Book Title: The Twisted Road

Series: Barrister Perris

Author Name: A.B. Michaels

Publication Date: March 10, 2026

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 308

Genre: historical mystery

Any Triggers: n/a

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Book Title and Author Name: 

The Twisted Road

by A.B. Michaels

Blurb:

1907

Rising from the devastation of a massive earthquake and fire, San Francisco is once again on the move. But a strike by streetcar drivers threatens to halt the Golden City in its tracks. Protests turn to violence and violence leads to death. Soon a young guard is convicted of willfully killing a protester and the public is out for blood.

Jonathan Perris, an immigrant attorney from England, has opened a law firm with an eye toward righting wrongs, and the guard’s conviction may fall into that category.  But the talented barrister soon finds his newfound career shaken by a tragic event: the gruesome murder of the beautiful and mysterious Lena Mendelssohn—a woman he’s been squiring around town. It’s difficult to run a law firm when you’ve been arrested for murder.

Excerpt 4:

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“Another Dubious Client”

“For Heaven’s sakes, you cannot represent that man!” Cordelia had returned to the office and encountered Dove and Jonathan sitting in the kitchen, each nursing a glass of whiskey. When Dove relayed what had transpired with Detective Hennessey, she practically shouted her objection.

“Why, counselor?” Jonathan asked calmly.

“Number One—” She counted her fingers for emphasis—“you shouldn’t even be out of the hospital much less planning to defend a man we all know to be a murderer.” She glared at Dove. “When I left, I thought I was leaving our employer in good, safe hands, but you … you thought nothing of his weakened condition and just took off with him, like two little boys playing hooky. He could have fallen, or blacked out, or—”

Jonathan’s voice remained even. “But I didn’t. Please continue.”

His cool-headedness made her want to smack him, but she refrained. Barely. “Number two: all evidence points to Alex Morrow or Alexei Morozov or whoever the hell he is, being the mystery man, the ‘Lev,’ at Aunt Susie’s. Since the two women who shared him and that room are dead, that makes it pretty damn obvious he was involved in those crimes.”

“It does appear that way, however—”

She barreled on. “And Number three, I feel it in my bones that he is the man who picked up Emmett Barnes’s gun.  He was at the riot, Jimmy Walsh didn’t like him, and he knew Emmett Barnes, at least indirectly. So, it would be a total conflict of interest for us to represent both the defendant and the probable killer!”

“How can you be so sure about all that??” Dove asked.

“Betsy Foster was the girl that Emmett Barnes was sweet on, and it’s highly likely Alex knew that. Emmett said that a man he didn’t recognize called out to him just before he got hit with the brick. Later, when Emmett came to, that same man had his hand on Emmett’s gun at the back of the car. At the time, Emmett thought he was going to steal it, but what if he was just returning it after shooting Jimmy Walsh? What better way for Morrow to rid himself of two obstacles than to kill one of them and pin the crime on the other?” She paced in front of the blackboard, a kind of frazzled energy racing through her. Inhaling deeply, she let her breath out slowly. It usually helped to calm her.

“May I speak?” Jonathan asked.

Still using her special breathing technique, Cordelia nodded. She noticed that Dove was suppressing a smile and wanted to smack him, too.

“All of your points are valid,” Jonathan began. “Let me answer them in reverse order. Alex Morrow has not been arrested for the crime of shooting Jim Walsh. Moreover, as you already know, you are not required to find Mr. Walsh’s killer, only to show the strong possibility that Emmett Barnes didn’t do it. You can certainly state that you believe Alex Morrow is the killer, but if you make that allegation, you must provide evidence to support it. I have not agreed to defend him against that charge, so I see no conflict of interest there.”

He swallowed the last of his drink. “As to what happened to Sybil West and Betsy Foster, I see this as an opportunity to find the answers we’ve been searching for. Morrow is indeed the nexus among all the major players in this drama—Sybil, Betsy, and even perhaps Jim Walsh. I need to know how all the pieces fit together, and if I can establish a relationship with the man, I might be able to do that.”

“And what if he cops to one crime, but not the one you’re defending him against?” Dove asked.

“Yes,” Cordelia pressed, “What happens then? As his counsel, you’re honor-bound to keep whatever he says between the two of you. Are you willing to defend a man you know is a killer—one who maybe killed someone you cared about—and someone who was more than willing to have you go down for the crime?”

Jonathan paused before answering. “I honestly don’t know.”  He rose and spread his arms. “As to your first objection, you can see that I am, if not hale and hearty, at least on the mend. I plan to stop by the hospital and pick up some more of that aspirin, I think they call it. I’ve never had occasion to use it before, and I must say, it’s top notch.”

“And after you go to the hospital?” Cordelia asked with a scowl.

“You know where I’m going. I’m sorry, but I must.”

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Author Bio:

A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University).  After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing the kind of page-turning fiction she loves to read.  She writes historical fiction (“The Golden City” series), historical mystery (the “Barrister Perris” series) and contemporary romantic suspense (“Sinner’s Grove Suspense.”). All three series are character-linked and all are stand-alone reads.

Michaels lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and elderly wiener dog, Teddy, who cannot see or hear, but sniffs his way from one comfortable spot to another.  In addition to writing and dog-snuggling, Michaels is an avid reader, traveller, quilter and bocce player, as well as a mediocre but enthusiastic golfer.

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