Eb Maclean is an ex-Army helicopter pilot who is trying to adjust to civilian life back home in Detroit after being wounded in Iraq.  Times are tough in the Motor city, and he can't hold a job, so now he spends most of his time at his friend's restaurant, eating free food and feeling sorry for himself.  But the food comes with a hidden price, so when his friend Patty asks him to "look into" the disappearance of Susie Margolian, the daughter of an old family friend, Eb has a hard time saying no... 

Susie is beautiful, but she's also arrogant and wild, and she's wanted for questioning in the murder of her boyfriend.  Eb finds her almost right away, but she shows her gratitude by trying to kill him - and she almost succeeds before recognizing him.  Susie claims she's innocent, and she accuses Patty of framing her to cover up Patty's involvement in a gun-running scheme involving a terrorist group with ties to Hezbollah.  Eb laughs at her - but when a commuter plane is shot down with a stolen hand-held missile, Eb realizes that Susie wasn't kidding - and there are still seven missiles out there, waiting to be used...

Now Patty has some explaining to do, both to Eb and to the police, but she's disappeared, and her shot-up SUV with a body inside tells Eb that somebody wants Patty dead, and they will kill anyone who tries to stop them, including Patty's sister and daughter - and Eb, if he gets in the way...

And Patty might be a saint, a sinner, or something in between, and Eb's past and Patty's present begin to meld together into a rich stew of murder, treason, and personal betrayal.  It's all coming out in...

A Fortress of Lies...

coming June 2008

The Characters:

Eb Maclean - After serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, Eb comes home wounded and used up - and looking for direction while he tries to erase his demons.  He's leaning on his friend Patty McClanahan while he gets it together, but Patty is manipulative - and she might be using him to get to Susie Margolian.

Susie Margolian - Susie has it all; money, looks, and attitude, but she might be a killer.  She has a mean streak, and she has it in for Patty.  Susie and Eb have a history together - but what really happened between them?

Joe Sandowski - He's a Dearborn cop - and he's tough and resourceful.  He's also Patty's boyfriend - when he isn't trying to arrest her.  Joe and Eb are friends, but Joe isn't happy when Eb starts nosing around looking for SusieMargolian.

Patty McClanahan - She worked for the FBI as a language analyst, and now she's in the restaurant business after leaving the FBI under curious circumstances.  She's half Irish, and half Lebanese, and she has enough attitude for two people.  She knows all the important people in town. She also knows their secrets - and that knowledge may put a target on her chest if she isn't careful! 

Irvan Margolian - He's Susie's father, an Armenian Jew with very conservative views.  He doesn't like Arabs, so why is he hiring an Arabic lawyer to represent his daughter?

Joanna Amman - When Susie's father needs a lawyer, he chooses Joanna, a pro-Arab rights attorney working out of East Dearborn.  She's on the FBI watch list because of her possible terrorist connections, and Patty is much too close to Joanna for Eb's comfort.

Lizzie McClanahan - She works in the restaurant with her mother, and she's pretty, uninhibited, and a bit of a flirt.  But she also has a dark side, and Eb has trouble resisting her - even when it gets him in trouble with her mother.   She's dating Patrick, and he's "dreamy", but it doesn't stop her from making eyes at Eb.

Maggie McClanahan - She and Eb were best friends growing up, but now there is something coming between them, because Eb can't get her to tell the truth about her sister.  Maggie's the smartest person in the room, but she might be using her intellect to lead Eb into trouble. 

Sarah Carpenter - She's interested in Eb, but she's also his shrink.  She's infuriating, intelligent, and a straight-up hottie.  Sarah might be more messed up than Eb is - but she's persistent, and she has Eb in her sights - whether he likes it, or not.