she sets up a kind of “kill switch” of sorts that sends info to her ex—a disgraced Secret Service agent—clues per se, so he can uncover the truth in the event of her death, while protecting someone who will be in danger due to the information she uncovered.
The author does a good job blending real historical events into a gripping and creative story. It keeps you guessing the entire time, and there’s a lot of information to take in, so you have to pay close attention (I had to flip back a few times to keep things straight). And just when you think you’ve figured it out, a twist hits that you’ll never see coming…it was a little far fetched, but definitely creative. I reiterate that there is a lot to keep track of, and at some points things get a little murky and slightly confusing, but it was interesting.
I loved that it was rooted in real history, and I found it entertaining.
3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⚠️CW: Violence, murder, death of a loved one.
Thank you @Atriabooks #AtriaPartner for the free book 💖.
A disgraced ex–Secret Service agent and a Jesuit professor team up to investigate the truth behind the JFK assassination. But as they dig deeper, they discover the conspiracy isn’t just history—it’s still active. Now they have to uncover the truth before they become the next casualties.
Read if you like:
🕵🏻♂️Conspiracy theories
🕵🏻♂️Political thrillers
🕵🏻♂️Looking into JFK Assassination
🕵🏻♂️Short chapters
🕵🏻♂️Stories that keep you guessing
🕵🏻♂️Fast paced thrillers
I’m one of those people who refuses to believe something just because someone says it. I need to research, look at all the evidence, all the facts, and the different points of view, and then I can come to my own conclusion. Recent events have definitely changed the way I think about conspiracy theories—I don’t dismiss them as quickly as I used to. Some are pretty far-fetched, sure, but others have turned out to be true.
So when I saw what this book was about, I was immediately interested.
Right from the start, the book kicks off with a bang: an employee at the National Archives is murdered after discovering documents related to the JFK assassination. She’s smart enough to realize the danger she’s in, and she sets up a kind of “kill switch” of sorts that sends info to her ex—a disgraced Secret Service agent—clues per se, so he can uncover the truth in the event of her death, while protecting someone who will be in danger due to the information she uncovered.
The author does a good job blending real historical events into a gripping and creative story. It keeps you guessing the entire time, and there’s a lot of information to take in, so you have to pay close attention (I had to flip back a few times to keep things straight). And just when you think you’ve figured it out, a twist hits that you’ll never see coming…it was a little far fetched, but definitely creative. I reiterate that there is a lot to keep track of, and at some points things get a little murky and slightly confusing, but it was interesting.
I loved that it was rooted in real history, and I found it entertaining.
3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⚠️CW: Violence, murder, death of a loved one.
June 2, 2025
I first found Chris Hauty’s writing when he was nominated for the 2021 Barry Award for Best First Novel for Deep State. This novel was the first of 5 political thriller books in a series starring Haley Chill, a black former soldier, now White House intern, who uncovers a conspiracy to kill the president. I have found each of the 5 Haley Chill books great suspense and intelligent prose. Dead Ringer is Hauty’s first stand-alone novel, after a career in screenwriting.
In Dead Ringer, Joe Mingus, a former Secret Service officer who was booted out of the service for disgraceful behavior and now works as a bouncer for a strip club, does a favor for a murdered former lover and ends up trying to reveal the truth behind the assignation of John Kennedy in 1962! This is a must read for history buffs who have heard all the conspiracy stories about Nov. 22, 1962, and what really happened that day in Dallas. Hauty educates the reader on all the outstanding evidence that questions if the Warren Report really gave us the correct solution to the Kennedy murder and does so all within a chase-thriller.
Hauty’s heroes, Mingus and a Jesuit priest named Joseph Verdugo, follow clues around the country while a professional hit man seeks to kill them for uncovering a long-standing conspiracy. The clues involve knowledge the Jesuit has concerning the Kennedy assignation, and Mingus decides to serve Verdugo as a protector while the hunt is on.
Hauty writes an intelligent, exciting thriller. The What-If factor is fun to play with as you read the novel, but the chase across the US following Kennedy/Oswald historical facts is the heart of the novel. So whether you’ve heard the conspiracy stories or not, I think you will find Dead Ringer a deftly moving story, leading to a shockingly twisted ending.
