PERSON OF INTEREST Leslie McHugh is married to an undercover cop. She thinks she knows what it’s like to share her life with a man who spends his days living a lie, who keeps secrets for a living, who trusts no one, not even her. She can see the pressure, the fear, the pent-up rage, and, worst of all, the distance growing between them that Craig promised he’d never allow. But what does she really know? Lonely, tired, and starting to drink too much, she knows that their marriage is on the rocks because her husband lives a second life she knows almost nothing about. When a thousand dollars disappears from their bank account, she wants answers, but before she can even ask the questions, their seventeen-year-old daughter, a real cop’s kid already on a collision course with trouble, turns up at the center of Craig’s investigation into a snitch’s violent death. Leslie’s had enough; she’s determined to get to the truth and protect her family---no matter what the cost. * Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2007 * * South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Best Mysteries of 2007 * Rights Information Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur, Hardcover (November 27, 2007) Territory: North American Rights Available: Translation via Danny Baror International; Film/TV Reviews: "ingenious...'Person of Interest' quickly escalates into a high-stakes story of risk and suspicion, told with rich, insightful detail. Some actress is destined to have a field day with Leslie, who vacillates deliberately between playing mother and vamp, plotting her moves while also spiraling out of control...[Schwegel] switches perspectives gracefully in order to convey the anger and estrangement of each member of the McHugh family. And she weaves a terrifically vigorous plot out of how their misapprehensions of one another lead them into danger." - Janet Maslin, The New York Times "This pitch-perfect portrait of a family in crisis reinforces Schwegel’s position as one of today’s top authors of hard-boiled police procedurals." - Publishers Weekly (Starred review) "In her third novel, Schwegel ventures away from genre conventions, offering a hybrid with believably complex characters and an effective sense of perilous unpredictability." - Kirkus "In Schwegel's capable hands (she won an Edgar Award for Officer Down), her story never falters, and the surprise ending both satisfies and allows the reader to hope that the McHughs will be alright. This is noir fiction at its best; for all mystery collections." - Library Journal "[Theresa Schwegel is] gaining ground as one of the most compelling young authors in a highly competitive genre." - USA Today "Theresa Schwegel, an Edgar winner for her debut, Officer Down, weaves these three subplots together not only for quickening suspense but also to achieve something more. She creates a portrait of a family in crisis, and her vivid characterizations — stressed husband, yearning wife, floundering daughter — lift the thriller plot of Person of Interest to literary-novel status." - Entertainment Weekly (EW Pick) "This exciting thriller will be on the short list for police procedural of the year as the action, some quite graphic, never slows down for even a paragraph. Besides a strong undercover subplot and a close look at the underbelly of the Windy City, the key that makes this a strong tale is a deep look at a cop whose keeps him away from his family leading to a dysfunctional relationship. Readers will seek Theresa Schwegel’s previous Chicago PD tales as they come highly recommended (see PROBABLE CAUSE and OFFICER DOWN)". - Harriet Klausner "riveting" - Chicago Sun-Times "a poignant and gripping tale. The story centers on the human aspects in a highly charged and moving story… [Person of Interest] portends even better things to come, and is highly recommended.” - Theodore Feit, Spinetingler magazine "Reminiscent of some of Joseph Wambaugh's most powerful works ("The New Centurions," "The Choirboys"), Theresa Schwegel's newest novel [is] her most accomplished yet. Aside from the novel's gritty realism and intense emotional intimacy, the numerous thematic subtleties make this blend of police procedural and suspense thriller eminently readable…"Person of Interest" is an indisputable crime fiction tour de force." - Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune "Theresa Schwegel's first two thrillers showed a writer of great promise, which is impressively fulfilled in Person of Interest. Schwegel's story is complex and cleverly nuanced, and it succeeds mainly because her characters, even the most minor, are so brilliantly realised and wholly believable. She scarcely puts a foot wrong as she drives her narrative through a maze of deception and betrayal to its bittersweet conclusion." - The Telegraph Blurbs: Purchase at Amazon.com

PERSON OF INTEREST

Leslie McHugh is married to an undercover cop. She thinks she knows what it’s like to share her life with a man who spends his days living a lie, who keeps secrets for a living, who trusts no one, not even her. She can see the pressure, the fear, the pent-up rage, and, worst of all, the distance growing between them that Craig promised he’d never allow. But what does she really know? Lonely, tired, and starting to drink too much, she knows that their marriage is on the rocks because her husband lives a second life she knows almost nothing about.

