On the planet Tarizon, several volcanoes erupted simultaneously; placing the world in darkness and affecting the ability to survive and even grow crops. Everything is aimed at survival so the people of Tarizon make a deal with the authorities in the United States. The will give America tech in exchange for mating with humans and producing healthy offspring. When teenage earthling Peter Turner discovers there are aliens amongst us, they kidnap him and send him to Tarizon to silence him. Many believe he is the prophesized Liberator who will appear from outside during a super eclipse, which occurs as he arrives.

Peter learns his new home, still devastated by e nature, is on the brink of a civil war that neither side can truly win. The Chancellor is incapacitated and Videl of the Purist Party takes his place. He and his followers oppose the Supreme Mandate that grants freedom and equality to sentient non-humans including mutants, the rhutz, the Nanomites and the Seafolken. Peter sides with Vidal’s opponents the Loyalists who vow to uphold the Supreme Mandate to live free or die. Still he is caught in a civil war between the Purists and the Loyalists as there is no room for compromise only death.

TARIZON: THE LIBERATOR targets the young adult science fiction audience, but older readers will enjoy the action-packed exciting thriller with a deep message of at least tolerance for all while preferable consensus. The vivid descriptions of the planet will feel as if fans are there assisting the earthling as he struggles with doing what he believes is morally right and taking part in the action and battles. William Manchee has created a fascinating world in trouble that anchors this exhilarating powerful morality tale.

Review of Tarizon: The Liberator
Midwest Book Review, Molly Martin

Lorin Boskie was a nervous young woman as she knocked on the door to her father’s office. This was the second urgent summons she had received this week. Her first question was, “Where’s Jake.” Lorin’s husband served as a fighter pilot in the Tarizonian global Army, TGA. Lorin had reason to fear for his safety.

Councillor Garcia assured Lorin her husband’s arrival was eminent.

It is a troubling time on Tarizon, The Seafolken, the mutants, about 90% of the population believe in ‘the Prophecy’ and are awaiting liberation.

Vice Chancellor Videl Lai, and his determined rise to power if successful will mean Lai will wield all but invincible power.

The Liberator is to arrive from Earth to save the planet from a dictator.

And from that beginning the reader begins a breathless rush, in which the fortunes of seventeen-year-old Peter Tuner, Texas dwelling son of Attorney Stan Turner and those of the Tarizon people will become enmeshed. On the pages of Cactus Island , Stan's son Peter was abducted by aliens when he unintentionally learned about their attendance here on Earth. Peter was certain that somehow his father, the CIA, who knows how many were involved.

Young Turner was startled to learn his father was missing and set out to locate him, before he was able to do so, Peter found himself caught in a torrential downpour through which an eerie blue light shone, intensified and frightened Peter more than nearly anything he had ever before encountered.

Peter’s sudden abduction into a space craft, Earth Shuttle 21, brings him face to face with Lok, who is duty bound to be completely honest with Peter. A Treaty, that Peter had no idea existed between the United States and Tarizon; demands such. Peter will sleep out a year before his arrival at Tarizon, dreams, arrival, coming face to face with a fellow traveler, one Peter had thought was long dead back on earth, exiting the ship on a strange planet, assignment to temporary quarters and an assassins attack all serve to move the story forward.

Life on Tarizon, growing friendship with Lucinda Dimitri who has been assigned to assist Peter as he becomes oriented to his new surroundings, learning new language, becoming aware of what his role in this strange new land will be, battles, danger and deceit carry the reader toward the closing paragraphs of Volume 1,Tarizon: The Liberator and will leave that reader anxiously awaiting Volume 2.

Writer Manchee once again has proven his growing prowess as a writer. From the formidable body of works comprising his Stan Turner series; Manchee has turned in a very different direction with his exciting Tarizon trilogy. Characters are fresh, exciting, filled with vivacity. Dialog is fitting, often gritty, hard hitting potent. Storyline is attention-grabbing, engaging and out of the ordinary. Settings are nicely detailed, reader is drawn into the action, and interest is compelling from beginning to end. Plot twists, subterfuge, stratagem, and chicanery abound, heroes are heroic, and villains are down right vicious.

Manchee has shown past proficiency for writing mysteries, he is proving adroit in this fantasy/sci fi genre as well.

While Tarizon: The Liberator is listed as a spin-off of the Stan Turner Mystery series it is a book which can be read and understood without going back and reading the Mysteries. Although, I am a fan of the mysteries and suggest that if you have never read Manchee before; consider availing yourself of the mystery series as well.

Answers to questions posed in Cactus Island and Act Normal regarding Peter and Tarizon are being made known in the Tarizon Trilogy. Exciting series, exciting book. Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

MyShelf.com by Janie Franz April 2008
Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

Though this is the eighth in the Stan Turner mystery series, elements of science fiction have pervaded this book and its predecessor. It has spurred William Manchee on to the writing of a science fiction trilogy, which will be out later this year.

William Manchee is a successful Texas attorney who turned to writing mysteries several years ago, just for fun. He has been a prolific author who gives his readers an insider’s look behind the doors of the small law firm of Turner & Waters (Stan Turner and Paula Waters). The work isn't glamorous, but it definitely is exciting, especially since Turner started working for the CIA and their clandestine mission with the Tarizons, a race of beings from outer space. The CIA has brokered a deal to trade Earth's children for technology, and Stan’s son is on the Tarizon homeworld going to school.

In Act Normal, Turner and his partner handle two murder cases, one of which may be tied to the Tarizons. In addition, Stan takes on the bankruptcy case of two of his good friends that soon is complicated by accusations of embezzlement and fraud. He is aided by an exotic Tarizon woman named Tehra, who acts as his legal intern. Through Tehra, Turner learns of an alien civil war brewing on the Tarizon home world and how his son may be involved.

The legal details are interesting, especially the legwork that both lawyers have to do as well as the inner workings of three trials. Of course, the alien angle is fascinating and surprisingly plausible. But what I found equally intriguing was the believability that an embezzler was able to generate around his twists of the truth. I felt hopeless that Turner and Tehra would be able to help his friends untangle the lies from the truth. That's the reality of law (or life, for that matter). Unless there is incontrovertible proof to the contrary, sometimes it is a matter of how the truth is shaped by the speaker.

This is my first experience reading a Stan Turner mystery. I found the writing believable and the characters fascinating. But I did, however, have trouble with the changing points of view. I am accustomed to reading books where the point of view alternated between two people, changing with each new chapter. Manchee, though, has chosen to write in first person, which makes it doubly difficult to drop the necessary clues to the point of view changes. I did catch on after the first three or four chapters and was able to prepare myself for the new voice speaking to me. I think alternating points of view, especially with a legal partnership like Turner & Waters have, makes the storytelling richer because the reader finds out more details from each partner. It also is a great tool for building tension.

Bravo, William Manchee! I look forward to finding out more about Tarizon in your forthcoming science fiction trilogy and also in finding out what Turner and Waters will do in their next mystery.

Library Journal article entitled Hot Crime Trends Jo Ann Vicarel (9/1/2007)

Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

“Taking the lead this month are cross-genre books that blend elements of mystery with other fictional genres. William Manchee writes legal thrillers with a science fiction twist; his attorney, Stan Turner (Act Normal), must not only handle a legal case but also cope with aliens who interfere with life on Earth. . . . Readers who like to mix their legal thrillers with a bit of science fiction will enjoy Manchee's (Cactus Island) latest Stan Turner mystery, in which the Dallas attorney, grief-stricken by the kidnapping of his son by aliens, is asked by the CIA to defend a woman accused of killing her husband and children."

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (8/07)

Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

5 Stars

“Act Normal,” by William Manchee, starts out with: “….there was nothing normal in my life anymore, not since my son Peter had been abducted by aliens from a planet called Tarizon.” Normally, I would have put the book down then; however, the reviews were good, so I read on. I am glad that I did so. Stan is a lawyer who does not specialize. He has a partner, Paula. Paula’s husband, Bart, begins to work with Paula after his job with the district attorney ends. Stan and Paula end up trying an embezzlement case and two murder cases. Stan has to work with the CIA in order to keep his son Peter alive on Tarizon. The Tarizonian leaders give Stan an alien partner. She is tall, blonde, and thin. I picture Heidi Klum. There is definitely sexual tension between the two of them. Is sex inevitable? Is her anatomy the same as a human? You have to read the book to discover that for yourself. Though the Tarizonians are involved in this plot, this is not a science-fiction novel. This is a courtroom drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is much more relaxing to read than a John Grisham novel, but it is just as exciting.

Anyone who loves a great battle between lawyers will love this story. Manchee has other novels that I am excited to start reading, such as “Yes, We’re Open.” “Act Normal” is a book of twists and turns that is a relaxing read. I recommend it.

