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What happens when a closed case cracks wide open?
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Double Takedown
A Mike Stoneman Thriller #6
by Kevin G. Chapman
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
What if everything you thought you knew was wrong?
The glittering lights of Broadway are just a cover for the
dark secrets hidden behind the curtains. NYPD homicide detectives Mike Stoneman
and Jason Dickson are about to find out how many layers one story can have in
their latest case. As they prepare to testify in a high-profile murder trial,
they begin to question if they got it wrong. The Broadway director claims
evidence was planted to frame him and that Mike and Jason developed tunnel
vision. If they did, can they live with themselves, knowing that an innocent
man might be convicted . . . and that someone else got away with the perfect
crime?
With orders to stay away from the closed case, Mike and
Jason are plagued by doubts and can’t let it go. When new evidence leads to
even more questions, the detectives race to put the pieces together and uncover
the whole truth. But their unauthorized investigation could lead to
catastrophic collateral damage, could cost them their badges, and the director
may still be guilty.
For fans of intense crime thrillers and complex
characters, Double Takedown is a must-read.
What readers are saying:
“A fantastic story with delicious plotting! A crime
thriller that’s more than a cut above the rest.” ~Anna Willett, author of
the Cold Case Mysteries featuring Detective Inspector Veronika Pope.
“The sixth installment in the Mike Stoneman Mystery
series, Double Takedown is a mind-blowing and perfect detective mystery read.”
~Feathered Quill Reviews https://featheredquill.com/double-takedown/
“Mike and Jason are probably my two favourite detectives.
Their side stories with their wives and families enhance what is already sure
to be a great read. Another page-turner, you won’t put this down till the end,
I promise!” ~@Roxxisreading
“A compelling mixture of mystery, police procedural, and
thriller. I couldn’t put it down.” ~ Guy Wheatley author of From the Delta Mud.
“As a retired Homicide Investigator after thirty years,
trust me when I tell you that Double Takedown reads as real and as gritty as
any case that I ever worked. A mystery tour de force for the ages.” ~ Frederick
Douglass Reynolds, Award Winning author of Saint Bloodbath, and Black, White,
and Gray All Over.
“In this gripping installment to the Mike Stoneman
detective series, we dive into the underbelly of the theatrical world where
drugs are routine and the line between accident and foul play blurs. I couldn’t
put it down.” ~Daniel V. Meier Jr., Award winning author of the Sam Adams
Investigator series.
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FORTY-FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FIRST ACT of the ballet, Rachel pulled down her sparkling purple facemask and whispered into Jason’s ear, “What’s going on down there?”
They were seated in the next-to-last row of the orchestra level. At the front of the house, partially illuminated by the stage lights, someone was standing. Rachel could not see who it was, but could hear the buzz of people talking. Then, a woman’s scream attracted everyone’s attention. Necks strained to see. More people stood.
The music stopped in the middle of the piece. The performers continued dancing for several seconds on a silent stage. The conductor, standing on a raised podium so she could see the stage and the orchestra pit, turned toward the audience. She was talking into her headset microphone. There was another scream. Then the conductor’s voice boomed over the sound system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats. We have a medical emergency in the front row. If there are any doctors in the house, we need assistance right away.”
Rachel’s EMT training kicked in before the conductor finished saying “emergency.” She leapt over Jason’s lap, then kicked off her heels as she sprinted barefoot down the long, sloping path toward the stage. Dozens of people began filming on their phones. Despite the conductor’s instruction, half the house seemed to be standing.
Mike jumped up as soon as he saw Rachel leave her seat. He grabbed Jason’s sleeve. “Let’s go, we need to work crowd control down there. Michelle, call 9-1-1.”
Jason and Mike were forty feet behind Rachel. When they reached the front of the theater, a small group of gawkers had already gathered in the aisle.
“NYPD! Please take your seats and keep this aisle clear for emergency services!” Jason shouted, his baritone carrying throughout the auditorium.
Mike gently eased several men in formalwear away from the space between the front row and the orchestra pit. Jason did the same. The two detectives took up positions on either side of the aisle, casting authoritative glares at anyone who seemed interested in venturing toward the commotion in front of the stage.
