Peeling the onion—Cash McCahill returns in new thriller

Author Paul Coggins

By Max Bowen

From nationally-recognized criminal defense attorney, Paul Coggins recently made the switch to writer with his debut thriller, “Sting Like a Butterfly,” and introducing the world to Cash McCahill, a criminal lawyer who finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

In his new book, “Chasing the Chameleon” (March 6, Savio Republic), A drug cartel gives Dallas defense lawyer Cash McCahill an ultimatum: betray his client or face death. He refuses to turn on his client, prompting the cartel to put out a hit on him. Instead of going on the run, he hides in plain sight by surgically altering his face and stealing the identity of a dead cop 20 years his senior.

Only two people know his secret: the surgeon who gave him a new face, and Tina Campos, a trusted paralegal in Cash’s law firm and a trans woman who helps others find safe, affirming care.

In this Five by Five, Paul talks about McCahill’s growth from the first book to the third, how his career influenced his writing and the messages for readers in the new book.

How has the protagonist changed from the first novel to now?
Between the first novel and the present, Cash McCahill (my protagonist) has done time for a crime he didn’t commit, lost and regained his law license, and gone underground to escape death at the hands of a drug cartel. His legal skills were always sharp, but his survival skills are sharper than ever.

How do you plan your books, given that it is a series?
The series is like the peeling of an onion. At the end of book one, a conspiracy is exposed to reveal a deeper and more dangerous conspiracy, which will be peeled back in book two. The end of each book should expose one conspiracy and tease the next one.

How does your experience with the justice system help you as a writer?
Cops and agents are the biggest gossips and yarn spinners on the planet. As a young prosecutor, I went out of my way to retain their tales, which were a mix of fact and fiction. Since it is nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction, I chose the course of least resistance and became a novelist.

How did you make the switch from prosecutor/defense attorney to writer?
Law and writing are complementary skills. A law professor once told me that 99% of success as a lawyer was picking the right word at the right time, which is 100% of being a good writer.

What are the lessons and messages in the new book?
Cash’s small law firm is the David that takes on a different Goliath in every book, and occasionally he squares off against more than one giant adversary. Diversity and inclusion are the keys to the success of Cash and the firm, which features his over-the-hill mentor, a Dreamer in constant fear of deportation, and a trans woman as the lone associate.

Five by Five—Take a ‘Chance’ with this legal thriller

Richard Danzig

By Max Bowen

Meet Chance Cormac, a litigator, boxer and lapsed Catholic who confronts hard facts about the law and himself. There’s a lot to learn about Chance and the cases he takes on over the three book series by Richard Danzig, with a fourth to be released next year.

In the newest book in the series, “The Collectors,” Chance is retained by a client who believes that he has been the victim of fraud when he purchased a valuable abstract painting that may be a forgery. Chance soon learns that both the painting and his client, might not be what they seem.

In this interview, Richard talks about the character and the cases he takes on, as well as some big news regarding the series. 

Pre-order the book here: https://tinyurl.com/5zs6upu9  

For those new to the Chance Cormac series, what is this all about?
There are three Chance Cormac legal thriller books; “Facts Are Stubborn Things,” “Punch Line” and “The Collectors.” Chance is a trial attorney who practices out of a brownstone, where he lives, in Brooklyn, New York.

Who is Chance Cormac and how did you create the character?
Chance is a former boxer, lapsed Catholic and zealous advocate for his clients. He represents the best lawyers I have met.

What inspired this newest part of the series?
“The Collectors” is based upon cases involving art fraud in the sale of fine art. It also involves the black market sale of human organs. Recently there have been articles about the removal of transplant organs before a patient has died.

I read that there is a potential TV adaptation. What can you tell us about this?
There is a pilot script for a TV show based upon the Chance Cormac books titled “Brooklyn Law.” It is presently being considered by various producers.

Will there be more books in this series?
Yes. The fourth book in the series, “Against All Odds,” will be published in 2026.

“Hard Style Juice” tells a murder mystery through a wrestling lens

I’ve been a fan of both professional wrestling and comics for many years, so getting to talk about both for this interview was just perfect.

Writer Clay McCormack, artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and I dive into “Hard Style Juice,” a new series that you can only see on Comixology Originals. Here’s a look at the story for those new to it:

Wrestling is big business in arenas across the country, and for the Castros, it’s the family business. "King" Castro is the patriarch of the family, he’s also the manager, booker, promotor, MC, and owner of the local independent wrestling promotion KCPW, King Castro Pro Wrestling.

His daughter, Ramonita "Mona" Castro, has dreams of going to business school, but also has a penchant for wrestling. And his son, Rey Castro, is the star. A real showman, Rey is known as the "King of the Death Match," and he's on the verge of getting a contract to go pro.

