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McKenna’s Guy
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Expected 7 Jul 26From Edgar, Barry, and Shamus Award finalist Mike Lawson comes McKenna’s Guy, a fast-paced thriller full of secrets, lies, and betrayal.
When an intruder with murderous intent breaks into Roger Smith’s modest home one night, the big brute gets more than he bargained for, ending up a bloody corpse staining Roger’s carpet.
Washington, DC, Detective Grace Lillinthal is summoned to the crime scene and marvels at the outcome. Why would anyone want to kill gray-haired Roger Smith? He’s the picture of respectability—a widower devoted to his family, an amateur painter, and a civil servant who works at the Government Printing Office. When asked why he’d be a target, a clearly shaken Roger claims to be baffled.
But instinct tells Grace there’s more to Roger’s story, and when she learns that Roger—after killing his home invader and before calling the police—phoned John McKenna, she knows she’s onto something. John McKenna is a disreputable character of the first order. He’s the gregarious, larger-than-life owner of a local bar that’s a notorious den of thieves.
After one hired assassin fails, another’s bound to show up. The clock is ticking for Roger and McKenna to find out who wants Roger dead and why—and suspects abound. Stubborn Grace is as determined to dig up Roger’s secrets as he is to keep them hidden, and soon the investigation becomes a relentless game of cat and mouse. Even if Roger doesn’t consider himself a criminal, as chaos takes hold of his world, survival requires that he think like one.
When an intruder with murderous intent breaks into Roger Smith’s modest home one night, the big brute gets more than he bargained for, ending up a bloody corpse staining Roger’s carpet.
Washington, DC, Detective Grace Lillinthal is summoned to the crime scene and marvels at the outcome. Why would anyone want to kill gray-haired Roger Smith? He’s the picture of respectability—a widower devoted to his family, an amateur painter, and a civil servant who works at the Government Printing Office. When asked why he’d be a target, a clearly shaken Roger claims to be baffled.
But instinct tells Grace there’s more to Roger’s story, and when she learns that Roger—after killing his home invader and before calling the police—phoned John McKenna, she knows she’s onto something. John McKenna is a disreputable character of the first order. He’s the gregarious, larger-than-life owner of a local bar that’s a notorious den of thieves.
After one hired assassin fails, another’s bound to show up. The clock is ticking for Roger and McKenna to find out who wants Roger dead and why—and suspects abound. Stubborn Grace is as determined to dig up Roger’s secrets as he is to keep them hidden, and soon the investigation becomes a relentless game of cat and mouse. Even if Roger doesn’t consider himself a criminal, as chaos takes hold of his world, survival requires that he think like one.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 7, 2026
21 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lawson
26 books449 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Want to Read
April 16, 2026McKenna’s Guy by Mike Lawson is a sharp, fast paced thriller that blends mystery, tension, and layered intrigue. With a compelling premise and a steady build of suspense, the story keeps readers engaged through twists, secrets, and morally complex characters. A gripping read for fans of crime and investigative thrillers.
April 22, 2026
Enjoyed this. Maybe the start of a new series?
Full review here: https://civilianreader.com/2026/04/22...
Full review here: https://civilianreader.com/2026/04/22...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Absolutely terrific.
Lawson's Roger Smith is an interesting, character is just about as charismatic as they can come,
while still being a criminal at heart.
Smith works for the GPO and manages a lucrative, albeit, criminal side business.
When a hitman breaks into his home and tries to murder him in the dead of night, he knows he needs to take
action to protect himself and to prevent his business from coming to light.
A really intriguing tale that has you rooting for Roger from page one, as he evades another killer sent after him and tries to avoid the criminal entrapment of a persistent detective.
Hated for it to end.
Lawson's Roger Smith is an interesting, character is just about as charismatic as they can come,
while still being a criminal at heart.
Smith works for the GPO and manages a lucrative, albeit, criminal side business.
When a hitman breaks into his home and tries to murder him in the dead of night, he knows he needs to take
action to protect himself and to prevent his business from coming to light.
A really intriguing tale that has you rooting for Roger from page one, as he evades another killer sent after him and tries to avoid the criminal entrapment of a persistent detective.
Hated for it to end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kindled. Thank you to Blackstone and NetGalley for the download.
Super simplistic writing. A one-note plot. Two well-drawn main characters, but the rest of the humans racing around this fast-paced book verged on stereotypical, and not always in a nice way.
Regardless of these criticisms, I flew through this book, enjoying each and every scene, even while rolling my eyes at various points. Never read a Lawson book before but I can see the appeal. Easy on the brain. Action galore. Nothing too gruesome. People to root for. Popcorn read at its finest.
Super simplistic writing. A one-note plot. Two well-drawn main characters, but the rest of the humans racing around this fast-paced book verged on stereotypical, and not always in a nice way.
Regardless of these criticisms, I flew through this book, enjoying each and every scene, even while rolling my eyes at various points. Never read a Lawson book before but I can see the appeal. Easy on the brain. Action galore. Nothing too gruesome. People to root for. Popcorn read at its finest.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a fun non-DeMarco story from Mr. Lawson. Roger Smith was an interesting character who seemed to surprise me quite a bit. I liked his approach to events as they unfolded - reminded me a little of Joe DeMarco actually. And McKenna was a little like John Mahoney - not really that likable yet you're kind of rooting for him. I liked how this one wrapped up. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a nice quick read.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Thanks to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC. #McKennasGuy #NetGalley
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Thanks to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC. #McKennasGuy #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Loved the Roger Smith character. Joe DeMarcoe, the author’s famous protagonist from a fantastic series is a legend, but we have another entertaining personality. Smith kills a home invader, but that’s only the beginning, Who, why, and when will it happen again makes go an excellent story. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews