8/12/2009 3:34:00 PM Dogging Truth, a good read penned by Dane County cop
Kevin Hughes
Dane County cop Kevin Hughes' new book, Dogging Truth, tells the story of a former Madison police detective who investigates for the defense when a Dane County Sheriff's deputy is accused of the chillingly brutal murder of his wife.
In Dogging Truth, author Hughes has again penned a story which will keep readers turning the pages. Although Hughes uses his police knowledge in writing, it is the compelling characters who first appeared in Hughes' earlier book, Casualty Crossing that make the book so readable.
The characters seem so real. They make the reader want to keep turning the pages to follow them.
As the story begins, Toby Jenkins (TJ) who first appeared in Casualty Crossing, has retired from the Madison police force. TJ is working as a truck driver in order to spend more time with the teenage boy, Billy, whom he is adopting.
Billy (who also appeared in Casualty Crossing) ran away from a stepfather who physically and emotionally abused him. Both TJ's ex-wife Elizabeth (a high-powered Madison defense attorney) and a social worker named Coletta helped to get Billy out of the juvenile shelter and into T.J's home.
Billy is one of the reasons that T.J. accepts the request of Elizabeth to go to work as a private investigator on the murder case. Billy points to the fact that Elizabeth has "helped" in the adoption process, so T.J. accepts the task, although he feels he's working for the "wrong" side.
One way Hughes paints his compelling characters is through the use of dialog, such as the following excerpt from the book when Billy is questioning T.J. about Elizabeth's client who is accused of murdering his wife.
The tough questions keep rolling out. "Do you think he beat up his wife?"
It took T.J. a few moments to answer. "It's a toss up. This man is not a saint. He was verbally rough with her and they argued often, but nobody saw any bruises or injuries on his wife."
"But what about your cop guts?" Billy asked.
"At this moment my cop guts are twisted, but I don't think anyone will be able to prove he was physically abusive. I know he's a screwed-up guy-that's for sure."
Billy pressed on. "What about the murder?"
"My guts don't have a read on the murder, yet." TJ gave Billy an adoring look. "You're a hell of an interviewer."
All of the physical evidence in the case points to the guilt of Elizabeth's client, as TJ begins his search. It seems like a "slam-dunk" case against the Dane County cop, as TJ uses his connections with the police department to begin his investigation.
TJ struggles with mixed emotions as he begins "dogging the truth." His investigation takes him in several different directions - uncovering evidence which has unintended consequences. The story shows that the legal system does not always seem to be on the side of truth.
But TJ keeps doggedly going on with his quest for truth and justice even after his work for Elizabeth's client is done. And the reader will keep following TJ in his search to the end of the book.
Hughes' knowledge of how cops and the legal system work makes a realistic background for this compelling story, but as in his earlier book, Casualty Crossing, it's the unraveling of the story and the characters that keeps the reader's attention.
Whether you've read Hughes' earlier book or not, Dogging Truth is a good read. Because of the everyday grim economic news, most of us can use an escape into a good story like Dogging Truth. Dogging Truth and Hughes' other novels are available through the South Central Library System. You can put in a request for them at McFarland's E.D. Locke Public Library.
Dogging Truth is also available in Madison at Booked for Murder as well as Borders West and Borders East. It is published by Stonegarden.net Publishing and can be ordered online.
For more information on Dogging Truth and Hughes' other novels, visit his Web site, kevinhugheswrites.com
