LONG BEACH, Calif., February 12, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- After private detective Jack O'Brien witnesses a double murder in 1950s Chicago committed by "Mad Dog" killer Blackie Morelli, he heads for California hoping to get out of the line of fire. In the novel O'Brien's Dilemma by John Ralson McDermott (now available through 1stBooks Library), keeping one step ahead of "Blackie's Boys" is O'Brien's main focus in life.
But his thoroughbred horse trainer uncle, Lou Damon, hires him to investigate Frankie Cosgrove, an allegedly reformed Chicago mobster, pretending to be a legitimate businessman. In order to work legally in California, O'Brien joins a detective agency in Los Angeles headed by his former Marine commanding officer.
About that time Matt Capone, the mob boss Jack worked for as a teenager, arrives on the scene. The detective then reluctantly agrees to perform a service for the man he thought he escaped by enlisting in the Marines, further increasing his chances of meeting a tragic end.
Solving the problem requires all the character, determination and courage he can gather, along with the assistance of some combat buddies. On the way he manages to fall in love, rub elbows with some of Hollywood's shiniest stars and help Uncle Lou and friends prepare for some of the biggest horse races of their lives, including the Kentucky Derby. O'Brien's Dilemma is a tale of suspense that will have the reader not only rooting for the detective, but for his equine friends as well.
McDermott is a Marine veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam as well as other trouble spots throughout the world. A commercial pilot with multiple ratings, he has been an air traffic reporter and flown island commuter flights in Hawaii. His comprehensive career includes stints as a federal police officer and private investigator. He has written one previous book, Runner 999 (published in 2002 by 1stBooks Library).
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