Jason glanced down the front row and saw Rachel’s bare back hunched over someone lying on the floor. The straps of her purple dress flashed in the house lights, which had come on. Rachel and two men worked together to drag a figure on the floor toward more open space. Jason saw black shoes and pants, but could not see the man’s face. An usher ran down the aisle, holding a small red case that Mike assumed was an automated external defibrillator. He dashed past the two cops and handed the device to Rachel, who had taken charge of the emergency situation.
Rachel barked instructions while prepping the AED, then administered an electric charge to the victim’s now-bare chest. On the elevated stage, twenty dancers leaned over the edge to watch.
One minute later, an actual EMT team barreled down the aisle with a gurney on wheels carrying their own equipment. Rachel remained on her knees, working on the supine man, while the two tuxedoed doctors stepped back. The public address system announced that there would be an intermission in the performance due to the medical emergency and asked everyone to calmly return to the lobby. As the crowd slowly rose and meandered to the exit, those still filming remained standing until Mike, Jason, and several ushers shouted them into submission and herded them toward the doors.
On the floor, the EMT crew loaded the unconscious man onto their gurney, then hustled out an emergency exit door at the left corner of the stage. As soon as the crew passed them, Jason and Mike rushed toward Rachel. Jason gently pulled her to a standing position. She hugged Jason in her bare feet as Mike stood back. Before Jason and Rachel disengaged, a tap on Mike’s back caused him to spin around. Michelle held out Rachel’s sparkling heels with a concerned expression.
“Don’t like following instructions, huh?” Mike said.
Michelle flashed a tiny smile. “I told the usher I’m a doctor and he let me stay.”
“Thanks,” Rachel said, slumping into a front-row seat and working to slide back into her shoes.
“Do you know who that was on the floor?” Michelle asked.
Rachel stood. “Oh my God. You couldn’t see, could you? It was Alex Bishop.”
“The lead in Godfather? He was just nominated for a Tony!” Michelle grabbed Mike’s sleeve.
“He was,” Rachel said, “but unless the EMT crew works a miracle, he won’t be there to win it.”
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**Don’t miss the rest of the series!**
Find them on Amazon!
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How did you get started writing this crime-thriller series?
A long time ago, in the mid-90s, I wrote my first novel, which was a mystery starring a New York Private Investigator named Rick LaBlonde. It was fun and a good try at a first novel. But it was before Amazon and before self-publishing was really a thing. I put it aside in about 1996 when I couldn’t get any interest from a publisher. Then, in 2002, my wife told me that for our 20th wedding anniversary, she was going to pay to have the book published by a new company that had come into existence called Xlibris, which was a division of a big publishing house and which was an early “vanity publisher” that would essentially allow you to self-publish a book. In those days, you had to order a minimum number of copies for printing. It was a lovely present, and I still have a few copies of that first book left on my basement shelves.
But by then I had a new job and three kids and I didn’t do any more real writing for many years. Then in the mid-2000s (the aughts?) as my kids were getting older, I got the itch again and I started working on my version of The Great American Novel. It was very, very loosely based on some autobiographical events in my life, but was mostly pure fiction. It’s about a conservative Senator who has to confront his past and make hard decisions about his future. It’s about morality and politics and self-determination and identity. It’s a very serious book, but with some interesting characters and, I think, a compelling story line. It’s called A Legacy of One. It got some great reviews and some book award recognition, but didn’t sell. Part of that was my own lack of understanding about how marketing a self-published book, but it’s also because the subject matter isn’t particularly popular unless you’re already a well-known author or celebrity.
I spent 10 years off and on working on that and finally published it in 2016. When the dust cleared from that project, I decided I still wanted to write, but I needed to get into something more fun, less serious, and hopefully something more marketable. Along the way, in 2012, I had written a short story for a writing contest where the subject had to be crime or law. I had created a character named Mike Stoneman, an NYPD homicide detective. The short story, called Fool Me Twice won first prize in the contest. So, in 2016, I decided to take that character from the short story and work him up into a full-blown crime fiction novel. The short story is now available for free on Amazon and other sales platforms, and I included it as an extra feature at the end of the first book in the novel series, Righteous Assassin.
Can you describe your main characters?