Barnes & Noble.Com - Harriet Klausner, 07/16/2007
Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery
Five Stars

Overcrowding on a planet caused some of the inhabitants to colonize two orbs, Earth and Tarizon. A terrible ecological disaster on Tarizon forced the people to erect and live inside domed cities while women had a difficult time becoming pregnant. The governments of Tarizon and that of the earth’s United States signed a treaty allowing a citizen of the former to marry an earthling, have children with them, and after a few years on earth return to their Tarizon with the children leaving behind an abandoned bewildered spouse to explain to her family what happened. Lawyer Stan Turner’s son is on Tarizon as a means of controlling the former and having him do what his CIA handlers demand. At present they want Stan to get an acquittal for Charlotte Wenzel whose husband and sons disappeared. Their father was from Tarizon and there is no hard evidence. That changes when the police find the body of one of her children. When the beam bringing him to the ship failed, he fell back to earth. Besides that case, Stan is also working to make sure his friend Ben Stover isn’t convicted for money laundering due to the manifestations of a vindictive son-in-law who embezzled from their firm. At the same time Stan’s partner Paula is trying to get an innocent man cleared of the murder of Chester Brown and his family. --- This is a fascinating science fiction legal thriller in which the government trades children for advanced technologies. The story is told throughout the book in between believable legal strategy amidst the three cases. The CIA and the American government come across as avaricious turncoats as they manipulate people for personal gain. William Manchee goes into incredible depth with the trials and the missing alien and his half-breed children so that the audience is immersed in a legal procedural in a world somewhat similar to ours, but with a radical ET difference. ACT NORMAL will appeal to science fiction and mystery fans obviously especially those who appreciate the joining of the two genres.

July 2, 2007

Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

Interesting read … Recommended … 5 Stars

A Review by Molly Martin

The narrative opens with Stan sitting in his office pondering his being recruited by the CIA following the abduction of his son Peter by aliens from a planet called Tarizon. The date is August 1992, Stan is trying to follow the directive to act normal, although, in view of the recent circumstances what IS normal? A year has passed since Peter disappeared as part of the Tarizon Repopulation Project. When the telephone rang it was Ben Stover, a long time friend and client. Ben’s statement that he had a problem was followed by a telephone call from Mo, the man who had recruited Stan for the CIA. These two incidents were to set in motion a chain of events from which Stan muse he might ever recover.

Stan must help with a ‘botched extraction.’ It was staged as a parental abduction, but a nosy PI is causing problems and the Tarizon, Kulchz, has come to Stan with an unsettling command. Stan must represent the woman and stop the private detective. Kulchz knows that if the detective continues he just might stumble over the real reason for the disappearance, and if that takes place the Tarizonian measures will need to be undertaken. And that might be the man being exiled to Tarizon or having his memory erased. Stan is going to have his hands full. The prosecutor for the district attorney’s office is Stan’s partner Paula’s husband. Kulchz won’t take no for an answer, Stan must represent Charlotte Wenzel and that is that. Charlotte Wenzel took out a two million dollar insurance policy on her husband just days before he and their children disappeared. The policy also includes $200,000 for each of the children. Not only that one of the Wenzel neighbor’s says the Wenzels were having marital trouble; Janet Kaufman told the police that Mrs Wenzel often seemed disoriented and complained of having blackouts.

Paula’s husband Bart loses his job, Stan’s wife Rebekah is in the doldrums since the disappearance of Peter, Gary Shepherd is undermining everything he can, Stan tries to help old friends who have just suffered loss from an embezzling employee, Stan’s daughter Marcia is having a hard time coping with life now that her parents are drifting apart due to Peter’s disappearance, and to top it all off, late at night Stan gets a call from Walter Stanley of the Collin Commons Homeowner’s Association; one of the townhouses has burned, the fire department say arson and Stanley is the first best suspect. Things just go from bad to worse in this latest Stan Turner mystery. Paula’s husband joins the firm, Tehra, a Tarizon is sent to serve as Stan’s intern, Stan tells Rebekah the truth concerning their son Peter’s death, the CIA muddles into the situation and the Tarizon’s seem able to track Stan’s every move.

Author Manchee’s writing just continues to get better and better. I had wondered how he would pull together a tale peopled with out of world and earth characters and told in alternating chapters first by Stan and then by his partner Paula; however, he manages and very well. Writer Manchee continues to grow as a writer. ACT Normal is a highly developed original. Hard hitting fast paced dialogue is filled with compelling nuances and serves to propel the narrative forward in plausible manner. The narrative moves smoothly from Stan to Paula as they delve into personal situations, interactions with clients, CIA operatives and Tarizon agents. Writer Manchee has managed another great environment filled with forceful characters, dilemma and gaffes.

The tale Manchee weaves on the pages of ACT Normal compels the reader forward as part time detective/full time lawyer Stan Turner and his law partner Paula Waters try to unravel the tangles and snares, keep their marriages intact and not lose their touch with reality. As always Manchee has a story to share, and he does so in the fast paced, action packed thriller we have come to expect. There are plenty of twists and turns to please and perhaps hoodwink even the most. perceptive reader. Watch those red herrings! Don’t be caught napping.

ACT Normal is a good choice for the personal pleasure reading library as well as the high school library shelf. Minimal profanity and modest reference to sexual intrigue makes this a good choice for the mature teen as well as adult mystery readers

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

Expect the unexpected, July 23, 2007

By Reader Views, Austin Texas http://www.readersviews.com

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/07)

"Cactus Island" is part of the "Stan Turner Mystery" series. It was the first one that I have read in this series. I enjoyed it so much; I am looking forward to going back and catching up on the other ones. It starts out as a suspenseful mystery. I can't say murder mystery because in one case, the death is suspicious and in the other case, we aren't sure if the person is actually dead or has just disappeared.

Stan and his partner Paula are both defense attorneys on cases that initially appear dissimilar, however, as the plot thickens it is discovered that there is a connection between the two. By the end of the story, they are totally intertwined. The plot also evolves from a mystery to a science fiction tale. I absolutely loved this twist in the story. It made it much more fun to read.

The characters are well developed and each has their own personal issues to deal with. This makes the novel seem more real to you because it adds more dimension to the drama that is occurring within the plot. Because it is a series, they also already have their relationships established and seem very comfortable within their roles.

Mr. Manchee has a gift of leading you to a thought about what is happening in the story, then acknowledging it, and then adding suspense that takes you off in a different direction. This was great. I would finally think I figured things out, and then realize that I wasn't even close. Then with the sci-fi angle, it really changed things. Reading "Cactus Island" is definitely like riding a rollercoaster and it is all fun! I did get a few goose bumps along the way.

If you like straight up, non-paranormal fiction, this book is not for you. However, if you like shows like X-Files and books with paranormal or science fiction elements, read "Cactus Island," and you will be in heaven! I sure was.

John Washburn Author of When Evil Prospers

An accident on a rural Texas road near Possum Kingdom Lake causes the death of a teenager. The driver of the vehicle miraculously emerges without a scratch, and this is too much of a coincidence for some. When it's discovered that there is a motive for murder, the young driver is arrested and charged. His explanation for the accident is even more bizarre - "I was distracted by an alien spaceship."
Now Stan Turner is asked to defend the young man in court and as he investigates matters he finds mystery and confusion while struggling with the possibility that we may not be alone in the universe. Meanwhile, Stan's partner is handling a case just as strange when a divorce proceeding becomes a missing persons case. Her client falls under suspicion when her unfaithful husband disappears and she has no recollection of her whereabouts on the day of the disappearance, suffering a memory loss that can't be explained. Things become entwined when it's discovered that her husband was once married to the mother of the young man who was killed in the car accident.

Yet another twist hits when Turner experiences something he can't explain on the shore of Possum Kingdom Lake and it's this experience that makes him a "believer" - convinced that alien beings played a part in both cases.

While this is a mystery, there is no denying the dash of science fiction adds flavor to the story. It is told in first person narrative by Stan Turner and his partner Paula, who alternate chapters, which makes it somewhat unique in character. The plot contains numerous twists and turns with an occasional chase scene to speed things up a bit. But as the story draws to a conclusion, it loses its mystery character and crosses over into the science fiction realm. Some may like this, others may not, but it certainly hurts the believability of the story. It is entertaining, no doubt, but something tells me the sci-fi crowd will appreciate it more than the mystery crowd. Overall, it kept me interested.

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

William Manchee's Cactus Island: A Stan Turner Mystery is one legal thriller that will have you scratching your heads, even if you don't believe in extra-terrestrial life. How do you defend someone who insists that they saw a space ship that caused them to lose control of his jeep, plunging over a hill and resulting in the death of a friend who had been a passenger in the vehicle? The driver, Steven Caldwell, who survives the accident, is accused of murder for reckless driving and the incriminating evidence slowly builds up, particularly when the sheriff discovers that the two friends were in love with the same girl.

Attorney Stan Turner initially refuses to defend Caldwell on the grounds that this could make him the laughing stock of the legal community. On the other hand, if he succeeds, he would be considered a brilliant litigator. Eventually, Turner gives in and takes on the case, while continually grumbling that every time he thinks he has it under control strange things happen.

In addition to our murder trial, Manchee cleverly interweaves another mystery- one involving a divorce between Cheryl Windsor and her husband Martin, who mysteriously has disappeared along with one of the his employees- a manager at one of his hotels.
This one is handled by Turner's partner Paula Waters, who is troubled that her client, Cheryl Windsor, seems to be having convenient lapses of memory as the district attorney gathers a great deal of damning evidence against her. Could she have something to do with her husband's disappearance? When Waters tries to find out more about Martin Windsor, she comes to the conclusion that he may have intentionally disappeared in order to avoid his assets being divided by the divorce court. In fact, he made sure all of his assets disappeared along with him and moreover he seems to have been involved with off-shore bank accounts.