When a thousand dollars disappears from their bank account, she wants answers, but before she can even ask the questions, their seventeen-year-old daughter, a real cop’s kid already on a collision course with trouble, turns up at the center of Craig’s investigation into a snitch’s violent death. Leslie’s had enough; she’s determined to get to the truth and protect her family---no matter what the cost.

* Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2007 *
* South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Best Mysteries of 2007 *

Rights Information

Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur, Hardcover (November 27, 2007)

Territory: North American

Rights Available: Translation via Danny Baror International; Film/TV

Reviews:
"ingenious...'Person of Interest' quickly escalates into a high-stakes story of risk and suspicion, told with rich, insightful detail. Some actress is destined to have a field day with Leslie, who vacillates deliberately between playing mother and vamp, plotting her moves while also spiraling out of control...[Schwegel] switches perspectives gracefully in order to convey the anger and estrangement of each member of the McHugh family. And she weaves a terrifically vigorous plot out of how their misapprehensions of one another lead them into danger." - Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"This pitch-perfect portrait of a family in crisis reinforces Schwegel’s position as one of today’s top authors of hard-boiled police procedurals." - Publishers Weekly (Starred review)

"In her third novel, Schwegel ventures away from genre conventions, offering a hybrid with believably complex characters and an effective sense of perilous unpredictability." - Kirkus

"In Schwegel's capable hands (she won an Edgar Award for Officer Down), her story never falters, and the surprise ending both satisfies and allows the reader to hope that the McHughs will be alright. This is noir fiction at its best; for all mystery collections." - Library Journal

"[Theresa Schwegel is] gaining ground as one of the most compelling young authors in a highly competitive genre." - USA Today

"Theresa Schwegel, an Edgar winner for her debut, Officer Down, weaves these three subplots together not only for quickening suspense but also to achieve something more. She creates a portrait of a family in crisis, and her vivid characterizations — stressed husband, yearning wife, floundering daughter — lift the thriller plot of Person of Interest to literary-novel status." - Entertainment Weekly (EW Pick)

"This exciting thriller will be on the short list for police procedural of the year as the action, some quite graphic, never slows down for even a paragraph. Besides a strong undercover subplot and a close look at the underbelly of the Windy City, the key that makes this a strong tale is a deep look at a cop whose keeps him away from his family leading to a dysfunctional relationship. Readers will seek Theresa Schwegel’s previous Chicago PD tales as they come highly recommended (see PROBABLE CAUSE and OFFICER DOWN)". - Harriet Klausner

"riveting" - Chicago Sun-Times

"a poignant and gripping tale. The story centers on the human aspects in a highly charged and moving story… [Person of Interest] portends even better things to come, and is highly recommended.” - Theodore Feit, Spinetingler magazine

"Reminiscent of some of Joseph Wambaugh's most powerful works ("The New Centurions," "The Choirboys"), Theresa Schwegel's newest novel [is] her most accomplished yet. Aside from the novel's gritty realism and intense emotional intimacy, the numerous thematic subtleties make this blend of police procedural and suspense thriller eminently readable…"Person of Interest" is an indisputable crime fiction tour de force." - Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune

"Theresa Schwegel's first two thrillers showed a writer of great promise, which is impressively fulfilled in Person of Interest. Schwegel's story is complex and cleverly nuanced, and it succeeds mainly because her characters, even the most minor, are so brilliantly realised and wholly believable. She scarcely puts a foot wrong as she drives her narrative through a maze of deception and betrayal to its bittersweet conclusion." - The Telegraph

Blurbs:

Purchase at Amazon.com