Mike Stoneman is a veteran homicide detective in the New York Police Department. In addition to being the senior detective on his team, he also teaches classes at the police academy and separate night classes for cops studying for the detectives exam. His classes are on things like evidence handling, crime scene protocol, witness interrogation, and how to testify in court. He typically gets assigned the new detectives so he can show them the ropes. He likes that work – teaching the younger cops and passing down his wisdom. He loves it when other cops come to him for his opinion on a tough case.
He’s also a Mets fan and likes classic rock music. He wears plain slacks and sports jacket combos with non-descript ties and comfortable (old) shoes. He’s not flashy – he’s not trying to impress anyone. He’s just turned 50 and is a little overweight, but trying to work out more and get into better shape, especially since he has become romantically involved with Michelle McNeill, the county medical examiner. But, he likes his pasta. He also appreciates a fine single-malt scotch.
Mike’s partner, Jason Dickson, is an African-American detective with a military background. He’s young and smooth and confident – but a little too cocky sometimes for Mike’s liking. There is some tension between them in book #1 (Righteous Assassin), but by book #2 (Deadly Enterprise) the partners fully have each other’s backs. In book #3 (Lethal Voyage), Jason takes more of the spotlight along with his girlfriend, Rachel Robinson. Their romance, which was briefly mentioned in book #2, becomes the emotional core of book #3. Then, in book #4 (Fatal Infraction), Jason decides to propose. In book #5 (Perilous Gambit), Jason and Rachel travel to Las Vegas to get married, with Mike and Michelle along as their friends and witnesses.
The dynamics between Mike and Jason and their relationship, as well as the relationship between Mike and Michelle and between Jason and Rachel, are the heart of the stories.
What makes them original?
Mike and Jason are both complex and “real” people. Neither is a super hero who takes on multiple attackers barehanded or outthinks an evil mastermind, or smoothly seduces the female spy. They are vulnerable and awkward and emotional. Their comrades in the precinct are similarly “normal” people who banter and argue and yell. They are very much New York-based people and I try to give an authentic feel to their surroundings and stories. Mike’s status as the mentor and senior detective give him a unique persona and perspective.
The relationship between the middle-aged couple, Mike and Michelle, starts out slow and then settles into a very comfortable ongoing romance, but they deal with their own issues. Jason and Rachel are younger and the discussion about whether to get engaged is a big topic, along with what it means to be married to a cop – and what it means for Jason to be a cop and also a husband and father. They are murder mystery stories, but the characters draw the reader into a real world, not a big-budget movie fantasy.
What makes them tick?
Mike is a very by-the-book guy for the most part, but we learn in all the stories that he’s willing to bend the rules when he feels that it’s necessary or justified. He also is concerned about his relationship with Michelle and how to keep that going, without putting her in danger. He’s also (surprisingly) concerned about Jason and his future and well-being. So, he’s both a crusty jaded cop and a sensitive, concerned person. He’s also now concerned about his own mortality and his own future to a degree that’s new to him, after 24 years on the force.
Jason has a chip on his shoulder about being a Black detective. He demands respect, although he comes to understand that he has to earn it. He’s also facing a cross-roads in his life where he must decide if he wants to be a career cop. He’s not sure he wants to be like Mike at age 50 – single. But, if he and Rachel get married, will he want to continue his rather dangerous occupation. And what if they have kids? Those questions are central to his story.
What is their biggest fear?
Now, Mike’s biggest fear is that something bad will happen to Michelle because of one of his investigations. It nearly happened in “Righteous Assassin,” and it became an issue between them in “Deadly Enterprise.” Unfortunately for Mike, there is more peril ahead for Michelle.
Is there a consistent bad guy in the books?
No. Each book has its own villains and challenges. Not every situation is clear-cut, which makes it fun. There is no super-villain who keeps coming back to terrorize the City. Each story is very unique. There is an organized crime family in New York – the Gallata family – that shows up a few times. And in Las Vegas there is a different organized crime boss named Freddy Costanzo, who has a link back to the Gallatas, but they are not consistent villains.
Can the books be read in any order?