What eventually is exposed is that although the two mysteries seem to be miles apart, they are very much interconnected, particularly when we are clued in that Martin Windsor, an immigrant from Hungary, seems not to have left any records evidencing his existence in the USA. Who is Martin Windsor and where did he come from now becomes of prime importance?

Manchee provides his readers with a dexterously plotted tale that ties everything together with a surprise ending. And even if you don't believe in space ships and aliens, you have to admit that this would make great courtroom drama- if it actually happened!

by Molly Martin

Title: Cactus Island : a Stand Turner Mystery, Book 7

Exciting Read …….. Recommended …. 5 stars

The Review

The narrative opens on March 8, 1991. Stan and his are in the midst of sorrow as they attend the funeral of Peter Turner, Stan and Rebekah’s third child. Six months earlier Stan’s law partner Paula Waters accepted a divorce case against her better judgment. Stan found himself caught up in defending one of Peter’s friends who was accused with murder. The murder was based on the fact that boy scouts Steven and Jimmy were involved in an auto crash that killed Jimmy. Steven claimed he had seen a spaceship and that is what caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Paula’s case goes from bad to worse when her client’s soon to be ex-husband goes missing. Despite no evidence and no body, Police are sure Cheryl Windsor has killed her wayward spouse. Stan’s case too is becoming rocky as tabloid newspapers flock to Cactus Island where there is supposed to be evidence of alien presence. Cheryl Windsor’s children are abducted. When a charred body is found the authorities feel they have rock solid case against Cheryl. Things begin to heat up when Stan learns that Jimmy Falk is actually the missing Martin Windsor’s son. Paula makes a trip to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to check on a bank where Windsor money may be hidden. That trip turns out to be a big mistake and Stan finds himself with the Windsor case dumped in his lap. Space ships, covert action, mysterious disappearances all are a big part of the tale.

With Cactus Island William Manchee offers another riveting tale in his ongoing Stan Turner series. The reader is hooked immediately from the Cactus Island first line in this gripping, keenly portrayed story theme. The narrative is told in the first person, chapter by chapter by Stan and law partner Paula Waters. Initially I had a little problem deciding who was talking, but I soon had that figured out and zipped right into the story. Transitions are handled well, I wondered how Manchee could pull plot and sub plot together in a believable manner, and found that Manchee has done it again with wit and adroit writing. As always Manchee’s characters are uncontrived, well portrayed and plausible. I have found with Manchee’s character there is no middle ground, we really like the likeable, and really despise those deserving our aversion. Colloquy flows naturally as the characters work to unravel problems. The plot zenith and outcome are handled with usual Manchee aplomb. I have no problem believing that Stan would have dealt with the situations he faced in Cactus Island precisely as is drafted by author Manchee.

Writer Manchee has set together another great milieu of engaging, convincing characters, predicaments and blunders. The tale Manchee weaves in Cactus Island brings us another great romp with full time lawyer part time sleuth Stan Turner and his law partner Paula Waters. With the character Doc Verner and his insistence that aliens have landed on Cactus Island, Manchee has added a little plot twist to titillate and surprise the reader. Cactus Island is a well-written tale filled with many of the characters we have come to enjoy from the first works in this ongoing series. The Turner children are now nearly grown up we see Stan, Rebekah and their family much as our own. And that is in part what makes this series so engaging.

Cactus Island is a good choice for those who enjoy well written, fast paced Mystery Thrillers in the fashion of Grisham and Queen. Good choice for the personal pleasure reading list, and high school library shelf. Little profanity makes this a good choice for the mature teen as well as adult mystery reader.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

Harriet Klausner, A reviewer July 11, 2005,

Superb tongue in cheek legal thriller. Attorney Stan Turner hates Mondays because his clients have a weekend to think. However, this Monday, October 19, 1987, is worst than usual as the markets have nose dived from the opening bell and his clients are panicking like everyone else’s customers accelerating the drop. --- Stan faces a more horrendous BLACK MONDAY than most lawyers. Someone murdered client Lottie West, who named Stan as her executor and the SPCA as her beneficiary of an estate that includes the renowned Ludinburg Collection of art treasures allegedly stolen by a GI during World War II. As the stock market collapses and the Federal Reserve fails to react, Stan is caught up with hostile fire between the CIA and the FBI on an overseas matter he works involving the other espionage group the IRS. Finally his partner Paula Waters informs him she plans to defend Jimmy Bennett accused of killing his father-in-law, the CEO of Metroplex Savings and Loan. As Stan reflects on a law banning Mondays, he investigates Lottie’s murder with Dallas Police Detective Besch, struggles with Federal entanglements that tie Central America to Iran, assists Paula, and waits for Tuesday while someone wants him dead, but for which case he does not know. --- Stan’s the man as he does his best whether his clients are dead, government or that of his partner. The tongue in cheek story line feels like a historical Noir as Stan cynically pontificates on various 1980s events for instance he blames the market collapse on President Reagan’s tax cuts promised as part of his 1984 reelection debate. Legal thriller fans will appreciate 1987 as seen through the eyes of Stan unless President Regan is part of your pantheon of the Gods.

Dallas Observer: Black Monday - Friday, July 1, 2005

We get so jealous every time we watch Antiques Roadshow and see someone find out that some little drawing or painting is worth a pant load of money and is really a "test sketch" by Picasso or someone else amazing. It doesn't happen a lot, and admittedly we haven't seen a Picasso show up, but you get the idea. So what if you're a widower (and a recluse to boot) and you find out from Stan Turner (you know, your legal man, the one with the series of books about him) that your late hubby had been hiding stolen pieces, née treasures, of priceless art. Nice. It would probably be less enthusiastic a discovery than on the ol' Roadshow, we're guessing. Find out for sure by reading William Manchee's latest in the Stan Turner series, Black Monday. And if you're going to pick it up, why not do so between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday? And why not make it the Barnes & Noble at 801 W. 15th St. in Plano you're picking it up from? You know, so Manchee himself can sign it at the book's first launch party. It's just a thought. Call 972-612-0999.

Black Monday - Review at Bookpleasures. Com Norm Goldman's Reviews

Author and attorney William Manchee has given readers another in his Stan Turner mystery series, wherein Stan and his faithful law partner, Paula Waters, team up to represent clients involved in a series of crimes, two of which are inter-related.

All of the cases kick off on a Monday morning in 1987, when the stock market experienced a terrible beating and was termed Black Monday by the media.

The first of the woes begins when Stan is greeted by his client Tex Weller, whose loan is being called in by Metroplex Savings and Loan. Apparently, this lending institution was owned by millionaire, Donald T. Baker who had close ties with two powerful politicians, Horrace Manning and John Potts. The plot thickens when Baker and his mistress are murdered.

The prime suspect in the murder turns out to be the son-in-law of Baker, Jimmy Bennett, and Paula is asked by Jimmy’s brother, John, to defend Jimmy.

Before Stan is able to ponder over Weller’s file, Stan’s casualty insurance agent, Derek Donner pops in and tells him that their mutual client, Lottie West, died along with her twelve dogs. At the outset, it seems she died of natural causes; however, as is later discovered, she was murdered. To further complicate matters, Stan has been named executor of the Lottie’s estate and subsequently discovers that the widow’s husband, a retired army officer, was dabbling in stolen World War II art treasures.

The last appointment on the same black Monday brought Stan face to face with Robert Huntington, a supposedly CIA agent, who informs him that the IRS had garnished one of his bank accounts and that it was imperative that he has the money in the account released by the end of the week. It was further explained that he needed to wire $150, 000 to his partner in his Beijing office. If this was not carried out, the partner would be killed. Coincidentally, it turns out that the funds were deposited in the Metroplex Savings and Loan.

Manchee effectively juggles three plots, while at the same time mixing in time, place and voice with many familiar events of the day as the undercover operations of the CIA and the Iran-Contra scandal, illegal shenanigans of the savings and loan institutions, and unscrupulous behavior of some powerful Washington politicians. At times, you even wonder if our legal beavers are perhaps over their heads in defending their clients.

The author’s well-paced novel is akin to a good ski run, as the tension mounts towards the finish line-all is resolved by credible plot endings. Characters are well drawn and convincing, and the author displays an uncanny knack for dropping intriguing clues and evidence into the narratives that continually maintain our interest.

Entertaining Read …….. Highly Recommended … 5 stars
The Review - Molly Martin

The narrative opens as Stan Turner laments Mondays. By late afternoon a frantic telephone call from an old client, Tex Weller closely followed by a visit from Derek Donner convinces Stan that Mondays really should be banned. Donner, Stan’s casualty insurance agent, has arrived with the news that one Lottie West has been found dead and Stan is the executor of her estate. The widowed Mrs West and her dozen or so dogs all have apparently died as result of a gas leak. Stan’s last appointment of the day is with Robert Huntington, who needs an attorney desperately, however Huntington cannot really say much about why. ‘This is a matter of national security. You don’t have the proper clearance.’ Once again Stan Turner is off on an invigorating, if at times puzzling, series of events that will ultimately lead him to uncovering not only unintentional homicide but also the looting and recovery of the long lost Ludinburg collection of priceless art treasures.

