Los Angeles-area author Gary Fields has published his first novel, "The Book of Judges," a contemporary thriller that weaves a modern murder mystery together with eight stories of historical fiction.
Released by SparkPress, the book follows young lawyer Joshua Sutton, doctoral candidate Samantha Bollinger and tech expert Mark Roth after a beloved judge is murdered and his virus-infected laptop is found to hold an ancient secret. The trio is thrust into a three-day quest for answers that spans millennia.
As Roth pulls clues from the computer, Sutton and Bollinger are chased around Florida by the killer and others who want the laptop. The two realize they have both been haunted by dreams of historical judges seeking justice in life-and-death cases — in Mongol-ruled China, Imperial Rome, Byzantium, post-Renaissance Venice, Henry VIII's England and Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom — that come to define human rights. The story builds to a race to New York City to stop the murder of another judge who could save humanity.
The novel has drawn comparisons to the work of Dan Brown. Library Journal said the debut will satisfy fans of Brown-style historical conspiracy thrillers, while Kirkus Reviews called it a twisty thriller with an unusual plot. Sheldon Siegel, the New York Times bestselling author of "Special Circumstances," described it as a masterful blend of modern-day thriller and historical fiction.
Fields earned a law degree from the University of Miami and a degree in mathematics and computer science from SUNY Albany. He has designed computer systems for Fortune 500 companies and built a law practice specializing in community associations. He has also written hundreds of songs, performed as a solo acoustic artist, led civic activism in his community and coached youth sports for 18 years. He and his wife, Debbie, live in the Los Angeles area.
"The Book of Judges" is available in paperback for $17.99 (ISBN-13: 978-1684633487). Fields is currently working on a sequel.
Edited by SMDP Staff