Think the life of a computer troubleshooter is relatively boring? No adventure, just a bunch of geeky stuff?
You obviously haven’t met Lake Orion’s newest resident Meg Malloy.
What started out as a simple job ? recovering some missing data from a televangelist’s fund-raising website ? could end up costing her life.
But don’t worry, local author Mark Terry won’t let anything bad happen to Malloy.
After all, she’s the main character of his new mystery novel Dirty Deeds, scheduled for release May 1 through High Country Publishing, Ltd.
Terry, a 40-year-old Oxford resident, describes his new novel as ‘very high-tech? and ‘hard-edged.?
‘Not only is it a puzzle, like any good mystery novel, it has strong thriller and suspense elements,? he said.
The heroine, Malloy, is a freelance computer troubleshooter and amateur sleuth, who dropped out of Michigan State University and opened a dot-com company, which she later sold for $10 million and a lucrative consulting gig.
After living in Maui for a year, Malloy returned to Michigan, where she purchased a home on Heights Road in Lake Orion. Her parents live in Rochester.
Terry describes her as ‘athletic. . .about five-feet-four and with a name like Meg Malloy, she’s Irish.?
‘In terms of personality, she’s feisty. She takes no prisoners. She says what’s on her mind. She’s very smart, very much a technogeek and very independent. She doesn’t like to dress up. She likes strawberry margaritas and Mexican food. She’s currently very upset that the Sagebrush Cantina isn’t open. She plays classical piano, but loves hard rock as well as classical music. She’s a night owl, preferring to go to bed around three in the morning and not get up until ‘the crack of ten,?? Terry explained.
The author insists Malloy’s not based on ‘anybody specific,? but ‘she has certain traits of people like my wife, Leanne, like her outspoken tendency and tough-mindedness and independence.?
Malloy will need all the character traits Terry described when she finds herself investigating the disappearance of a televangelist’s daughter, who appears on a videotape being tortured and raped.
Shortly after her investigation begins, someone trys to murder Malloy and she soon finds herself on the run from Detroit mobsters, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service and local police.
‘Meg must unravel the tangle of identity theft, credit card fraud and murder ? and try to stay alive,? Terry said.
Luckily, she has the ‘mysterious? Jack Bear, a Chippewa Indian and ‘tough guy? (or ‘professional thug? as Terry put it) to watch her back.
‘He was formerly a bookie, but now he ‘helps people?,? Terry said. ‘He could be called an unlicensed private eye. Meg describes him as ‘tall, dark and oh boy.? He’s a black belt in karate. He doesn’t answer many questions about himself. He is perfectly capable of committing acts of violence if necessary. . .Jack pretty much does what Jack thinks needs to be done, and some of the niceties of society, like laws, don’t matter much to him.?
Dirty Deeds is Terry’s second book. His first was Catfish Guru, a collection of two mystery novellas (‘Name Your Poison? and ‘Catfish Guru?) featuring Dr. Theo MacGreggor (or ‘Mac? as he’s called), who just so happens to be an Oxford resident.
Dr. MacGreggor is a biology professor with a Master’s Degree in genetics and a Doctorate in toxicology (i.e. poisons). In the second novella, he accepts a position as a consulting forensic toxicologist with the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The MacGreggor character has also appeared in one short-story, ‘Just as Dead,? published a few years ago by the on-line mystery magazine, Orchard Press Mysteries.
Terry is more MacGreggor than Malloy in that both are experts in the field of genetics.
Possessing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Public Health from Michigan State University, Terry is currently employed as a cytogenetics technologist at Henry Ford Hospital’s Department of Medical Genetics.
‘My job involves analyzing chromosomes (through) a microscope,? he said. ?(The chromosomes) are from amniocentesis or tumors or bone marrow aspirates (leukemias).?
Most of Terry’s published writing is in the field of genetics.
Since October 2003, Terry has been reviewing mysteries and writing features for The Oakland Press. He also writes a ‘regular bit? called ‘Chat? for Mystery Scene Magazine in which he interviews editors and publishers.
Terry began writing during his senior year at MSU.
‘I read an essay by Stephen King called ‘The Making of a Brand Name,? in which King talks about his early years writing and I thought I might try to write a story,? he said. ‘I wrote a very bad short story, science fiction, called ‘When Red Eyes Blue? that I never marketed anywhere. I was hooked.?
‘Mysteries and thrillers chose me, not the other way around,? Terry explained. ‘I wrote some sci fi and some horror, but I mostly liked to read mysteries and thrillers and suspense, and that’s what I wrote.?
Terry said the ‘advantage? to mysteries is they have a ‘fairly clear structure.?
‘Generally speaking, start with a dead body and go from there,? he said.
When asked from where he derives his writing inspiration, Terry replied, ‘Inspiration is everywhere.?
‘I get it from the news. I get it from things that bother me. I get it from song lyrics and titles,? he said. ‘Sometimes I just write up titles that I think sound cool and see what comes to mind.?
Terry said he’s working on a follow-up to Dirty Deeds called Bad Intentions.
‘If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, what road is paved with bad intentions?,? he said.
The author’s agent is currently marketing a novel Terry recently finished, a bio-tech thriller entitled The Devil’s Pitchfork.
A short story involving Elvis impersonators, entitled ‘Murder at Heartbreak Hotel,? is due out this summer in an anthalogy called Show Business is Murder.
‘I had this idea of a woman coming into a P.I.’s office and saying, ‘I need you to find this man,? and slapping down a photograph of Elvis,? Terry said.
When he’s not writing Terry enjoys spending time with Leanne, his wife of 17? years, and their two children ? Ian, 10, and Sean, 6. The family has a guinea pig (Baggie) and a dog (Frodo).
Although Dirty Deeds will be available at local bookstores May 1, copies may also be purchased now, directly from the author. For more information about how, visit Terry’s website at www.mark-terry.com or e-mail him at MarTerry@juno.com.