Pro wrestling built the Castro family, and now it’s about to tear it apart. A shocking in-ring death sends the family spiraling out of control, and down the path of revenge as one big question rears its head: was it an accident? Or was it murder?

We talk about the series origins, and how Clay and Ricardo’s interest in wrestling played a role in shaping it. Clay talks about working with murder mysteries and how he paces the story, while Ricardo shares how he captured the feel of the wrestling world and his favorite parts to draw.

The series is now three issues in, with the fourth to be dropped on July 16, and we go into where the story is now and a few hints as to what we can expect in future issues.

Dennis Hopeless shares his past in new comic series

Dennis Hopeless is known for titles such as X-Force, Darth Vader, Suicide Squad and Invader Zim. Now, he shares a true-life story in the Comixology-exclusive title “She’s Running on Fumes.”

Set in Deepwater, Missouri circa 1984, a criminal named Jody is severely injured in a car wreck and his wife discovers he was a drug trafficker and begins her own criminal career in a desperate bid to keep her family afloat. The twist is that this tale of crime and survival is inspired by Hopeless' own parents.

In this episode, Dennis talks about what led him to bring his family’s story to this new series and how his mother helped him to collect all the details. We talk about his past work, which includes titles like X-Force, Spider-Woman and Suicide Squad and how at times his own backstory inspires what he’s written.

Dennis goes into the fiction portion of “She’s Running on Fumes” and how he views this portion of his life, which he witnessed at a very young age. He talks about how he views his father as a person, all these years later.

Mystery boxes and twist endings with “Jill and the Killers”

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Oh, what’s that? It’s a real crime? And we need to solve it? And we could be killed? Yeah, that’ll be fine.

In the Oni Press four-part series, “Jill and the Killers,” teenager Jill Estrada is dealing with the unsolved disappearance of her mother, a police detective, and trying to get back to a normal life. . . . even as her friends become obsessed with Box Killers, a true-crime subscription game where each month’s “unsolved case” is custom-tailored to the life of its player. There’s only one catch: Jill’s game seems to be all too real—and when her clues begin to connect the dots to a very real series of disappearances in her hometown, Jill and her friends must conquer their fears and own personal struggles to solve the case.

Series writer Olivia Cuartero-Briggs joins us to talk about its origins, as well as why she chose to use a subscription box as the vehicle for the story. Olivia worked with artist Roberta Ingranata on “Jill and the Killers” and we talk about how the two met and the collaboration process. Olivia’s worked on murder mysteries before and goes into how the past experience informed this new project.

We’ve gotten the chance to read the final issue (out on April 17), and while we won’t be giving out any spoilers, Olivia does share how she devised the end of the series and hints at a possible continuation.

Maggie Giles takes us on a “twisted” murder case

It all starts out with a simple jewelry heist…until things take a most unexpected turn!

When cracked open, the case morphs into a full-fledged murder investigation with an unknown drug that seemingly connects a string of deaths. Quite a story, eh? Well, buckle up, because in this episode, Curtis and I talk shop with author Maggie Giles for her new book, “Twisted.” Along with being a great crime thriller, the story explores the different sides of crime and mental health and asks the question: How much are we responsible for when we aren’t fully in our right mind?

Maggie shares the origin of this story and all the different changes she made from first draft to finished product. This includes cutting down the narration from multiple points of view to just a few. She shares the lengthy research she had to do and how her time with Women’s Fiction Writers Association—including being in charge of social media—benefitted her during the story crafting process and in promoting her works.

Maggie takes us into the minds of her characters, which run the gamut of personality types. She talks about who made the final cut and which names got left behind (and may come back in a future book?).

Christopher Sebela shares character designs and worldbuilding for “.Self” comic

BONUS TRACK-Sal Abbinanti releases his cult classic Atomika: God is Red” in omnibus format

It's a dual-comic episode! First up is four-time Eisner-nominated writer, designer, and publisher Christopher Sebela to talk about his newest series, “.Self,” which you can only find on comiXology Originals.

In .Self, Natalie Winters seems to have a perfect life. But when her Postscript account is hacked, Natalie’s backup files are torrented online and people begin making bootleg copies of her. We talk about Natalie's role, the perception of a perfect life and why she's so determined to get it back. Chris also talks about the character-building process and the different personalities he's created in the many titles he's worked on.

Chris also has a Kickstarter for a new title, “Foulbrood” which has him working once again with artist Claire Roe and we talk about the real-life news story that served as inspiration for a series that explores bees, crime and the intersection of bees and crime.

 After that, I welcome back Artist Sal Abbinanti to talk about the upcoming release of the omnibus edition of his classic title “Atomika: God is Red.” He also has a Kickstarter going that runs until Dec. 2. It's already well past its $25,000 goal and we talk about that and the vast list of artists that are contributing to this new edition.

