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Michael I. Leahey is the director of the Office of Clinical Trials at Columbia University/New York–l;Presbyterian Hospital, where he facilitates research involving new drugs and devices. He lives with his wife and two children in Westchester. He is the author of Broken Machines and The Pale Green Horse. His website is http://www.michaelleahey.com.
• 2001 Debut Author Update: Where Are They Now?
The Pale Green Horse
J.J. Donovan is sitting on the beach, his back against a palm tree, watching the sun rise over the Carribean sea. He wears the self-satisfied expression of a man who spent half the night reveling with his ex-wife. Donovan and his ex, Kate Byrne, have been enjoying a romantic vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As he sips hot tea and watches the colorful spinnakers on sail boats dancing out beyond the barrier reef, he has no way of knowing that his close friend and partner, the inimitable Dr. Boris Koulomzin has been seriously injured. Before the sun sets again in paradise, Donovan and Kate will be on a plane headed home. Back in New York City, they find Dr. Koulomzin a changed man. He is bruised and bandaged, with several hundred crusty stitches crossing his face and jaw line. The Professor is also scared. The mistaken delivery of a plain brown envelop to his seats at Yankee Stadium, has managed to change his life forever. A demented man named Johnny St. John is desperate for the return of that envelop. And St. John, who believes he is the right hand of God, is prepared to mete out his own deadly form of justice. The envelope Mr. St. John desires contains photographs and confidential information about three innocent looking people --- a young actor, a sculptress and a businessman. These three people seem to have nothing in common. Except for the fact that they are all very sick. In this fast-paced sequel to Broken Machines, Donovan finds himself racing against time to save these helpless, innocent people, while trying to expose the man behind a scheme to murder them for their viatical or death benefits. Along the way, he earns the wrath of Johnny St. John. A man with eyes so black they don't reflect light, St. John ultimately threatens to destroy everything J.J. Donovan holds dear.
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Michael I. Leahey's Summer Reading List
Sin Killer
by Larry McMurtry
This is the first novel in the Berrybender series. The author plans four novels about a self-centered, drunken British Lord and his eccentric family traveling by river boat through the wilds of America betweeen 1830-32. Although the pseudo-intellectuals who dominate main stream American literature tend to look down on him, I believe that Larry McMurtry is a national treasure. There is poetry in his prose and a great story-teller behind his narrative. I highly recommend that you begin the voyage down river with the Berrybenders.
Theodore Rex
by Edmund Morris
If you are a fan of Theodore Roosevelt and/or an avid reader of well written biography, this book is for you. Beginning with Teddy's rise to the Presidency, following the assassination of McKinnley in 1901, this second volume in a planned three volume biography of the Roosevelt, captures the man and the time. And we are talking about a man who was larger than life. Prolific writer and winner of the Noble Peace, TR is credited with establishing the national parks system, the Panama Canal, bringing the Philippines under American control and taking on the Trusts and Monopolies that existed at the turn of the century. This tale is well worth the price of admission.
The Rise and Fall of Theodore Roosevelt
by Edmund Morris
This masterpiece is the first volume in the series described above. I realize two biographies of Roosevelt on the same list is asking a lot, but summer is the one time of year people can really sit back and take on such a project. Besides, this Pulitzer Prize winning book is a great. And, it's now in paperback. So, go for it!
Silent Joe
by T. Jefferson Parker
Winner of the latest Edgar Award from the Mystery Writer's of America, this is a complex story of political intrigue set in Orange County. Joe Trona, is a deeply complex figure whose disfigurement as a child has permanently set him a part, while also giving him enormous strength of character and a heightened sense of awareness. People are at once repulsed and frightened by this powerful silent man, who listens and observes. It is intriguing to watch Trona sort through moral puzzles as conflicting choices laid before him. In the end, we follow Joe as he choses the path that defines him own salvation.
Violets Are Blue
by James Patterson
Alex Cross, the piano playing cop with a PhD in psychology and a grandmother full of homespun wisdom is back. This is hard-boiled fiction designed to make the reader sleep with a night light. It can be graphic and exploits the modern reader's thirst for "in your face" action. But Alex Cross is a complex, thoughtful character who makes us care about these stories. If you're going to the beach and don't want to fall asleep, he's a character who will keep you turning pages.
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