From Booklist
Meet Mick Callahan, a former television talk-show psychiatrist foiled by his own ego (and a penchant for liquid refreshment). Now he's earning an undistinguished living as a radio host in Dry Wells, Nevada (a place for which the phrase "small town" is too grandiose). But, several years after his self-inflicted downfall, things are looking up: in a few days, he has an interview for a job that will return him to television. The only roadblock is the potential for scandal surrounding the murder of a young woman caller to his show. Mick needs to find out whodunit before the case can foul up his job opportunity. First-novelist Shannon gives the amateur-detective theme a nice little twist by giving his hero a deadline--and a self-centered one at that. The crisply detailed small-town desert setting adds to the novel's sense of freshness. Callahan isn't the first psychiatrist-detective hero, but he's certainly one of the more memorable. Let's hope he's around for a long run. David Pitt
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Book Description
"Mick Callahan is my kind of character -- flawed and vulnerable, tenacious and likable. His debut is a fast, edgy, twisty, modern noir thriller with an expertly realized desert setting." --Bill Pronzini (author of the ‘NAMELESS DETECTIVE’ novels) "Harry Shannon's prose stands hip-deep in swagger, confidence, and wit. Put this guy on your list of favorites—that's where he belongs." --Thomas F. Monteleone (author of "EYES OF THE VIRGIN") "An engaging, action-packed mystery full of memorable characters and believable suspense." --Barbara Seranella (author of the MUNCH MANCINI Crime Novels) "So damn fun that your daddy will definitely take your T-Bird away." --Crimestalker Casebook "A celebration of stylish, incisive writing that transcends the barriers of genre. Harry Shannon sends his flawed hero into a world of desert noir where wickedness and danger are inflamed under the unrelenting glare of the burning sun. Mark your calendars for a terrific read." --Paul Bishop (author of the FEY CROAKER LAPD series) "Harry Shannon's MEMORIAL DAY is the kind of book that elevates the crime fiction genre to what Raymond Chandler always wanted it to be -- crime literature. And there's a bumper crop of wit there, to boot!" --John McAleer, Edgar recipient (author of COIGN OF VANTAGE, THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM MURDERS) "Mick Callahan latches onto the crime as a distraction against his own uncertainty. He has led a full life, with more than its share of traumas. Static moments give him nothing but time to reflect, and more often than not he is reminded of things he'd rather forget. So, however unwillingly he might see his taking on the role of amateur sleuth, the reader knows it's an attempt at a spiritual cleansing . There is nary a misstep in this entire novel. There are lulls in the narrative but these are necessary, beautifully counterbalancing the darkness that follows. It's an intriguing first foray into the seedy underbelly of crime noir, which is a genre laden with cliche and repetitiveness. All the more surprising and refreshing then, that Shannon manages to introduce such an original and fiercely entertaining novel into the mix. This is one terrific piece of work." --Frank Holt (AllReaders.com)

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Five Star rolls out two novels set in the American West: Laurie Moore's kinky sequel to The Lady Godiva Murder (2002), The Wild Orchid Society, in which Fort Worth homicide cop Cuzanne Martin joins a decadent secret society in order to track down a sadistic killer known as the Executioner and Harry Shannon's noirish mystery debut, Memorial Day, in which down-on-his-luck psychologist Mick Callahan, now a radio talk-show host near his hometown of Dry Wells, Nev., investigates the murder of one of his call-in listeners. Advance praise from Bill Pronzini and Barbara Seranella should give it a boost. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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