Set in Dallas during the savings and loan emergency of the late 1980s Black Monday is an easily read tale filled with conundrum, chicanery and mystery. Dallas Police Department Detective Bingo Besch, accused murderer Jimmy Bennet, Stan’s partner Paula Waters and Rebekah, his wife, all figure in the tale. Included in the narrative are a polemical turf battle between the FBI and CIA involving the Iran-Contra Scandal, three Dallas homicides in a single night and a profusion of flash backs to various 1987 events.

With his invariably astute adroitness, writer William Manchee has once more crafted one of his greatly enjoyable Stan Turner mysteries. Stan is again embroiled in scenario and subplot as Manchee intertwines the diversified elements of the tale with his usual dash and skill. Fully drawn characters are well fleshed, filled with imperfection and foibles and often given to perplexing artifice.

Black Monday is a thrilled packed compelling read filled with a masterfully engineered story line, snappy, first class dialogue and spine tingling action. Liberal conflict is judiciously resolved in this cleverly written work Black Monday provides the reader a glimpse inside the daily lives of characters who are engaging and interesting and thoroughly supposable. Black Monday is another in what this reviewer hopes is to be a very long series of William Manchee’s ‘Stan Turner’ mystery thrillers. The work remains my favorite type of book of good solid writing filled with credible characters and circumstances. As with other Manchee works there is no graphic sex thrown in an effort to sell the book or to try to cover up lack of writing skill. Black Monday is just a satisfying, well written edition.

Fans of a fast paced suspense thriller are sure to find Black Monday more than satisfies their longing for an excellent book for whiling away a long winter evening or during a summer after spent reading out on the front porch. A must have for the home library, the pleasure reading shelf and high school reading list. We who enjoy suspense filled mystery thrillers can only hope writer Manchee continues hard at work on the next in the series. I look forward to that next one and each of the ones to follow. Black Monday is a narrative that will grab you from the first line and will hold interest steady right on down to the last page.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

Amazon.com Review Harold McFarland

September 18, 2005 Amazon Top 50 Reviewer (20)

Settle down to a good mystery from an excellent writer, September 18, 2005
I became a fan of William Manchee with his novel Plastic Gods. One of the tightest plots and best writing styles I had seen in quite a while ...The scene is set on Black Monday, October 19, 1987. As the stock market crashes and bank after bank collapses the hero, Stan Turner, is asked to unravel a small IRS problem for an FBI agent. Unfortunately, this starts his problems as he is caught up in a fight between the FBI and the CIA. With a multitude of well-crafted sub-plots and a writing style that keeps the reader glued to the book, William Manchee has really crafted a masterpiece of mystery. Always keeping the reader guessing though each twist and turn this is one of the most exciting novels I've read this year. Black Monday is highly recommended to everyone who enjoys passing the evening with a good mystery.

Midwest Book Review - Deadly Distractions

Fast-paced adventure, September 12, 2004

The latest Stan Turner thriller revolves around a client accused of killing an IRS agent - involving Stan in the middle of a fight between the FBI and a citizen's committee - and his best friend's disappearance. With more than a single crime in his pot, Stan must uncover many hidden truths in this fast-paced adventure.

Library Journal - Deadly Distractions

Attorney Stan Turner (Cash Call) stretches to cover two cases. One client stands accused of killing a predatory IRS agent trying to confiscate his tractor. The second disappears in Ecuador after wiring a fortune into Stan's trust account. While Stan flies to Ecuador, partner Paula handles the murder case, accepting pay from a radical anti-government outfit. Then Stan is kidnapped, escapes, and is subsequently questioned secretly by the FBI, which sees a dirty connection between the radicals, the missing client, and money laundering. Plenty of action and excitement, but the author handles it with heavy-handed narrative and flat dialog. For series fans only. Manchee lives in Plano, TX. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Foreward Magazine Review of Deadly Distractions by: Mark Terry

Attorney Stan Turner's client, Dusty Thomas, is believed to have murdered an IRS agent over back taxes he owed the government. And why not? The agent was shot by a Remington shotgun, and Dusty was found standing over the victim with a Remington shotgun in his hand. Turner takes on the case, turning most of the details over to his new associate, Paula Waters. Waters agrees to allow the Citizen's Defense Alliance, or CDA, to foot Dusty's bail and pay for his defense. Turner is surprised, because the CDA is practically a terrorist organization, a group of fascists who don't believe in federal taxation and would gladly throw out the government. Now that Turner's agency appears to be in bed with the CDA, the federal government is painting them with a broad and wide brush. The author, who is a lawyer like his protagonist, has written four previous Stan Turner novels, as well as short stories, several other novels, and a nonfiction work for small business owners. While Turner is dealing with this case, one of his oldest friends and clients calls him from Ecuador, where he is mixed up in a complicated money-laundering scheme involving Ecuadorian rebels and false identities. With the government tearing apart their lives, this is the last thing he needs; then the client disappears, apparently kidnapped or arrested. Before a reader can say, "This is a pretty dumb move for an attorney to make," Turner and a private investigator fly to Ecuador to look for the client, but are quickly arrested. It is only through a series of very questionable deals, with even more questionable Ecuadorian military officials, that they are released. Manchee has pretty much thrown everything into this novel-courtroom scenes, Guantanamo Bay, Texas street gangs, insurance scams, money laundering, murder, even a hurricane. This level of plot complexity is both the novel's strength and its weakness. Manchee juggles reasonably well, but each plot point could have been developed by itself into a full novel. The book struggles under its own weight, which isn't helped by Manchee's attention to trivial detail or stilted dialogue. Still, each plot line, in and of itself, can be riveting, and fans of legal thrillers who have already read Grisham, Scottoline, Martini, and Patterson may very well want to check out this novel. (August)

Clint Hunter, Crescent Blue - Review of Deadly Distractions

An unwelcome phone call from his new partner Paula Waters interrupts attorney Stan Turner's family vacation in Colorado. A long time client and friend, Dusty Thomas, stands accused of the murder of an IRS agent and continues to barricade himself in his barn while holding a contingent of federal law enforcement agents at bay. A witness who happened upon the scene identifies Thomas as the man he saw standing over the victim with a shotgun in his hand.

Leaving his family in Colorado, Turner hurriedly flies to the scene in Texas where he meets the agents and arranges a meeting with the accused. Thomas, known for his long and bitter feud with the IRS concerning seizures of his property, professes his innocence. He swears he found the already dead agent on his property after responding to the sound of gunshots; however, he agrees to give himself up with the assurance that Turner will defend him in court.

Without Turner's knowledge, Paula Waters arranges for a radical anti-government organization called the Citizen's Defense Alliance to post Thomas' bail and deposit money for the defense in the firm's account. Turner angrily speculates on the consequences of this alliance if the firm fails to prove its client innocent. Word of this action leaks immediately to the press, and federal agents begin surveillance of Turner's every move.

Before research for the trial begins, another distraction arises. Tex Weller, one of the firm's best clients, unexpectedly deposits more than a million dollars into the firm's account and then disappears. Investigation reveals documents suggesting a link between the money and a scam originating in Ecuador. While Waters prepares for the upcoming trial, Turner flies to Ecuador in search of his friend.

Left in charge of the trial preparation, Waters uncovers evidence that the murdered IRS Agent, Bobby Tuttle, sported a reputation as a bully who rose rapidly in the agency because of nepotism. Tuttle apparently maintained a "hit" list of persons and organizations to prosecute for tax evasions, and cultivated enemies both inside and outside the IRS. Waters finds herself hard-pressed to keep up with the ever-expanding list of potential suspects.

Pressure builds to piece together the puzzle of Agent Tuttle's murder as the trial date looms. In the meantime, Turner and Waters must work their way past an investigation of sedition, a gang related insurance swindle, and a charge and conviction of felonious action. But in a courtroom climax that would make the venerable Perry Mason stand and applaud, stunning revelations and unexpected connections bring the mystery to an unanticipated and startling conclusion.

Deadly Distractions definitely belongs on your reading list. Manchee writes an intelligent, suspenseful, complex, and highly readable tale, which confirms him as a wordsmith of the first order.

Reviewed By Terri Von Reiman ... Roundtable Reviews

DEADLY DISTRACTIONS is a compelling novel that is filled with fast action from beginning to end. The distinct details and vivid dialogue guide the reader into a story that explodes their imaginations with thrilling suspense page after page.

Stan Turner is a very skilled attorney who finds himself on the rollercoaster ride of his life after he takes on a case of a client accused of killing an IRS agent. Stan is quickly thrown into the middle of a chilling struggle of power and deceit, and it often seems that his loyal defense of his client may very well cost him his life. Just as it seems that the tangled web of this plot cannot not get any more bizarre Stan finds that his best friend, Tex Weller, is missing in Ecuador. Stan travels to a foreign land to try and locate Tex before it’s too late and finds himself driven even deeper into a struggle of life and death. Stan is faced with a devastating dilemma as he ferociously fights to defend the innocence of his client and desperately tries to save his own skin.

William Manchee is an excellent mystery writer who uses just the right flavoring of suspense and action to create a thrilling tale that readers will not soon forget. William distributes his graceful talents and displays his artistic abilities to maneuver the written word time and time again in this excellent novel.

I recommend that everyone buy and enjoy the rare gifts of this unique author and delve into the realm of a true storyteller and writer. Thank you William for an excellent read, and I look forward to seeing more of your exciting work.

