Welcome to Litsy!

Mob “troubleshooter” Kevin Markinson would like to retire from his profession and join his family in New Hampshire — but some jobs are hard to leave behind. A former Marine sniper who is also a fugitive for a crime he didn’t commit, Kevin soon finds a greater challenge when he returns home and tries to settle down with his wife and two sons… who are little more than strangers. And while his family might not want him back in their lives, his mob bosses can’t seem to do without his services—forcing Kevin to juggle between the dark world of organized crime, his role as a husband and father, and his need to keep one step ahead of the law. If he can’t, he stands to lose everything — including his freedom. “An unusual crime novel about what happens after a life of crime: when the killer has aged, when he’s hobbled by multiple old gunshot wounds, when he’s deeply entrenched in habits that accommodate a raging case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Most significantly, this damaged loner has to insinuate himself back into family and social life — tasks for which he has no skills. "Lead Poisoning" is a character study, not just of Kevin, but also of his wife and two sons, and each person’s hard struggle to move closer to something like family.” — Rae Francoeur, "Cape Ann Beacon" “The reader cannot help but root for this family. Parts of their lives are familiar and routine; basketball games, school board meetings, shopping for a new car, passing a driver’s license exam, a poignant afternoon at a family funeral. But (and the reader knows from the first page that there will be a ‘but’) Kevin cannot easily let go of his past life. Whether this family can make it into a secure future is the chief question of the book.” — Woodstock Pickett, "Crimespree Magazine"