A Clean Kill [Mass Market Paperback]

Mike Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2006

Kate Baneberry died with a whimper, not a bang. One moment she was alive, an attractive woman married to a successful businessman. The next moment she was dead, and no one had the slightest suspicion until a lawyer got involved–and shook the legal system to its core....

Living on Alabama’s warm, windswept Gulf Coast, Tom McInnes attracts troubling cases and troubled clients. With the help of Dr. Kai-Li Cantil, a gorgeous psychologist with a knack for unraveling other people’s secrets, McInnes pries into Kate’s death and soon knows it was no accident. In a world of multimillion-dollar lawsuits, Kate Baneberry signed her own death warrant when she did her civic duty and served on a jury. Because someone out there has grabbed justice by the throat and won’t let go–until all the right people die....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stewart's third mystery featuring attorney Tom McInnes (after 2000's Dog Island) again combines the suspense, richly textured plot, picturesque Alabama settings, double-crossing characters and sparkling writing that set his first two books apart from the pack. Here, Sheri Baneberry hires Tom to discover the truth behind the death of her mother, who was serving on a jury when she supposedly died of food poisoning. As Tom and his two investigators dig into the Baneberry case, they immediately run into nightmarish trouble. Tom's menaced by an elusive stranger, violent ex-con Zion "Zybo" Thibbodeaux, one of the most complex, frightening characters in recent mystery fiction. Sheri's father and his business partner try to stop the investigation. Influential politicians try to buy Tom off, wrongly accuse him of murdering another lawyer and threaten him with disbarment. The bright spot is Dr. Kai-Li Cantil, an Auburn University psychology professor, whose research contributes to Tom's case and whose friendship and physical allure boost his morale. Eventually, Tom identifies Mrs. Baneberry's murderer, but can he prove the killer did it? Then the enigmatic Thibbodeaux vanishes, perhaps to reappear in another book. A cast of devious characters, most of them hiding secrets that may or may not help Tom, populate this many-layered plot in which answers just lead to more questions. Stewart throws a curveball in the surprising conclusion that will leave mystery fans eagerly awaiting the fourth in the series. Agent, Sally McMillan. (Jan. 7)attorney to write full time.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When Alabama lawyer Tom McInness (Sins of the Brother, Dog Island) looks into a woman's untimely death from food poisoning while she was on jury duty, he suddenly gains the close attention of some very unsavory types. Jeep sabotage, home intrusion, assault, and warnings not to mention the disappearance of his burly investigator and his highly competent ex-stripper assistant create daily problems. Apparently, a well-known legal firm is somehow engineering the removal of recalcitrant jurors from high-money cases. A tense, nerve-wracking narrative, nonstop action, and a tightly mortared plot keep the pages turning. A good choice.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dell (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440241340
• ISBN-13: 978-0440241348
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stewart scores another hit!!, May 3, 2002

By 

Michael in Helena, Alabama "Michael" (Helena, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Clean Kill (Hardcover)

Another great work by Mike Stewart!! I won't go into the plot, which has been summarized before. Unlike some other authors, Mike Stewart is sticking with the same basic formula that has made him successful with his previous books - the book is well written, interesting, and, full of action. Zybo is a character that you'll immediately become fascinated with.

Overall - GREAT book!! Highly recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sparkler, April 29, 2002

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Clean Kill (Hardcover)

Mike Stewart fulfills the promise shown in "Sins of the Brothers" with this beautifully crafted thriller. He grabs you on page one and doesn't let loose until a few days after you have closed the book. Even then, his puzzling client and the multi-faceted contract criminal, Zybo, will stay with you.

What begins as a suspicion of highly imaginative jury tampering expands to include Mobile's judiciary, a blue ribbon law firm, and law enforcement. None of the characters are quite centered. There is not always a clear line between the good guys and the bad. We get answers that open new questions and drive this highly charged story from climax to climax.

Tom McInnes is a likeable protagonist, but contradictory enough to keep engaging us. It helps to keep in mind Tom is a member in sometimes not-so-good standing of an Alabama time honored and influential family. His daddy is a man to be reckoned with and is an important, if unseen, part of Tom's makeup. I liked the reality of Tom being a reluctant lover. In spite of psychologist Kai-Li Cantil's awesome perfections, Tom is understandably gun shy from a recent bruising romance. When plot considerations dictate Kai-Li's hiding out in his house for protection, Tom is faintly irritated at too much togetherness.

Mike Stewart brings to mind James Lee Burke's power of describing lush southern scenery. The tempers and moods of Mobile Bay are part and parcel of this fascinating yarn. "Clean Kill" is an excellent offbeat thriller sure to win Mr. Stewart many new fans.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "MUST" Read Book, January 24, 2002

By 

R Davis (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Clean Kill (Hardcover)

Mike Stewart is definitely a fresh new southern voice on the literary scene. "A Clean Kill" held my interest with every turning page. This book yielded even more of the mysterious, suspenseful, "must-keep-reading" feeling than John Grisham's "The Firm". This book is so easy to follow, yet so intricately woven that each page leaves you guessing and second guessing. The plot is orchestrated in such a way that you never know what the protagonist, Tom McInnes, will face next. Twists, turns and unexpected scenarios play out to yield a masterfully crafted story. I enjoyed "A Clean Kill" so much that upon completion I HAD TO purchase his first 2 books, "Sins of the Brother" and "Dog Island". This is truly an excellent book which I highly recommend.