Book Review Cafe

Stan Turner, a successful Texas lawyer, decided to take a two-week vacation with his family in Colorado. Leaving his practice in the capable hands of his partner, Paula Waters, Stan and his family set out for some rest and relaxation. Five days into the vacation Stan gets a frantic call from Paula informing him that his client, Dusty Thomas, had shot an IRS agent and was barricaded at his home and wouldn’t surrender. The news only got worse when the agent died.

Dusty was now faced with murder and to add to the problem there was a witness that saw Dusty standing over the man with his shotgun in his hand. Stan knew his work was cut out for him and both he and Paula needed to find some evidence to prove Dusty was innocent as he stated he was.

About this time Stan’s secretary got a call from another client of Stan’s stating he was wiring $1.8 million into Stan’s account, money that would turn to be a twist in this strange and puzzling case. Each new lead only added to the mystery and each potiential witness seemed to disappear before the trail.

A fast-paced story that grabs the reader and holds onto them for the entire ride. Well worth the read!

byLouise Riveiro-Mitchel, author of Autumn Sky

Reviewed by: molly martin

Pleasantly puzzling Read Highly Recommended

Stan Turner, Dallas based Attorney, husband and father along with his family are on vacation in July 1986. Stan’s wife Rebekah is looking forward to having some special time with Stan. The kids are hoping for fishing and white water rafting. Stan has a brand new partner; Paula Waters who has brought some much needed cash as well as ‘a head for business’ into the firm, and is set to enjoy so time away from Dallas and the pressures of his law practice. It isn’t long before Stan finds himself flying to Texas to meet with an old friend. Dusty Thomas, a bad luck kid from way back, is accused of shooting and killing a federal officer. Bobby Tuttle was just doing his job in trying to confiscate some the Thomas farm machinery for back taxes. The worst of it is: there are witnesses who saw Dusty, weapon in hand, standing over the body. Before the tale plays out Ecuador, a radical paramilitary group known as the CDA … Citizen’s Defense Alliance, a DC income tax protest, scrutiny of both Stan and Paul by the press and the FBI, soft ball sized hail stones, a woman with a crush on Stan, 1.8 million dollars and a hit and run all figure in what appeared at first glance to be a simple case.

As always Manchee has a tale to tell, and he does so in the same fast paced, action packed thriller rounded out with a well developed theme manner as he so known for from past works. Manchee’s penchant for presenting an intriguing tale wherein little is as first seemed is getting better with each book he writes. Manchee’s writing skills are becoming finely honed. On the pages of Deadly Distractions there are enough twists and turns to please and perhaps lead astray even the most discerning reader. Action addicts will be pleased, the lively tale has something for everyone who enjoys a good yarn, an intriguing mystery and just plain a good read. Manchee’s genius for taking knowledge from his own attorney background experience and bolstering his scenes is evident from Deadly Distractions’ outset.

Writer Manchee’s legal thriller brings us in contact again with Stan Turner, one of my favorites of Manchee’s characters. Watching the amicable, at times bumbling Stan trying to balance family with work against a woman determined toward more than a casual relationship brings more than one smile to the lips of any reader who may have found themselves in any part of the particular scenario.

Manchee’s characters are well developed, dialogue is gritty, believable, hard hitting at times, milieu are filled with sights and sounds and enough description to draw the reader into the setting. Deadly Distractions is a gripping tale grasping the readers interest from the opening lines as we nod in agreement with Stan ‘never call your office while you’re on vacation’ across all 300 pages and right down to the last paragraphs where we discover Dusty’s luck remains the same.

Excellent book for a long lazy afternoon when you have time to savor a well written thriller, watch the red herrings. Manchee does his usual excellent job leading the unsuspecting astray!

http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin

August 2004
Murderandmayhem Book Club
Reviewed by Anne K Edwards

http://www.murderandmayhembookclub.com/deadly_distract.html

A tale of two attorneys caught between a radical anti-IRS group and the Government law enforcement as they (the attorneys) try to protect the rights of their client who has been accused of murdering an IRS agent.

Stan Turner has two cases that need his immediate attention, one is trying to find a missing client in Ecuador and the other is defending Dusty Thomas on the charge of murder. He heads for Ecuador and leaves Dusty's case in the capable hands of his partner.

It is then things get very involved. The partner seeks out the radical organization to pay Dusty's expenses and bail. The prosecutors then see Stan and his partner as supporters of the anti-IRS radicals, a fact that does not make his job nor his life any easier once he returns from Ecuador.

Deadly Distractions is written by a talented author who constructs a set of interesting situations with believable and likable characters. However, one thing in the writing makes it a bit hard to separate the two lead characters. They are both written in first person without any indication from chapter to chapter as to who is talking and this leads to some confusion.

Barring this, the plotting is well done and balanced with twists and turns that will keep you guessing who the real villain is and why the IRS agent was killed. With threats coming at him from all sides, Stan does a creditable balancing act the reader will enjoy.

From DorothyL

Gloria Feit, Long Beach, NY

If ever I get in trouble, Stan Turner is the lawyer I’d turn to, the allotted phone call I’d make. In this, the fifth book in the series, our hero agrees to defend a man accused of murder who was found standing over the dead body, followed closely by a flight to Ecuador to try to locate another old friend and client who has apparently been kidnapped after
getting involved in some kind of get-rich-quick scheme. Matters quickly worsen: another murder occurs, there are attempts on Stan’s life, and his partner is being set up in what appears to be a hit-and-run scam. And with
the initial murder being that of an IRS agent, the wrath of the Federal Government is brought to bear upon defendant and attorneys alike, as only it can.
This was my introduction to Stan Turner and to William Manchee, the author of several books in addition to this series. The plot races along, with short, punchy chapters taking us to the conclusion of this past-paced and
well-written tale. I must admit I had a problem with the fact that the book was poorly edited and/or proofread, but not to the extent that it prevented me from enjoying the book very much in spite of that distraction. Recommended.

Tom Mayes, I Love A Mystery

Perhaps the readers of the world may feel that we do not need another author of legal thrillers – especially since there are the likes of Grisham, Bernhardt, and Siegal. But that should not stop you from picking up a copy of William Manchee’s latest novel, DEADLY DISTRACTIONS; This is his fifth novel in the Stan Turner series and his eighth overall.

DEADLY DISTRACTIONS takes the reader into the sometimes murky legal world of lawyers taking on clients whom they would rather not and receiving funding from sources that can only hurt their futures. Stan Turner and his law partner, Paula Waters, defend a man that is a friend of theirs, but the case is almost over before it begins. Dusty Thomas is found standing over the dead body of an IRS agent holding a recently fired shotgun. He has had a long running feud with the government over taxes and the case looks like a slam- dunk for the DA.

Just one problem – Dusty swears he is innocent and Stan believes him, even though the Feds were there to confiscate what little property he had left that they had not already taken. The big question is: how do they get the funds to mount an adequate defense. Along comes a group of individuals who believe that Texas was never officially brought in to the Union, thus they do not have to obey the Federal laws. Calling themselves the CDA, the group is willing to fund the entire cost of Dusty Thomas’ defense, saying that they want to get back at the government. Stan and Paula do not want to take their money but really have no choice. Stan also finds that he must fly to Ecuador to try to obtain the release of another friend, Tex, who has become entangled in the messy dealings of politics and money south of the border.

Stan is almost stranded down south but bargains his way out through a deal with a corrupt general. Upon his return, while trying to get his case going, Paula is framed for a hit-and-run. It’s obviously the work of those who don’t like Stan’s defense of Dusty. The government is also shadowing his every move and every financial transaction. Paula is convicted, so Stan must take on the case all alone – at least officially. As he gets closer and closer to the truth, certain folks seem determined to remove him from the proceedings all together.

The legal scenes are riveting. You, the reader, are never completely sure of who is innocent. Is Stan just Don Quixote going after the windmills of big government, or is someone trying to take Dusty Thomas down for their own agenda? As each day goes by, one keeps wondering what else is going to happen to Stan and Paula. Paula’s very strong feelings for Stan also complicate the plot - and Stan’s mental concentration.

One interesting method used by Manchee is that the book is written in the first person of both Stan and Paula. We get both viewpoints – thus adding more clarity as to what is really going on behind the scenes. It is a novel approach and not hard to follow along at all. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a few nights of enjoyment.

Bookviews - Alan Caruba

Another prolific author William Manchee, discovered his talent as a novelist by way of coping with his stressful life as a lawyer. His latest novel, Deadly Distraction($13.00, Lean Press) is a thriller in which Stan Turner, an attorney and the main character in a series of novels, is defending a client accused of killing an IRS agent. Moreover, Stan’s best friend has going missing and when Stan goes to Ecuador to find him, he goes missing too! You will be on the edge of your seat, reading as fast as you can, to find out how the various strands of this story resolve themselves.

Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com

This story starts off with a literal bang as Stan Turner's client is found standing over the body of a dead IRS agent, with his shotgun in hand. Since Dusty Thomas has had a years-long feud with the dead agent, Bobby Tuttle, and Bobby was killed with a shotgun, Dusty is charged with first degree murder even though he claims to be innocent.

Stan's new partner, Paula Waters, handles Dusty Thomas' arraignment and begins to get an investigation underway while Stan is finishing his vacation. She even manages to arrange financing for Dusty's defense. A radical paramilitary group, the Citizens Defense Alliance, or CDA, is doing the funding, much to Stan's dismay. He doesn't want to be associated with this group of anti-government radicals.

