TAMPA, Fla. - s4story -- Down & Out Books is pleased to announce that DECEPTION SPECIALIST, the first Jack O'Shea thriller by John Shepphird, has been published on April 15, 2024 in trade paperback and ebook formats.

About DECEPTION SPECIALIST …

Reformed-swindler-turned-private-eye Jack O'Shea was first introduced in a series of short stories published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. The debut won the Shamus Award. The second in the series was a finalist for the Anthony Award.

Seeking redemption from his criminal past, Jack investigates a murder at a shadowy Northern California mountain college—a "visa mill" with ties to Silicon Valley. As he uncovers the truth, Jack's life of crime catches up with him. Nothing is as it appears.

Critical Acclaim for DECEPTION SPECIALIST …

"Won't get fooled again, not with Jack O'Shea on the case. Master con man turned PI, O'Shea isn't exactly on the side of the angels, but he's our kind of rogue." —Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City

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"A good, old-fashioned mystery thriller powered by a completely original and compelling protagonist, John Shepphird's Deception Specialist speeds along at a breakneck pace while also tugging at your emotions. I read it in one sitting." —David Housewright, Edgar Award-winning author of In A Hard Wind

"Jack O'Shea used to con people, but now he investigates on their behalf. It takes one to know one and he never misses a trick. He's got a scar on his face and one on his soul. Anytime he finds himself in over his head, he fights to rise. Deception Specialist is two stories in one and both will catch you holding your breath." —Jeffery Hess, author of Pascagoula Run, the Beachhead trilogy, No Salvation, and Scar Tissue

Meet the author …

JOHN SHEPPHIRD is a Shamus Award-winning author, two-time Anthony Award-finalist and writer/director of television films. His award-winning short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Coast to Coast Noir: From Sea to Shining Sea and Down & Out: The Magazine. As director titles include Jersey Shore Shark Attack, Chupacabra Terror, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde.

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In its thirteenth year as an independent publisher of award-winning literary and crime fiction, Down & Out Books (https://downandoutbooks.com) is based in Tampa, Florida. For more information about the book, to request a review copy of the book, or to inquire about an interview with the author, contact info@downandoutbooks.com.