Sal dives into the history of the title and all the challenges he faced when trying to get it published. We talk about the story and the research that went into building it.

Author David Rohlfing returns with the prequel in his Sasha Frank detective series

It was seven months ago that writer David Rohlfing made his Citywide Blackout debut for his first book, “Deliberate Duplicity.” And now he's back with a prequel story, “Cold Consequences,” which sees Det. Sasha Frank five years younger and on the trail of a murderer following a drug deal gone wrong.

David and I talk about the quick turnaround from the first book to the second and how he learned from his debut novel. David takes us through the book (not everything though, you gotta get your copy to see how it ends!) and how different a person Sasha Frank is five years ago.

We also look at the return of in-person events and if David has any planned at this time. He's done plenty of virtual events as well as interviews with the media and we talk about how he's adapted to the electronic format of book releases. 

Author Michael Kaufman's new book features a main character with a computer in their brain

Michael Kaufman returns to fiction with his new book, “The Last Exit.” Set in Washington, D.C. in 2033, climate change has hit hard, fires are burning, unemployment is high, and controversial longevity treatments are only available to the ultra-rich. Michael talks about the different elements he weaves together in this novel and how he balances them out.

We also look at how he's promoting the book at a time when book festivals aren't happening. Michael talks about the different ways he's interacting with the fans and what they've had to say about the book.

Michael also talks about the main characters, Jen Lu, and Chandler, a computer in her brain that assists her with police work. We look at the balance between the two and how they work as a team.

Black Ghost co-writer talks about building a hero's world

Alex Segura and I dive into the world of “The Black Ghost” comic which he wrote with Monica Gallagher. We talk about the Lara Dominguez and her path from crime journalist to hero in a city rife with corruption. The world of “The Black Ghost” is one that took some time to make, and Alex goes into the world building process that he and Monica took on, as well as the many characters in it.

“The Black Ghost” is available exclusively on ComiXology. The service is $5.99 a month and gives access to over 25,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more, along with exclusive discounts.

A new take on artificial intelligence

Author Pat McKee takes on how one incorporates morality into artificial intelligence in his new book, “Ariel's Island.” In this book, Paul McDaniel is framed for the murder of a judge. He enlists Ariel, an artificial intelligence to help clear his name. Paul discovers that Ariel's lack of a moral code and his failure to guide her results in disaster as Ariel changes from able assistant and powerful rescuer to jealous mistress and, eventually, to murderous monster. The e-book is currently available for free through April 16, and I highly recommend you grab a copy.

Pat and I talk about how he built the foundation for this book and learned about the science behind the story, as well as going from a career in law to writing a techno-thriller.

 

Longtime defense lawyer taps into experience for courtroom series

This week's show takes a look at the career of Ed Rucker, an L.A. criminal defense lawyer who's worked in the field for decades, representing a number of high-profile clients, including John Orr, the greatest serial arsonist in American history. Some of these cases have even been adapted into nonfiction books. Following his retirement, Rucker decided to jump into the writing world with the Bobby Earl series, now in its second book, “Justice Makes a Killing.”

Rucker talks about the new book and the story behind it, but also gives us an in-depth look into the world of jury trials, the criminal justice system, and prisons, all of which made its way into his works.

And for music, I bring you “Better Off” a new single from Cara Paige. I really dug this song from the beginning, and it's got a catchy, upbeat tempo. After that it's the electro duo Mai Eve with “When You Scream.” This EDM/Rock track is similarly upbeat, but the story is a very serious one.

Mark Bergin charts an amazing story in his debut police procedural

Author Mark Bergin taps into his nearly 30 year career in law enforcement for his new book, “Apprehension,” released on July 30 through Inkshares/Quill. “Apprehension” follows the story of Detective John Kelly; his niece was murdered right before his eyes. His family says he failed her, and Kelly can’t share his secret act of vengeance. Now, fellow detectives digging in another case can end Kelly’s career and send him to jail. 

This book also seeks to bring awareness to an important—though sadly not well known—issue in law enforcement: police suicide. Mark talks about this, as well as the complex story that he weaves in his debut novel.

And following this interview, I've two great songs for you. First up is “Tonight,” from Austin singer-songwriter Christine Renner. This is her first single, released on July 12 and taken from a forthcoming EP of the same name. This is a very chill, but catchy tune. Christine has a great voice, and I think you'll dig this tune.

After that, The Cranberry Merchants bring you “Going Nowhere.” This husband and wife rock duo out of Atlanta, Georgia, are writers and producers of all of their own material, and even produce their own music videos, filming to editing. I loved this song, which has a great classic rock feel.