Yes. Each book is a fully stand-alone story. I’ve had many readers pick up the series at each point and nobody has had any problems enjoying the books separately without having read the earlier ones. But, there is some development of the characters going on, and there are references in each book to events that happened in the earlier books. Some are necessary for later readers, and some are Easter eggs for readers who will get the “inside” jokes. There’s not much of that, but enough to make my audience happy. But they definitely can be read in any sequence. I would not recommend reading book #5 (Perilous Gambit) before reading the first four, since there will be some spoilers about what is going to happen to the man subplots.
What is Double Takedown about?
Two investigations that test the detectives’ sense of justice. In the spring of 2022, at their first big public event in the post-COVID times, Mike, Jason, Michelle, and Rachel attend a charity ballet gala at Lincoln Center. The ballet is more exciting than anyone wanted when a Broadway actor collapses and dies, despite Rachel’s EMT efforts to save him. It turns out that the actor was murdered. Mike and Jason investigate and quickly identify the director of the actor’s show (Godfather: The Musical) as a suspect. When they find incriminating evidence on the deleted files on the director’s laptop computer, the case wraps up quickly. The director is arrested and indicted for first degree murder.
More than a year later, the detectives are prepping with the prosecutor for their testimony at the murder trial. When an ex-cop PI tells Jason that the director is innocent, that the evidence was planted, and that the real killer got away with the perfect crime, nobody wants to hear about it. Least of all Mike and Jason. But the more they think about the PI’s information and the way the investigation played out, the more they worry that they might have developed tunnel vision and arrested the only suspect they ever truly looked at. When other evidence comes to light, they need to figure out how to find the real killer without violating ever rule in the cop book.
Meanwhile, a new body in a swanky apartment seems like a simple drug overdose, but the beautiful internet influencer might have been murdered. And there may be a connection between the new case and the Ballet Murder.
See what happens and how Mike and Jason walk a very thin line between duty and justice, in book #6 – Double Takedown.
If you and your character met in real life, do you think you’d get on?
Oh yes! I have given Mike many character traits from my own backstory. We would definitely go to a Mets game together and then share a high-end single malt. Mike’s a little younger than I, but we are both Boomers and share a lot of common experience. I’m not a cop, but that wouldn’t stop us from being friends.
Who would you like to see play them if your books were made into a film or TV show?
In the movie version of Righteous Assassin, if it were made soon, Michael B. Jordan would play Jason. For Mike, I think John C. Riley would be perfect. Maybe Brad Pitt. The casting director would have fun with the rest of the characters. I personally want Annaleigh Ashford to play Mrs. DiVito.
How many books do you have in the series so far?
Books 1-6 are now published and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook editions. I narrated the audiobooks myself. That makes it a 6-book series plus two stand-alone mysteries (Dead Winner and The Other Murder) in just about six years. Not bad for somebody with a day job.
What’s in store for them next?
After a two-year lull in the story. Double Takedown picks up our characters in the spring of 2022, then jumps to the fall of 2023. Book #7 (tentatively titled Treacherous Hack) will follow-on immediately after the time setting of Double Takedown. Mike and Jason investigate a murder that draws them into an international data hacking ring, while Rachel branches out in her television news career, which creates some conflicts of interest. Book #7 should be out by the end of 2025.
C:\KGC\KGC Writing\MST #6 – Double Takedown\Double Takedown Marketing\Interview w Kevin G. Chapman – Mike Stoneman Series and DT.docx
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Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and
employment law. In 2021, Kevin finished the first five books in the Mike
Stoneman Thriller series: Righteous Assassin (Kindle Book Award
semi-finalist), Deadly Enterprise (Kindle Book Award semi-finalist), Lethal
Voyage, (Winner of the 2021 Kindle Book Award, CLUE finalist, RONE
finalist), Fatal Infraction (Best Police Procedural of the year –
CLUE Award), and Perilous Gambit. In late 2022, Kevin published a
stand-alone mystery/thriller titled Dead Winner (CLUE Award – Best
Suspense/Thriller of the year). Then, in 2024 came The Other Murder,
winner of the CLUE Award Grand Prize (best suspense/thriller of the
year) and finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award. Now, in 2025, Mike
Stoneman is back in book #6, Double Takedown. Kevin is a resident of
Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University
School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.
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