Callie, an Austin reporter, is the daughter of Buddy McFee, a power broker secretly dealing with dementia. Lacking any close friends, Callie confides her family drama to Barney, a harmless, homeless man she talks to every day. When Barney is murdered, Callie suspects that others like her have also shared their stories with Barney and that one of their dangerous secrets may be the motive. Callie’s brother, a homicide cop, investigates, but things grow complicated when Callie discovers Barney’s true identity. The low-profile death of a “homeless” man now gets national attention, leading everyone to wonder if it was some overheard secret that led to his murder or something from the man’s own checkered past. Days later, one of Barney’s other “bench buddies” is killed, and Callie can’t help suspect that there are more secrets lurking in the life of this friendly man on the bench, secrets that could lead to her own murder.
Author
HY CONRAD has made a career out of murder, earning the 2022 Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (“The Fixer’s Daughter”) and 2022 NYC Big Book Awards for Best Mystery Series (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” “Sins of the Family”), a Scribe Award for Best Novel (“Mr. Monk Helps Himself”) and garnering three Edgar nominations from the Mystery Writers of America (for the “Monk” TV series). Along the way, he developed a horde of popular games and interactive films, hundreds of short stories and a dozen books of solvable mysteries, published in over 15 languages. Hy is best known for his eight seasons as writer/co-executive producer for the ground-breaking TV series, “Monk.” Other shows include “White Collar” and “The Good Cop.” As a novelist, Hy authored the final four books in the Monk series, the Amy Travel Mysteries (“Toured to Death,” “Dearly Departed” and “Death on the Patagonian Express”) and the Callie McFee Mysteries (“The Fixer’s Daughter,” a Barnes & Noble bestseller and “Sins of the Family”). In the world of theatre, his produced works consist of “Home Exchange” (a mystery), “Ta-Dah!” (a musical), and “Quarantine for Two” (a socially distanced dark comedy about the pandemic). When he looks up from his keyboard, Hy sees either the hills of Vermont or the palm trees of Key West, depending on the time of year. He also sees Jeff Johnson, his partner of 43 years, now his husband, plus Nelson and Stella, the latest in a dynasty of mini-schnauzers. www.hyconrad.com Facebook: hyconrad Instagram: hyconrad1