Since the CDA denies the legitimacy of the federal income tax and has been a target of federal prosecutors for many years, Stan's worst fears are realized, and his office immediately comes under the close scrutiny of the FBI and the press. To further complicate matters, Stan's best client and close friend, Tex Weller, has transferred 1.8 million dollars to Stan's trust account from Ecuador, and now he is reported missing by his wife.

While Stan is searching for Tex in Ecuador, Paula continues her investigation of Bobby Tuttle's murder and quickly discovers a long list of enemies with motive to kill him, becoming more and more convinced that Dusty Thomas is innocent. Her investigation is sidetracked when she learns Stan is missing and may have been kidnapped. As time goes by and Stan doesn't turn up, she is forced to turn her attention back to the Dusty Thomas case and leave the search for Stan up to the FBI. Then Paula, herself, is charged with a phony hit and run.

Paula, of course, is secretly in love with a very happily married Stan, and by alternating viewpoints between Stan and Paula, Manchee achieves the near impossible task of getting into the mind of each protagonist. The action is non-stop with surprises in every chapter. Parallel, complicated plots converge to an explosive climax. Don't start this book until you have time to read the whole thing...you won't want to put it down.

Review from Myshelf.com

UNDAUNTED is the first Stan Turner Mystery followed by the second, BRASH ENDEAVOR and the third, SECOND CHAIR. Stan decides at a very early age that he wants to be a lawyer, but while he is at the Ventura county fair Stan and his friend Steve wanted to have their future read by a Univac Computer which analyzes a persons handwriting and tells their the future. Stan's card came back saying.

'STRUGGLING IN A HOSTILE WORLD,
PURSUING YOUR DESTINY,
YOU WILL STAND RESOLUTE AGAINST ADVERSITY,
UNDAUNTED'

Stan did not understand the meaning then, but as he became an adult, he would understand all to well. While Stan was at UCLA he met Rebekah whom he loves very much, they are married Oct 18, 1968. On the way to getting a law degree, things get rough for Stan. The Army drafts him in 1970; to avoid the Army he signs with the Marines. While in boot camp, he unwittingly befriends a serial killer and soon finds himself charged with the murder of his drill sergeant. Stan
desperately searches for the real killer. Helping him is nurse Rita Andrews, who wants Stan for herself, and Virginia Stone, a journalist looking for a story.

Undaunted is a sensual chiller, involving white supremacists, a serial killer, and the Marines all rolled up into a startling package that will keep you clinging to every word.

Undaunted proves it to me; William Manchee is a master at story telling. He has a way of spinning a tale that will leave you breathless every time. ... Pam Stone

REVIEW SCRIBES WORLD REVIEWS 5 Stars
UNDAUNTED, A STAN TURNER MYSTERY

Not long after OCS candidate Stan Turner arrives to begin his Marine Corps career he is horrified to find himself both a prime suspect in a horrific murder and a resident in the Quantico brig. The fact that Stan's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon used to do away with his drill sergeant does look bad, really bad, for the recent college student.

Turner is married, the parent of one child and soon to be father of the child Rebekah is carrying. Rebekah's ever present jealousy clouds her thinking when the best hope for proving Stan's innocence is provided by an attractive journalist and a libidinous nurse who finds Stan every bit attractive as does his wife. Rebekah has stomped home before either the baby is born or the murder trial Stan must undergo is completed. Turner has always wanted to be an attorney, his joining the Marine Corps comes as much of surprise to him as it does to others. Little does he realize that the fellow he befriends upon his arrival at Quantico has a hidden secret.

In this introductory volume to the Stan Turner series, Writer Manchee weaves a fast paced, tightly wound narrative filled with intrigue, deception and circumstance which are not always as they seem. UNDAUNTED, A STAN TURNER MYSTERY proves Manchee's understanding of the justice system; not a wholly surprising situation for this successful Dallas attorney. This novel has it all. Love, duplicitous murder, a serial killer, The Corps, suicide, and a bigoted white supremacist all race the reader through the pages of this gripping work.

Writer Manchee always weaves an excellent account. Stan Turner is a 'common folk' stumble over his own feet at times type hero. just the kind of hero most of us feel most comfortable knowing. UNDAUNTED sets the groundwork for the novels to follow. We meet Stan and Rebekah, get to know them and find them likeable despite their little imperfections. In this first in the series Stan manages to evade the gallows, complete his bar exams and remain married to Rebekah. None of this is done without some wear and tear on our hero.

Watch for red herrings. You may find yourself caught by surprise with the ending! Delightful read, highly recommended.

Reviewed by:
Molly Martin

brash01.jpg (36297 bytes) Review, Dallas Observer

Thursday, July 30, 1998

William Manchee could be Dallas answer to John Grisham. Manchee, an author who has maintained a private law firm in Dallas since 1975, recently published Brash Endeavor, a page-turning tale of a small-time lawyer in over his head with some big time clients. Just like Grisham's books, the protagonist apppears to be a thinly veiledversion of Manchee. The novel follows Stan Turner--the character that Manchee introduced in the well-received Undaunted as he moves to Dallas to open up his own law practice and becomes involved with an insurance scam that ends up with his wife being falsely accused of murder. It sounds like just the kind of potboiler that Grisham is know for. Let's just hope Manchee doesn't option any of his books to movie producers.

The Review: Brash Endeavor

Stan Turner and his wife Rebekah are unaware exactly how their lives are about to change when Stan determines to open his own law practice. Following this decision the only steady, reliable income coming into their home is derived from Rebekah’s work a few hours each week at the nearby Central Receiving Hospital where she in ICU/ER nurse.

Much to the delight of Stan and Rebekah clients and the promise of constant income do soon appear, Stan’s old friend Kurt Harrison sends the flamboyant Gena Lombardi and her problems to Stan, Inca Oil needs an attorney to do land title searches, Kurt introduces Dan Kelley. Things are looking up.

An offer for a percentage in an oil well rather than a fee for work performed is viewed by Stan as a method for insuring a good steady income. The only fly in the ointment is Rebekah’s growing dissatisfaction and plain old wifely jealousy for the attractive women Stan meets in the course of his work.

When Stan and the nubile wife of a client are found in a clinch out at the ‘coming in’ party held at the newly opened well Rebekah is sure her suspicions are well founded. A short time later Stan finds himself facing the fact of his wife’s arrest for the death of that wife of a client, caring for his four young kiddies with the help of Rebekah’s mother and trying to unravel how it has all gone so wrong.

Merge Robert B. Parker’s ‘Paper Doll,’ with ‘Traitorous Intent’ by Charlotte Lacey along with a generous splash of plain old Erle Stanley Gardner intrigue for an idea of what BRASH ENDEAVOR is all about. This mystery thriller by clever writer William Manchee is a ‘keep you turning the page’ read.

The jealousy felt by Rebekah is plausible and the desperation driven behavior of her husband to find answers to incomprehensible questions is as thinkable. Stan knows no matter how upset Rebekah may have felt; the woman he has married, loved and had four children with could not have done such a thing as to kill someone. He knows he will have to sort it all out, find the actual murderer and rescue Rebekah from the morass in which they find themselves. The interwoven personal issues between husband and wife, between Stan and his clients, between Turner and the police are all very believable in this intricately wrought thriller by Dallas, Texas attorney Manchee.

Manchee’s deftness for the human situation and his expressive narrative draw the reader straiaght into the tale. This experienced writer has a discernment of the human psyche many do not possess. He uses that understanding to present an assemblage of characters so distinctive and credible the reader believes they must be actual people.

BRASH ENDEAVOR offers the reader a peek inside the daily lives of individuals who are interesting and fun and wholly plausible. BRASH ENDEAVOR is another in a series of William Manchee’s ‘Stan Turner’ mystery thrillers. My favorite type of book, good solid writing filled with believable characters and situations, no graphic sex thrown in just to sell the book or to try to cover up lack of writing skill, no silly posturing, this is just a good, well written book . We who enjoy thrillers can only hope writer Manchee is hard at work on the next in the series and that many more Stan Turner novels are soon forthcoming. BRASH ENDEAVOR is a tale that will grab you from the first line and will hold you tight right on down to the last page. Very perceptive and highly recommended.

Reviewed by: molly martin

a review from Publisher’s Weekly June 26, 2000

July Publications - Mystery Notes

Dallas lawyer Stan Turner attracts his usual share of trouble and more in William Manchee’s Second Chair, the third in a series. Turner must fend off a lawsuit from his CPA’s widow, who blames him and his wife for her husband’s death, as well as defend a college student accused of murdering her newborn child. Appealing characters and lively dialogue, especially in the courtroom, make this an easy, entertaining read. Top, (toppub@hotmail.com), $14.95 paper 360p, ISBN#0-9666366-9-4.

a review from the

Norman Transcript

Another book added to Stan Turner Mysteries series - a review
Jul 30 2000 12:00AM By By Barbara Quigley LifeStyle Editor

William Manchee, full-time attorney, part-time mystery writer, has written another addition to the Stan Turner Mysteries series.

"Second Chair" is the third volume.

Like "Undaunted" and "Brash Endeavor," "Second Chair" takes the reader for the ride of their life. Manchee's command of the justice system, added to his experiences in court and with clients, makes for a good read.