My rating: 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Dead Ringer will be published on Dec. 2, 2025.
In Dead Ringer, Joe Mingus, a former Secret Service officer who was booted out of the service for disgraceful behavior and now works as a bouncer for a strip club, does a favor for a murdered former lover and ends up trying to reveal the truth behind the assignation of John Kennedy in 1962! This is a must read for history buffs who have heard all the conspiracy stories about Nov. 22, 1962, and what really happened that day in Dallas. Hauty educates the reader on all the outstanding evidence that questions if the Warren Report really gave us the correct solution to the Kennedy murder and does so all within a chase-thriller.
Hauty’s heroes, Mingus and a Jesuit priest named Joseph Verdugo, follow clues around the country while a professional hit man seeks to kill them for uncovering a long-standing conspiracy. The clues involve knowledge the Jesuit has concerning the Kennedy assignation, and Mingus decides to serve Verdugo as a protector while the hunt is on.
Hauty writes an intelligent, exciting thriller. The What-If factor is fun to play with as you read the novel, but the chase across the US following Kennedy/Oswald historical facts is the heart of the novel. So whether you’ve heard the conspiracy stories or not, I think you will find Dead Ringer a deftly moving story, leading to a shockingly twisted ending.
My rating: 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Dead Ringer will be published on Dec. 2, 2025.
September 24, 2025
Chris Hauty’s Dead Ringer wastes no time plunging readers into a modern-day hunt shaped by the shadows of JFK’s assassination. The story pairs Joe Mingus, a former Secret Service agent with a ruined reputation, and Joseph Verdugo, a sharp Jesuit professor. Together, they start digging into the tangled mess left behind in 1963. Still, every step forward puts them in the crosshairs of a relentless professional killer and a powerful group desperate to keep history’s darkest secrets buried.
Mingus and Verdugo are an odd couple: one battered by regret, the other fueled by intellect and faith. Their uneasy partnership sparks with tension and dry humour, making every setback and breakthrough feel earned. The hitman on their trail isn’t just a backdrop; he’s a constant, menacing presence that keeps the pressure high and the stakes honest.
Dead Ringer isn’t just about conspiracy theories; it’s about the weight of the past, the blurry lines between truth and fiction, and how far we’ll go for redemption. Hauty’s writing is all momentum: lean, sharp, and packed with just enough historical detail to ground the wild ride. Every twist pushes the story deeper, forcing you to wonder what’s fact, what’s fiction, and whether either one matters when survival’s on the line.
Dead Ringer is an addictive and adrenaline-soaked novel. The plot never lets up, the action stays tight, and even the quieter moments crackle with tension. If there’s a flaw, it’s that the maze of conspiracies sometimes threatens to drown out the characters, and a few stretches might feel like they’re spinning their wheels. But for anyone who loves a brilliant, fast-paced thriller with a dose of history and moral ambiguity, Dead Ringer delivers from start to finish.
Mingus and Verdugo are an odd couple: one battered by regret, the other fueled by intellect and faith. Their uneasy partnership sparks with tension and dry humour, making every setback and breakthrough feel earned. The hitman on their trail isn’t just a backdrop; he’s a constant, menacing presence that keeps the pressure high and the stakes honest.
Dead Ringer isn’t just about conspiracy theories; it’s about the weight of the past, the blurry lines between truth and fiction, and how far we’ll go for redemption. Hauty’s writing is all momentum: lean, sharp, and packed with just enough historical detail to ground the wild ride. Every twist pushes the story deeper, forcing you to wonder what’s fact, what’s fiction, and whether either one matters when survival’s on the line.
Dead Ringer is an addictive and adrenaline-soaked novel. The plot never lets up, the action stays tight, and even the quieter moments crackle with tension. If there’s a flaw, it’s that the maze of conspiracies sometimes threatens to drown out the characters, and a few stretches might feel like they’re spinning their wheels. But for anyone who loves a brilliant, fast-paced thriller with a dose of history and moral ambiguity, Dead Ringer delivers from start to finish.
December 4, 2025
The "what if" premise in this book made me pick it up immediately. The beginning was visceral, and I was hooked.
A disgraced Secret Service officer and a Jesuit professor investigate JFK's assassination. They don't know the conspiracy is still active and coming for them next.
