The Program Effect: A Will Johnston Mystery - Connie Kirchberg And Lesley Kellas Payne

Will Johnston hails from a family of law enforcement. His father, William, was a beat cop in Queens. Will’s parents were killed in a mysterious fire when Will was five. Will was raised by his Uncle Roy, a U.S. Marshal. Will is determined to do his father’s memory proud by carrying on the family tradition.

Roy has his own ideas regarding family and tradition. Convinced the wheels of justice don’t always turn in the right direction, he has banded together with longtime friend, Helmut Richter, to form a rogue group within the Marshals known as the “The Program.” The Program pressures former criminals (located via databases of the Marshals and other federal agencies) into laundering money and moving weapons and drugs for profit, a profit that is supposedly used to fund secret U.S. interests abroad.

Roy wants to bring Will into The Program, but Helmut fears Will is too ethical to make such a partnership work. When Roy begins to insist, Helmut has important choices to make.

The story takes Will to the rugged mountains of Western Montana, where he becomes entwined in a bizarre episode with ranch owner, Tony Calino, and his daughter, Laura. Can suspects become allies? When Will uncovers evidence that suggests both he and Tony were set up, with the hoped-for end supposed to have resulted in their deaths, he becomes sympathetic to the Calinos, who have had more than their share of tragic family deaths.

Can Will uncover the depths of The Program before it’s too late? Is Laura really an estranged but loving daughter intent on earning her father’s respect, or a surprise trigger that springs the trap around Will’s neck? How deep is Uncle Roy’s commitment to The Program? Is Will prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve his integrity? Find the answers to these questions and hundreds more as you travel through this multi-layered conspiracy thriller laced with the classic fish-out-of-water ambiance, complex family relationships, and yes, even a hint of romance!

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