Dan Kirk, a reporter for the Detroit Free Press, watches as police pull the body of a young woman from the Clinton River noting the single bullet hole and no identification. It was 1945, the War was over, and now there is tragedy in Detroit’s back yard.

Kirk’s investigation takes him to tiny Flat River, Missouri where he discovers the dark past of Clifford Malin, the man accused of the murder. Malin left Missouri in 1920 and became a policeman in Detroit during a time when organized crime was rampant.

Kirk’s investigation into the life of the victim, Twyla Larson, reveals a woman who grew up in a small town and was interested in simply having a good time until her husband returned from the war. Twyla’s and Malin’s worlds collide as each attempts to protect the new lives they have made.

Based on the murder of the author’s father’s wife, Desperate Measures traces the lives of two people whose world is ripped apart in an explosion of scandal, graft, corruption and finally murder.

What the critics have said:

“A tale that grabs you from the start and holds your interest until the very last page.” -Small Press Review

“The plot of this book was outstanding...kept me reading way past bedtime.” -Jeffrey Marks, author The Ambush of My Name

“The author shows an overall skill with dialogue that makes the conversations engaging.” -Writers’ Digest

“Vivid and entertaining.” -Arizona Senior World

“Exhilarating, thought-provoking.” -The Daily Courier (Prescott, Ariz.)