The suspense was gripping: cat and mouse tension with the intrigue and mystery of a powerful group willing to do anything to keep secrets buried. I was riveted, turning pages to see how it would all unfold.
The main character, an ex-Secret Service agent Joe Migus, felt complex and layered. He finds joy in making bread, has a strong sense of right and wrong, and is grumpy but has a heart. He's someone I'd stick around to read about.
His protectee, Juan Verdugo, is his exact opposite: sunny disposition, very trusting. The contrast between them worked well.
The villain, Santos, is both evil and deeply religious. His faith rivals that of priests, which made him genuinely terrifying. A scare guy done right.
Everything was solid until the reveal. I came into this knowing it's a conspiracy theory read, but for some reason, I couldn't fully suspend my disbelief at that point. The buildup was strong, but the payoff didn't quite sell me.
The Audiobook:
Mack Sanderson's deep baritone worked perfectly for narrating this story. His voice mirrored the atmosphere of the thriller. The overall production was well done, making it easy to listen to throughout.
If you love JFK conspiracy thrillers with cat-and-mouse suspense and complex characters, this is worth picking up. Perfect for readers who enjoy historical conspiracies with modern danger.
A gripping conspiracy thriller with strong characters and intense suspense. The reveal didn't fully land for me, but the journey kept me engaged.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Audio and Atria Books, for my advance reader’s copies. All opinions are my own.
⭐⭐⭐.5 (3.5/5)
A disgraced Secret Service officer and a Jesuit professor investigate JFK's assassination. They don't know the conspiracy is still active and coming for them next.
The suspense was gripping: cat and mouse tension with the intrigue and mystery of a powerful group willing to do anything to keep secrets buried. I was riveted, turning pages to see how it would all unfold.
The main character, an ex-Secret Service agent Joe Migus, felt complex and layered. He finds joy in making bread, has a strong sense of right and wrong, and is grumpy but has a heart. He's someone I'd stick around to read about.
His protectee, Juan Verdugo, is his exact opposite: sunny disposition, very trusting. The contrast between them worked well.
The villain, Santos, is both evil and deeply religious. His faith rivals that of priests, which made him genuinely terrifying. A scare guy done right.
Everything was solid until the reveal. I came into this knowing it's a conspiracy theory read, but for some reason, I couldn't fully suspend my disbelief at that point. The buildup was strong, but the payoff didn't quite sell me.
The Audiobook:
Mack Sanderson's deep baritone worked perfectly for narrating this story. His voice mirrored the atmosphere of the thriller. The overall production was well done, making it easy to listen to throughout.
If you love JFK conspiracy thrillers with cat-and-mouse suspense and complex characters, this is worth picking up. Perfect for readers who enjoy historical conspiracies with modern danger.
A gripping conspiracy thriller with strong characters and intense suspense. The reveal didn't fully land for me, but the journey kept me engaged.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Audio and Atria Books, for my advance reader’s copies. All opinions are my own.
⭐⭐⭐.5 (3.5/5)
November 9, 2025
If you have ever loved a larger than life conspiracy theory book, Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty is absolutely for you. It pulls you in from the first chapter and never lets go. The story takes real historical events and threads of truth about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and spins them into a high-octane pursuit for answers that stretches across the country, where danger hides behind every clue and every revelation propels you deeper into the chase.
I love the way this story weaves through true historical facts, real people, and plausible motives that connect key figures across decades and continents. The layers of history, politics, and religion are perfectly stacked, creating a relentless hunt that feels like running side by side with Joe Mingus, a fallen Secret Service agent, and Joseph Verdugo, a brilliant Jesuit professor with secrets of his own. Let’s not forget the assassin on a divine mission, the financier pulling the strings, and the political leader being molded to serve unseen powers. I cannot even begin to tell you how many rabbit holes I went down while reading this book — and that made the experience even more addictive.
And those letters underneath each chapter number? Did I try to decode them myself? Yes. Did I fail? Also yes. Will I keep trying? Again yes. That is the magic of Hauty’s storytelling — it does not just hand you the truth, it dares you to chase it. Every chapter hums with tension, every reveal cracks open a deeper mystery, and by the end you are left questioning how much of it might actually be real.
