Prodigal Son: A Novel

by Thomas B. Cavanagh

Three months after he’s undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor, retired police detective Mike Garrity’s cancer is in remission. It’s great news, but when you’ve been planning to only live for a few months, you don’t normally worry about savings. A return to health also means a return to the workforce, and whether he likes it or not, Mike’s going to have to adjust to the role of private investigator.
He's also bounced back into a romance with a member of his cancer support group, Debbie Watson. But while Mike may be celebrating his victory over cancer, Debbie’s just been handed a grim prognosis. Desperate, she asks him for help with what might be her last tracking down the son she put up for adoption twenty years ago.
Debbie’s son is not the only lost child Mike has been asked to trace. A high school friend of his daughter has died of an overdose. The boy’s father is convinced that the death was not a suicide and, though the case is officially closed, the officer in charge has his own doubts about its conclusion.
Back at work and stumbling headlong into a new relationship, Mike should have a lot to look forward to. But all is not as it seems, and he’s about to find out that cancer isn’t the only thing trying to kill him.

Genres: Mystery

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Thomas B. Cavanagh is an Amazon best-selling, award-winning author of Florida crime thrillers. His latest novel is “Diamond Cut,” the first in the Sandy Corrigan mystery series and winner of the Florida Book Award Bronze Medal for Popular Fiction. He is also the author of “Prodigal Son,” featuring Central Florida private detective Mike Garrity, as well as the first Mike Garrity novel, “Head Games,” which won the Florida Book Award Gold Medal for Popular Fiction and was a Best Novel finalist for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America. He is also author of the stand-alone novel “Murderland,” winner of the Dark Oak Mystery Contest. In his career he has written award-winning children's television shows for Nickelodeon, the Walt Disney Company, and many others. He lives in Central Florida with his family and two quirky cats.

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book ... as much as I loved the first book ...MIND GAMES. Mike Garrity is a unique character. In the first book,. he introduced the reader to his brain tumor ... that he named Bob. In this book, the doctors have removed what they can ... but there's also a chance that it will grown back. He's already got a name picked out ... Son of Bob.

As a retired detective, he's looking forward to joining a private investigator's business. He was a good detective, he figures he'll be good at the private investigating.

A school friend of his teenage daughter's dies of a drug overdose. No one can believe it ...except the police. The student had applied and been accepted at 3 colleges, he volunteered, he was a church goer ... and he left no note. No one noticed anything different about him. The boy's father wants to hire Garrity to prove that his son did not kill himself. Maybe it was an accident, although he was not known to use drugs. Garrity has another thought .. maybe someone else helped him along and arranged the scene to look like suicide.

A second job comes as he attends a cancer support group. One of the ladies there approaches Mike .... she says she gave up her son for adoption 20-some years ago and she wants to see him before she dies. She gives him all the information he needs... and he does, indeed track him down. Unfortunately someone murdered him before Garrity could introduce him to his birth murder.

Immediately, Garrity becomes the primary suspect as he was found standing over the body. And the young man's mother seems to have disappeared ... what Garrity finds is that he has been the patsy of a complex scheme.

Someone wants something ... and he/she/they are willing to kill to get it. What is it? And then throw a Category 3 Hurricane in the midst and things really start perking.

There's so much to be said for this book. I was blown away by the first book and was keeping fingers crossed that this one would be as entertaining ... I was not disappointed. With two ex-wives, a teenage daughter, and a new baby on the way via one of his ex-wives and it's as much fun to follow his personal life as it is to watch his crime solving abilities .. always with a sense of humor.

I highly recommend both books ,, I think they are phenomenal.

*Books are part of my personal library*

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not care for this book, the plot, the writing style, etc. Sorry.

Kindle Unlimited

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft start

The sad, warm, fuzzy beginning, filled with interesting people abruptly becomes a break-neck thriller that puts a former Florida police detective rin the sights of not only the cops, but also a pair of murderous scam artists. Garrity may have survived brain cancer but it’s dubious that he survive a manhunt or a hurricane.

[Brenda Harter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real

I enjoyed this book very much. The story itself seemed very likely and the characters were realistic, whether good guys or bad ones. The ending was reasonable and true to the feel of the book. I will look for other books by this author.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Garrity is a retired police detective who recently underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. Now that his cancer is in remission, he needs to go back to work and takes a job as a private detective. He quickly takes on two cases, investigating the suicide of one of his daughter's high school friends and trying to find a man who was given up for adoption when he was a baby. What starts out as simple detective work quickly escalates into violence, corruption and murder.

This book was in our beach condo and it was a pleasant surprise. I'm a sucker for a good thriller and this book delivered on many levels. I really enjoyed Mike's boss Jimmy and liked how their relationship developed throughout the novel. The pace of the book was good and I could easily see it made into a tv movie. My only complaint was that one of the twists was every evident from the beginning. Otherwise, fun book. A good summer read.

Grade: 3.5/5

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that there's a sequel at all to Head Games is kind of a spoiler, so I think I can safely talk about that. Mike's survived his separation from "Bob" and now he's onto two new cases. I won't spoil anything further other than I hope Jimmy sticks around as he's a great addition to the series (two books can be a series, I presume). Also, I hope that a situation that occurs in Head Games doesn't repeat itself in any future installments. If it happens a third time...well, that's just lazy writing (but I won't say what as it is a spoiler).

[Sheldon Lehman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like most people who write for TV, the book reads like a episode, or maybe a two-hour movie special. About the only person who could break that mold was Cannell. It's an okay story, good for a sequel, and if you want a quick, light read this book will meet that need. But I won't hold my breath waiting for another one.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow up to Head Games. Good plot and good characters. Hope there will be more to come with this series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy follow up to a worthy detective novel, if there is a third one I'll definitely read it.

[Jeffrey Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twist and turns. Love it.

[Pam]

purchase from MOTB 08/21/08