Ken
Malovos has been practicing law in Sacramento
for more than forty years. He spent twelve years with the Public Defender’s
Office and twenty-five years as a business litigator. He now serves full-time
as a mediator and arbitrator.
Fatal
Reunion is his second novel. His first novel,
Contempt of Court,
won first prize in the legal genre of the Mystery & Mayhem Book Writing
Competition sponsored by Chanticleer Book Reviews. He and his wife, Michele,
live in Sacramento.
For More Information
About the Book:
Jason Robinson
attends his 20th high school reunion where he connects with his old girlfriend.
The next day she is dead and he is charged with her murder. He asks attorney
Mike Zorich to represent him. Mike feels that the case against Jason is weak,
even though Jason has given inconsistent statements and some emails emerge that
give him a motive to commit murder.
Meanwhile, Mike is
trying to cope with his own problem with alcohol. After his friends confront
him, he enters rehabilitation and then begins his own investigation into what
really happened at the reunion, exposing dirty secrets that leave families and
lives ruined with their disclosure.
For More
Information
- Fatal Reunion
is available at Amazon.
- Discuss this book at PUYB
Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Thanks for this interview, Ken. Can we begin by having you tell us about
yourself from a writer’s standpoint?
I am a
lawyer and have been practicing law for forty plus years. Some time ago, I
stopped seeing clients and now serve as a mediator and arbitrator, attempting
to resolve cases before they go to court. This is only part-time, as my real
love is writing. One day I decided to finally write the novel I imagined and
that led to a lot of reading about writing, attending writing seminars and
online courses. Anne Lamott’s book, Bird
by Bird, was one of the best, on writing. It took five years to write my
first book, Contempt of Court, which I published in 2013, and another two years
for Fatal Reunion.
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation
and/or fun?
My wife and
I are foodies, so we are always eager to try new restaurants. We also love
attending live theater, both in Sacramento
and San Francisco. The best times
are when we combine both, a good play followed by a good meal. I work out a
lot, jogging or walking or weight-lifting, as the spirit moves. I read a lot,
especially legal mysteries and thrillers, but all kinds of fiction and history.
I have the most fun with my four grandchildren, playing games and swimming and
going on hikes.
Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very
first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?
The phone rang at the
suburban home of attorney Mike Zorich around one thirty
on a Sunday afternoon
in October. Mike put down the crossword
puzzle and hit the
mute button on his remote. He could still watch the San
Francisco 49er
football game as the players ran around silently on the screen.
He wondered who would
be calling him at this hour.
“Mr. Zorich, how are
you? This is Detective Tom Kirkland, Sacramento
P.D.”
“Detective Kirkland, it’s been some time since we spoke.”
“I understand you
spent last night talking to the reunion party at the
Sheraton.”
“I did, but how would
you know that?”
“I have one of the
alums here at the station and he told me all about it. In
fact, he would like to
talk to you. His name is Jason Robinson. We have him
on an open homicide
investigation. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Put him
on.”
There was a pause and
a couple of clicks on the other end of the line.
“Mr. Zorich, I need
some help. Can you help me? My name is Jason
Robinson. I was at the
reunion dinner last night. They have me down here
and they say that I am
a suspect in a murder. But I didn’t do it. Can you come
down here and get me
out of here? I don’t have a lot of money but I will pay
you. I promise. I
heard you speak last night at our reunion dinner. You have
to help me.”
Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to
getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? Can you tell us about your journey?
I think my
journey is something in between the two. It is hard work, no question. Very
hard work. At the same time, it is fun, especially on those days when I start
at ten and, all of a sudden, it is four or five. I cannot believe how time
flies. But those days are not often. For most days, it is hard work, trying to
figure out where to go next. The publishing part has been relatively smooth
with CreateSpace.
The whole
process of writing has been so exciting. It’s like learning about a new world
that exists inside the current world. I love everything about it. I especially
love reading about the way famous writers have hones their craft and the
suggestions they have for other writers.
If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what
would that be?
A married
woman has been murdered and a lawyer is asked to represent her old boyfriend in
the trial, where the evidence is weak and the boyfriend is sure to go free.
What makes your book stand out from the rest?
I don’t
think I am that presumptuous to think my book does stand out from the rest. I
do like to explore the motivations for people who end up doing very strange
things, completely out of character. For example, women are not normally
thought of as murderers. Or, you wouldn’t think that people who have a lot to
lose would do stupid things and risk it all. But this kind of stuff happens. In
my first book, Contempt of Court, I
focus on a female judge and what could motivate her to do strange things.
If your book was put in the holiday section of the store,
what holiday would that be and why?
Great
question. Halloween, probably. That’s a good time to buy a mystery and to curl
up on a sofa late at night. Halloween is eerie and the nights at that time of
year are dark and long. I would hope that my book would be a good source of
enjoyment for someone on a long, wintry night.
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has
that already been done?
Yes, this
book is the second of a series, featuring trial lawyer, Mike Zorich. It has
been fun to follow his adventures, most of which are based on events that I
have experienced or have heard about from others. What motivates anyone who has
experienced a very personal loss? How does a trial lawyer deal with failure? How
does someone deal with alcohol?
What’s next for you?
Next is the
third book in the series, featuring the same protagonist, as he tries to figure
out yet another mystery in his life. I am working out some of his issues now.