I love the way this story weaves through true historical facts, real people, and plausible motives that connect key figures across decades and continents. The layers of history, politics, and religion are perfectly stacked, creating a relentless hunt that feels like running side by side with Joe Mingus, a fallen Secret Service agent, and Joseph Verdugo, a brilliant Jesuit professor with secrets of his own. Let’s not forget the assassin on a divine mission, the financier pulling the strings, and the political leader being molded to serve unseen powers. I cannot even begin to tell you how many rabbit holes I went down while reading this book — and that made the experience even more addictive.
And those letters underneath each chapter number? Did I try to decode them myself? Yes. Did I fail? Also yes. Will I keep trying? Again yes. That is the magic of Hauty’s storytelling — it does not just hand you the truth, it dares you to chase it. Every chapter hums with tension, every reveal cracks open a deeper mystery, and by the end you are left questioning how much of it might actually be real.
November 17, 2025
I’ve long been fascinated by the JFK assassination, so I was immediately intrigued by this fictional fresh take on conspiracy theories surrounding the event. The plot is creative, ambitious, and packed with non-stop action. This one is perfect for fans of Dan Brown, with a blend of fact, fiction, and cryptography that’s sure to appeal to fans of The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. It would also be great for fans of government conspiracy theories, like Dean Koontz’s Jane Hawk series or his 1990s-era books like Dark Rivers of the Heart and Fear Nothing.
I started out listening to this one but found it quite difficult to follow on audiobook. There is a very large cast of characters, and they’re hard to keep straight. The fact that the author refers to characters in multiple different ways (like Verdugo is also repeatedly called the Jesuit or Padre, Santos also being referred to as the Cuban) only added to my confusion. Once I made the switch to a print copy, I found it a much easier and more enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, and Simon Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.
I started out listening to this one but found it quite difficult to follow on audiobook. There is a very large cast of characters, and they’re hard to keep straight. The fact that the author refers to characters in multiple different ways (like Verdugo is also repeatedly called the Jesuit or Padre, Santos also being referred to as the Cuban) only added to my confusion. Once I made the switch to a print copy, I found it a much easier and more enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, and Simon Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.
December 8, 2025
For my senior thesis, I conducted extensive research at the East Carolina University Library, analyzing microfilm and other sources related to the JFK Assassination. I reviewed the Warren Commission Report and the House Report in their entirety. Additionally, I examined numerous redacted CIA Reports on the subject. Although I was not authorized to incorporate a conspiracy theory into my thesis, I have maintained a long-standing fascination with the concept. 'Dead Ringer' closely aligns with the historical sequence of events. The narrative guides the reader through locations such as Parkland Hospital in Dallas, New Orleans, Mexico City, and the Book Depository in Dallas. Oswald's residence also features in the novel. Clues are strategically placed at each site to direct the story's progression. The conclusion was particularly unexpected. Overall, I consider this one of the most exemplary fictional novels about the JFK assassination conspiracy theories that I have encountered.
December 13, 2025
This is my fifth Chris Hauty novel and his first standalone. He is former Hollywood screenwriter who moved to writing novels five years back. His writing, plotting, and pacing all draw from the action-movie background that he has, making every word count, keeping chapters short and propulsive, and usually having an interesting climax. This novel lives up to the billing.
The plot is simple. A former secret service agent and a Jesuit priest in training team up to uncover the truth behind the JFK assassination. A rich evil billionaire with his cabal of evil doers try stopping him, including a fanatical lunatic that will kill anyone to execute his goal (pun intended). It's basically DaVinci Code for US politics. And it works.
This novel is a true page turner with an interesting denouement. I will say that some of the characterization is left paper thin, but that's ok -- because this isn't exactly a slow character study. It's an action-packed thrill ride. 4.5 stars.
The plot is simple. A former secret service agent and a Jesuit priest in training team up to uncover the truth behind the JFK assassination. A rich evil billionaire with his cabal of evil doers try stopping him, including a fanatical lunatic that will kill anyone to execute his goal (pun intended). It's basically DaVinci Code for US politics. And it works.
This novel is a true page turner with an interesting denouement. I will say that some of the characterization is left paper thin, but that's ok -- because this isn't exactly a slow character study. It's an action-packed thrill ride. 4.5 stars.