Stan Turner once again finds himself in financial trouble when he takes on the case of a young college student accused of murdering her newborn infant girl.

Turner, never trying a murder case before, enlists the aid of his criminal law professor, Harry Hertel, to play the role of second chair.

The story plays out from Sherman, Texas, to Dallas all the while set with subplots including the death of a client at Turner's annual Christmas party, a religious fanatic named Doomsayer and abortion protesters on the courthouse lawn during the murder trial.

Turner and the other characters make Manchee's latest book a good choice for a rainy day when there's nothing else to do as it's one of those books that's hard to put down.

Manchee, who didn't start writing until his children were grown, started penning books in 1995 as an escape from his stressful Dallas law practice.

He admits writing is his true passion in life.

He has written eight novels, five which have been published, between 1995 and 1997.

Manchee's Stan Turner series is based on his experiences as a Dallas attorney in the 70s and 80s.

Although he plans to continue the series, he also will write stand alone books. Manchee has plans to publish at least a book a year for the rest of his life.

The book is published by Top Productions, a publishing company headed up by Manchee.

a review from the

Richardson News

Thursday, August 3, 2000 by Betty Bettacchi Section B, Lifestyles

Sarah Winters, A Sherman college student, is accused of murdering her own baby. Her current boyfriend, Greg, who is not the baby’s father, lives in Richardson. The night of the murder, Greg was studying in the UTD library.

No, this isn’t a case for Ken Yarbrough, Richardson’s chief of police. It’s a case for Stan Turner, author William Manchee’s fictional sleuthing lawyer.

Second Chair is the third book in the Stan Turner mystery series. Manchee wrote Twice Tempted, a legal thriller, before hitting on his most successful formula.

Manchee will sign copies of Second Chair at 1 p. m. at Barnes and Noble, Richardson Square Mall.

The Plano writer is a North Dallas Lawyer who picked up the pen as a way to deal with the stress of the legal profession.

"When I’m writing, I’m in another world. I can totally forget about my law practice," he said during a recent interview. "My children are grown up now and out of the house. When they lived at home, I would go fishing with them to relax. Once they left, I began to write.

"I had some ideas floating around in my head since college. I’m a big movie fan, I like to see every kind of movie," he said. So, one afternoon he played hooky to see The Shawshank Redemption, Stephen King’s gritty but ultimately triumphant prison movie. The film inspired Manchee to finally put his ideas down on paper.

"At the time, I happened to have a couple of clients who wrote books, and I asked them for information. Then, I read books on creative writing, he said. "When I first began writing, I didn’t tell anybody. I wanted to be sure I could complete a book first."

Manchee’s first Stan Turner Mystery was Undaunted, written in 1997. That book focused on Stan Turner as a teen through his discharge from the Marine Corps. Brash Endeavor, next in the series, saw Turner graduating from law school and beginning his career and family.

In the latest novel, Turner has settled into a domestic life and a law practice. Turner is a civil attorney who is persuaded to take a criminal case, the case of the girl accused of murdering her newborn.

Manchee’s story is a page turner. He manages to keep the reader’s interest with a serpentine plot and realistic dialogue.

"Even though I write fiction, I believe there should be realistic aspects to it. That’s why I like to use settings readers can relate to. Almost all of the incidents in my books are things I have experienced in some way," he said.

For instance, while in college, he worked as a bank messenger. Late one night, making a delivery, he noticed the vault had been left open. It contained more than $6 million.

"I didn’t attempt to close it, because I didn’t know if my touching it would set off an alarm, so I just left. I later found out that the alarm was not activated until after the vault was closed.

"Unbelievably, it happened a second time while I worked there. That experience showed up in Twice Tempted, a legal thriller, which was my first novel.

"The inspiration for Second Chair came about because my daughter, at one time, thought she was going to have to be a witness in a murder trial. I sat through the trial with her. That planted the seed for the novel."

Manchee’s fictional lawyer always wins the war, but he does lose battles, which makes him a believable character. In Undaunted, the hero ends up on trial for murdering his drill sergeant. In Brash Endeavor, Turner’s wife ends up on trial for murder.

In the latest novel, Turner manages to get himself into a few skirmishes once again.

"I really love writing. I guess you could say I’m an organic type of writer. The story evolves daily, even though I know ahead of time who the characters will be and how the story will be resolved," he said.

Manchee’s discipline is to write at his computer three to four hours per night and on weekends.

"Once I get into a story, I find it hard to tear myself away. There will be more Stan Turner mysteries, but I plan to write other types of fiction.

on, as well. I hope to write a book a year for the rest of my life, the ambitious author said.

Betty Bettacchi teaches literature at Collin County Community College and writes about authors and books for the Richardson News.

a review from

MY SHELF. COM

Second Chair is the 3rd installment of Stan Turner, The 1st was UNDAUNTED and the 2nd was BRASH ENDEAVOR. Dallas Attorney Stan Turner and his wife Rebekah are having a Christmas party with family, friends, and clients as their guests. During the party the lights go out. As Stan gets the fuse changed and the lights come back on, he hears a scream. Stan rushes to where he heard the scream come from and sees his friend and CPA Bobby Wiggins lying in the flowerbed face up. The cause of death is massive coronary caused by the fall on the ice. Marleen Wiggins decides to sue Stan for 2 million dollars because of negligence in not sanding the sidewalk. This is only one of the cases that Stan is working on. Stan is asked to defend a young woman named Sarah Winters for killing her child, which she claims to remember nothing about. Before the trial even gets started, Stan and his family start getting threats through the mail, the letters are cut out of magazines so they can not be traced, the first one said:

"YE DEFENDERS OF THE DEVIL BEWARE! DEATH WILL BE YOUR ONLY REWARD. REPENT BEFORE YOU FACE ETERNAL DAMNATION. TIME IS SHORT UNTIL THE LIVING WILL AVENGE THE DEAD." Signed DOOMSLAYER.

After a court appearance, Stan's beautiful corvette has all of its tires slashed and windows broken out and a message scratched on his hood saying;

" YE SHALL NOT ESCAPE THE VENGEANCE OF THE LORD. -- DOOMSLAYER.

Even after all of that, Stan decides to keep on defending Sarah because he believes in her innocence. After the trial starts, Stan is all most run down in the parking garage, his dog is also killed in their back yard, and his trial note book is stolen out of his office the night before a court appearance and he must recreate the note book in 8 hours before court reconvenes.

Stan Turner is a very pleasant guy and the kind of lawyer that we would all love to have in our corner. All of the characters are believable and fit into the plot. William Manchee has done it again with " Second Chair ". I have not had the pleasure of reading the first two Stan Turner Mysteries, " Undaunted " and " Brash Endeavor " but you can bet that I will be adding them both to my private collection of books. I have had the honor of reading " Death Pact " to review, and I will say that it is the best book that I have ever read so far; " Second Chair " is a close second to " Death Pact. " William Manchee can spin a tale that totally keeps you holding on and wanting more. You can bet that I will read anything that this talented author puts out.

Kudos to William Manchee for a 5 star read again! --Pam Stone, My Shelf.com 9/00

A Review of Second Chair, J. Hollingsworth

My favorite kind of mystery! Lots of action, keep you turning the page intrigue, skillful weaving of more than one theme and no ‘obligatory’ sex scene plunked into the mix in the mistaken belief that ‘obligatory’ sex will perhaps make up for poor story and will sell books anyway.

Dallas Texas Attorney Manchee puts his knowledge of the legal scene to good use in this well written tale. Little does Stan Turner, attorney, and his wife Rebekah realize when they invite friends and business associates to a holiday party that death, lawsuits and an ice storm will result that night. In the wake of the holiday party mishaps Stan Turner accepts a nearly
impossible client to defend against a horrifying murder even as he finds his own life turned topsy turvy. Writer Manchee cleverly plaits the various strands of the story and brings them all to a satisfying conclusion.

Fuse the fast paced excitement of Les Roberts’ Pepper Pike with a hearty slosh of good old time Ellery Queen intrigue for a notion of what writer Manchee’s SECOND CHAIR is all about. This fifth mystery by author Manchee is a highly entertaining read.

The consternation felt by Stan Turner is obvious as he faces an apparent madman, defends his client and gets himself into hot water with the judge sitting the case. The interwoven issues Turner must deal with as he struggles to discover the truth behind his client’s problem, and his own,
are ingeniously wrought in this exhilarating thriller. Author Manchee has an awareness of the legal scene many do not have. He puts that understanding to excellent use to present a narrative so gripping that you will not want to put the book down until you have reached the last page.
Manchee’s characters are imaginative and well thought out. From the enigmatic fellow lawyer to the patient Rebekah each is singular and wholly plausible.

SECOND CHAIR offers the reader a fast paced, action packed thriller and makes me sorry I have only now discovered this particular series. I am now most anxious to read the first two of Manchee’s Stan Turner mysteries.

SECOND CHAIR is an entertaining yarn that will grab you from the opening line and will carry you right on to the last page. Highly perspicacious and
highly recommended.

Reviews

Excerpt from Deadly Doses by Mary Welk

Fans of legal mysteries are enjoying the Stan Turner mysteries by Texas attorney William Manchee. Published by Top Publications, the series features a brash young Dallas lawyer who starts his practice on a $2,000 cash advance on his credit card after "graduating" from the Marine Corps. The series begins with UNDAUNTED followed by BRASH ENDEAVOR AND SECOND CHAIR. Manchee's 2002 title, CA$H CALL, continues the story of Stan's uphill battle to raise a family while hunting down clues to save his clients. A modern day Perry Mason, Turner is living proof that defending accused murderers doesn't always pay one's mortgage.

