Title:
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
Author:
Norm Harris
Genre:
Legal Thriller, Military Thriller, Spy Thriller
Book Blurb:
Navy SEALs with the help of a former president’s daughter hijack the Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva to stop a North Korean missile crisis.
Navy JAG lawyer Faydra ‘Spider’ Green is the daughter of former President William Green. His power and influence plague her every move and she contemplates if her achievements are from her own merits or his. Faydra is both nervous and eager as she undertakes her first homicide investigation —the brutal murder of a Navy SEAL. Faydra discovers the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent thanks to her astonishing deductive capabilities. The Navy is using her as a pawn in an intricate cover-up. Will Faydra play along or leak the cover-up?
Seasoned Navy Sea Captain Egan Fletcher struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son alone after his wife died eight years ago. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra, the two embark on an adrenaline-laced adventure. The top-secret mission will propel them halfway around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of biological warfare. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Puget Sound and the mystique of Asia, Faydra is a paradox: one minute she is pure as the driven snow and the next minute she thrusts herself into harm’s way, ignorant of the consequences. Determined to complete her mission at any cost, she defies logic and throws herself into dangerous situations. Will she succeed where everyone else has failed?
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree is book one in the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed characters, suspense, twists, and high-octane action, you’ll want to start reading this fast-paced adventure today.
"Fay is a kick-butt adrenaline-rushing heroine who knows how to hold her own. Norm Harris is a brilliant author who knows how to write thrillers," N. N. Light, Amazon Vine™ Voice reviewer
Excerpt:
“The killer? But consider this,” Fay said. “Paul was a valuable piece of Navy property. A million-dollar investment. when you stop to consider all of the training those SEALs go through.”
“I see what ya mean, ma’am. It would be expensive to replace him. To kill him would be costly.”
“There would have to be a very compelling reason for someone to want to execute him,” Fay said. “An argument between Paul and Simon is not a compelling reason, given the circumstances. Otherwise, Simon would be in big trouble with whomever he reports to. And yet he doesn’t seem to be.”
“Yet, Sergeant Linn has a Get Out of Jail Free card,” Pearce said.
“Yes. The Navy knows why and how Paul died.”
“Sanctioned?”
“More than likely.”
“But why, ma’am, was Paul killed in such a demonstrative way? I mean, you’d think someone would just tag him and bag him and throw him in the trunk of a car. Takes him to a wreckin’ yard and then turns him and the car into scrap metal. Kind of like they did to Jimmy Hoffa.”
Fay wondered where Pearce came up with some of her facts. She felt tempted to ask but decided it would be better to just let it go for the time being. “I wondered about that too,” she continued. “Unless someone wanted to draw a certain amount of attention to his death. To set an example for others to see.”
“Like leavin’ a trail?”
“Accountants call it an audit trail. Paul was a man who lived his life in the shadows, a ‘shadow warrior,’ Towsley called him. But the way he died placed him center stage and in the spotlight.”
“I see what ya mean.”
“I do know my meeting with Andrew Lawrence the other night at the Pollywog was not an accident,” Fay said. “And I would have never interviewed Wu and De Vinsone unless someone allowed it to happen.”
“Admiral May?”
Fay nodded. “I did some checking on Admiral Brandon May, by the way.”
“And?”
“Nada. There are several Admirals named May. When I tried to access their records, all were classified. And no one was named Brandon May.”
“No surprise.” Pearce pondered for a moment and then said, “Interestin’.”
“Even more interesting, I did locate a V. B. May. A flag assigned to the Pentagon. His present assignment is classified, but his biography says he was, at one time, a Terminator.”
“NCIS!?” Pearce’s eyes widened in surprise. “You gotta be kiddin’!”
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree is a true to life and technically accurate military thriller. Of interest is two of the actual ships portrayed in the story have since been destroyed. The Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva, on April 14, 2022, was sunk by Ukrainian forces using intel shared by the U.S. Further, on July 12, 2020, the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, was destroyed by an arson fire and had to be scrapped. Three of the characters are based on real people.
Giveaway –
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Author Biography:
Norm Harris' first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he's back with a plan to publish the Spider Green Mystery Thriller Series from the first mystery/thriller of days gone by.
Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that's what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. Norm's stories spring from his memories of people who he has met and the places he has visited as he traveled the world. Diversity, inclusion, and equality are foremost in each story.
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