Edgy, uncomfortable at times, DISAVOWED (Echelon Press, ISBN 1-59088-445-2) by Sam Morton comes at you out of left field. As this was the first of Morton’s books for me, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was not disappointed in the least. DISAVOWED is a story about hatred, bigotry and clandestine criminal operations designed to literally effect genocide. Now, this is not normally a book I would pick off the shelf, I’ll admit. But having met Sam in Los Angeles last year, I was so charmed by his wit, charm and old-fashioned honesty that I immediately put his books on my TBR list. See, personal appearances do work.
DISAVOWED tells the story of ex-cop-turned-short-order-cook Mike Chandler, whom, despite all his best intentions, can’t seem to stay away from his investigator roots. What starts out as a reasonably cut-and-dried side gig to retrieve some stolen silver turns out to be a deadly journey into the dark world of racism and white supremacy. Before he knows it, Chandler is up to his collarbone in dealings with the Ku Klux Klan, going undercover in hopes of thwarting their efforts to bring down their minority targets.
Complicating things for Chandler is a beautiful FBI agent, of course, this one a smart, single mom who’s helping him to become a better ruse. Morton handles the romance with a light touch, not forcing anything that doesn’t feel right. It all works. And guess what? The book is well-written, as good as any A-list author I’ve read.
I’m interviewing Sam today at Beacon Street Talk. I hope you’ll stop by for a listen, or pick it up later on the podcast!
Visit Sam at his website!