CASH CALL A Stan Turner Mystery
By William Manchee
Top Publications, Ltd. September 2002
Trade Paperback $12.95
Reviewed by Mary V. Welk, author of the Caroline Rhodes mystery series

Penniless attorney Stan Turner loves to fish, and when a client offers him a boat in exchange for legal services, Stan thinks he's just about died and gone to heaven. Rebekah Turner isn't as pleased with the deal as her husband. She also isn't pleased with some of Stan's acquaintances, including the mystery woman who's been sending him love poems. As for Don and Pam Blaylock, Rebekah thinks the couple is a bit too snobbish when she first meets them, but as time goes by, she accepts the pair's presence in Stan's world. After all, even the strong-minded Rebekah can feel sorry for two people who have been taken to the cleaners by a conniving business partner.

Don and Pam are facing bankruptcy when Luther Bell absconds with money from their Chinese restaurant franchise. That's not their only problem, though. Their athlete son Rob has been arrested for drunk driving, and Rob's girlfriend is pregnant by her high school senior lover. Stan's legal maneuvering may save the Blaylocks from the poorhouse, but can he save their son from jail?

Stan figures things can't get much worse for Pam and Don, but then Luther Bell turns up dead and Don is arrested for murder. It's up to Stan to use what little money the Blaylocks can pay him to defend his client in the best way possible. With the help of a newly hired female partner and a knowledgeable private investigator, Stan does just that. Much like Perry Mason, Stan uses courtroom drama and surprise testimony to unmask Luther Bell's actual killer.

CASH CALL is the fourth Stan Turner mystery by legal eagle William Manchee. Putting his law degree to good use, Manchee presents readers with snappy courtroom scenes including lively dialogue between Stan and various witnesses. Stan's private life is also handled nicely by the author, especially the scenes that involve the Turner children. Manchee makes his story more realistic by not limiting Stan to one case at a time. Turner's involvement in a wrongful death suit and his possession of a Peruvian pot filled with diamonds are side plots that may detract at times from the main story line, but they are, nevertheless, true to life. CASH CALL has its occasional weak moments, but it passes the test as a cozy legal mystery.

Visit William Manchee’s website to learn more about CASH CALL and its author: http://www.billmanchee.com/ca$h_call.htm

The Book Reader, America's Most Independent Review of New Titles * Fall/Winter 2002

Cash Call By William Manchee, Top Publications, $12.95.

The latest in the mystery series starring lawyer Stan Turner. Manchee, a lawyer, pulls out the stops and it’s all go as Turner and his wife Rebekah get involved with friends who are in great trouble with an impending bankruptcy. Turner is involved in a spiral of hounding creditors, arrests, murder, diamonds, gangsters, and a pell-mell pace that holds readers glued to the pages. All sorts of interesting California episodes are here–the Rendevous Club and lap dancing, a Peruvian pottery that is supposed to contain diamonds but doesn’t, the business of lawyering by a lawyer who is always struggling with clients’ payments, the lives of his four growing children, the IRS, interviews with police–and engrossing attorney procedures, in court, in documents, which Manchee knows so well. An old romantic interest complicates matters and creates problems between Turner and his wife. The action moves forward at a brisk pace with surprising (and ingenious) plot twists, and this deeply felt book may be Manchee’s best work to date. The extraordinary and ordinary: "Feeling a little better with one more problem resolved, I went home early and took the family to dinner. It was Thursday, our bowling night..." Manchee writes a very realistic prose, exact, viewing the sharp edges of reality wisely, and he also gives us glimpses beneath the surface, wondering, sympathizing, fearing. There’s a special power and grace here, about family, friends, death, and all the ties that bind one into a non-stop chase to unwrap puzzle with puzzle.

Reviewed by: Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.Com
http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/02/cashcall.htm

PI Lawyer Stan Turner is back in his fourth mystery. “Cash Call” is written in the first person with Turner’s voice leading readers through his latest perplexing case.

Readers will discover that Turner isn’t a stereotypical lawyer, like those on television. He isn’t part of a large lawyer group, nor is he rolling in dough. He accepts clients who have had little, if any, money and shows compassion for those who have trouble paying their bill. He even accepts goods instead of cash for payment. In his personal life, he is a serious family man, intent on providing for his kids and being with them as much as possible. He is also a loyal husband, although his eye does wonder occasionally. Stan Turner is one of the best lead characters to come along
in quite some time.

In “Cash Call,” Turner accepts a case for a friend who seems to have made a deadly investment. Don Blaylock hires Turner to help him when the investment invades his financial life through a frozen bank account and bad checks. A
man named Luther Bell brought Don into a restaurant investment. In this investment, Don and the other partners receive one too many “cash calls,” which means they were expected to come up with cash capital each time the
restaurant has a cash flow problem or loses their interest. Someone wasn’t happy with the way Luther was handling things and made a call of a different kind.

Once the murder occurs, the mystery begins to unfold, taking readers down various paths of suspects and alibis. There is enough doubt and suspicion, along with other storylines to keep the pages turning. Again, Manchee has
provided readers with an impressive contemporary mystery to test even the most experienced sleuthing mind.

Review by Molly Martin

Entertaining read -- Highly recommended

Stan Turner again faces too little money, clients who won’t or can’t pay, a baffling murder, friends who need his legal expertise and lots of artifice. Turner and his wife Rebekah become friends with the Don and Pam Blaylocks. Before long both Blaylocks are facing legal and IRS problems. A poorly thought out investment on the part of Don Blaylock and a group of entrepreneurs in a Golden Dragon franchise has plunged them first into financial straits which is quickly followed by the murder of the unscrupulous restaurant promoter.

Stan is holding on to his legal practice by his fingertips as his creditors demand money he cannot pry loose from tight fisted clients. The Turner kids are growing up, Marsha is now 8 and her brothers are 10, 12 and 14. Stan accepts a boat as payment in kind from one of his ‘impoverished’ clients. The boat is another in a series of missteps Stan has made when it comes to client payments, Rebekah is furious of course.

The Blaylock legal problems mount. Stan faces the insistence of an old flame and Rebekah’s jealous fury. A wrongful death suit worth enough money to bail himself out of his own money hassles given Stan a little hope for a brighter future. Diamonds hidden in another ‘payment in kind’ set of pottery and just plain danger all are part of Stan’s days as he tries to unravel his own problems along with the hassle the Blaylock’s are facing.

Writer Manchee has set together another great setting of entertaining, convincing characters, predicaments and blunders. The ta

BILL'S REVIEWS

Galley Call, Southern Independent Bookseller's Assn (SIBA)

Reviewed by Dylan James (age 12) for Reader Views Kids (8/08)

Review by Harriet Klausner

Tarizon: The Liberator by William Manchee Top, Jul 29 2008, $23.00 ISBN: 9781929976485

Review of Tarizon: The Liberator Midwest Book Review, Molly Martin

MyShelf.com by Janie Franz April 2008 Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

Library Journal article entitled Hot Crime Trends Jo Ann Vicarel (9/1/2007)

Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (8/07)

5 Stars

Barnes & Noble.Com - Harriet Klausner, 07/16/2007 Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery Five Stars

A Review by Molly Martin

John Washburn Author of When Evil Prospers

Harriet Klausner, A reviewer July 11, 2005,

Dallas Observer: Black Monday - Friday, July 1, 2005

Midwest Book Review - Deadly Distractions

Library Journal - Deadly Distractions

Foreward Magazine Review of Deadly Distractions by: Mark Terry

Clint Hunter, Crescent Blue - Review of Deadly Distractions

Reviewed By Terri Von Reiman ... Roundtable Reviews

Book Review Cafe

Reviewed by: molly martin

Pleasantly puzzling Read Highly Recommended

August 2004 Murderandmayhem Book Club Reviewed by Anne K Edwards

From DorothyL

Gloria Feit, Long Beach, NY

Tom Mayes, I Love A Mystery

Bookviews - Alan Caruba

Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com

Review from Myshelf.com

The Review: Brash Endeavor

a review from Publisher’s Weekly June 26, 2000

Norman Transcript

a review from the

Richardson News

a review from

MY SHELF. COM

A Review of Second Chair, J. Hollingsworth

Reviews

Excerpt from Deadly Doses by Mary Welk

The Book Reader, America's Most Independent Review of New Titles * Fall/Winter 2002

Cash Call By William Manchee, Top Publications, $12.95.

Reviewed by: Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.Com http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/02/cashcall.htm

Review by Molly Martin

Entertaining read -- Highly recommended

Tarizon: The Liberator by William Manchee
Top, Jul 29 2008, $23.00
ISBN: 9781929976485

Review of Tarizon: The Liberator
Midwest Book Review, Molly Martin

MyShelf.com by Janie Franz April 2008
Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery

Barnes & Noble.Com - Harriet Klausner, 07/16/2007
Title: ACT NORMAL : A Stan Turner Mystery
Five Stars

August 2004
Murderandmayhem Book Club
Reviewed by Anne K Edwards

Reviewed by: Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.Com
http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/02/cashcall.htm