<h2><strong style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">2022 FIRST PRIZE WINNER OF The Global Book Awards</strong></h2><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)"><br></p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">The world-class Port Huron-Mackinac sailboat race has just finished at Mackinac Island. As soon as the boats dock, the sailors head for the legendary Pink Pony. But the night takes a grisly turn, and Jimmy Lyons is found dead the next morning in the bar, strangled by a string of Christmas tree lights.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)"><br></p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">Murdo Halverson, a wealthy manufacturer from Detroit and Jimmy's former partner, is arrested for the murder. It turns out that the free spending Jimmy was broke. Each of his crew, including Murdo, had a reason to kill him. As did his wife, Jane.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)"><br></p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">Burr Lafayette, recently divorced and the deposed head of the litigation department of a major Detroit law firm, is recruited to defend Murdo by his wife, Anne, and his mother, Martha, the widowed matriarch of the family.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)"><br></p><p style="margin: 0 0 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">A man at loose ends, Burr is a brilliant litigator who prefers boats and dogs over courtrooms and clients. But he's not a criminal lawyer, and this looks like a losing case. Did Murdo kill Jimmy or was it someone else?</p>