November 24, 2025
𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓡𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻 is a book that delves deep into a fictional conspiracy theory around the assassination of JFK. I think that I would have enjoyed this one a bit more had I refreshed myself on all the key players in the existing cannon on this topic. There is ALOT going on - lots of players and historical context. The novel is action packed and extremely well researched.
The ending borders on pretty silly - I wasn't fully on board with how the plot resolved. Overall, it definitely delves more into action thriller than just a standard thriller and there were some fun edge of the seat moments. It didn't fully come together for me as much as I wanted it to, but I think history buffs on this topic or those that like a very detailed action-oriented plot with lots of twists and turns will enjoy.
Thanks to @atriabooks #atriapartner and for providing me with the ARC of this book.
The ending borders on pretty silly - I wasn't fully on board with how the plot resolved. Overall, it definitely delves more into action thriller than just a standard thriller and there were some fun edge of the seat moments. It didn't fully come together for me as much as I wanted it to, but I think history buffs on this topic or those that like a very detailed action-oriented plot with lots of twists and turns will enjoy.
Thanks to @atriabooks #atriapartner and for providing me with the ARC of this book.
January 7, 2026
A Very Good Book!
An Interesting and compelling story.
Solid and likeable characters with a story that moves quickly once our two main characters figure out the first clue that sets them on a mad dash trip traveling to different US cities to find clues with information about the JFK 1963 assassination in Dallas Texas. While dodging a determined assassin who has been ordered to kill anyone and destroy any information about the 1963 assassination that they discover. "Russians, communists, religious fanatics and assassins oh my!"
A bit hard to believe but facinating and entertaining!
My only issue: the last few chapters didn't have enough detail about the characters after the incredible final reveal!
Enjoy!
An Interesting and compelling story.
Solid and likeable characters with a story that moves quickly once our two main characters figure out the first clue that sets them on a mad dash trip traveling to different US cities to find clues with information about the JFK 1963 assassination in Dallas Texas. While dodging a determined assassin who has been ordered to kill anyone and destroy any information about the 1963 assassination that they discover. "Russians, communists, religious fanatics and assassins oh my!"
A bit hard to believe but facinating and entertaining!
My only issue: the last few chapters didn't have enough detail about the characters after the incredible final reveal!
Enjoy!
September 25, 2025
I had so many mixed feelings about this book the entire time I was reading. There was a lot of potential for something awesome, but I feel like it never quite got there for me. The characters were definitely intriguing, and at times, so was the conspiracy. However, the many outlandish complexities of the conspiracy ultimately wore me down. I did enjoy reading this, but felt longing for more. If you're on the fence, give this one a go - it will still be worth your time for sure. 3.5 stars for me if I could.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC. #deadringer #netgalley
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC. #deadringer #netgalley
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November 9, 2025Chris Hauty's “Dead Ringer” is a fast-paced political thriller that reimagines the mystery of the assassination of JFK. The story follows disgraced former Secret Service agent Joe Mingus and Jesuit professor Juan Verdugo as they team up to uncover what really happened in 1963. The deeper they dig, the more they realize the conspiracy they’re chasing isn’t buried in the past. It is still very much alive and incredibly dangerous. Hauty manages to keep the tension high with sharp twists, believable characters, and plenty of action. This is an exciting take on the JFK assassination mystery that will keep readers turning pages until the end.
December 11, 2025
Wow! That’s the first impression and the feeling I had when I finished this book.
Chris knocked it out of the park with this one, this is a fast paced novel following two unlikely guys set about to uncover what really happened during the Kennedy assassination. You really can feel the journey along with them as they follow the clues and try to avoid those set out to stop them.
As usual, I knew a twist was coming, but I did not see this one.
This is a must read for history buffs and thriller fans!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And honestly, this was a non-stop thrill ride
Chris knocked it out of the park with this one, this is a fast paced novel following two unlikely guys set about to uncover what really happened during the Kennedy assassination. You really can feel the journey along with them as they follow the clues and try to avoid those set out to stop them.
As usual, I knew a twist was coming, but I did not see this one.
This is a must read for history buffs and thriller fans!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And honestly, this was a non-stop thrill ride
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