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About
Kenneth Maher was raised in a suburb near Boston. His passion for languages and politics led him to get dual master’s degrees in business and Russian. He paused his successful business career in response to the 9/11 attacks. He served as a military intelligence officer in Iraq, where he used his knowledge of Arabic to help train Iraqi forces. In his spare time, Kenneth learns new languages and reads. Death Blossom is his first fictional novel. He is also the author of the memoir Wind of Change: An American Journey in Post-Soviet Russia.
"Death Blossom, has an intriguing and unusual premise—a military police investigator tasked with uncovering the truth behind the suspicious death of an American major killed by an IED with local soldiers he is there to train. The story quickly pulls the reader into a complex web of deceit, betrayal, and danger as the hero pieces together clues and navigates tense situations in his quest for the truth. As obstacles mount, the central mystery deepens, keeping readers hooked. The action sequences are gripping, providing vivid details that place the reader right alongside the hero in the chaos of a firefight or mortar attack. The military details lend authenticity, from the procedures and protocols to the specialized terminology. The settings also feel tangible, with interesting descriptions of the Forward Operating Bases, Iraqi landscapes, and communities. These rich setting and combat details, the array of colorful suspects, the palpable danger for the tenacious investigator, and the intriguing central mystery all compel readers to the exciting climax."
Nina Bruhns, Editor
Reviews
"Kenneth Maher’s Death Blossom plunges readers into the horror and gore of war from the outset when US Army Major Rolfson is killed by an IED while training Iraqi soldiers. Captain Seth Bodin is tasked with investigating the incident, which requires him to traverse a treacherous landscape of deceit and danger, uncovering truths that challenge the very essence of wartime morality. Maher’s stark, evocative, and sometimes brutal prose situates readers in the heart of battle, elucidating the heavy price of war for individuals and nations. With relentless action and gripping suspense, Death Blossom presents a shocking and captivating journey through the fog of war that never shies away from the reality and uncertainty of conflict."
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Erin Britton, Los Angeles Book Review
“Death Blossom announces its action-heavy narrative with a literal boom when a US Army Major is assassinated with an IED in Iraq. Captain Seth Bodin is the intrepid investigator assigned to investigate a mystery in the occupied country wracked by insurgency and sectarian violence. The phrase “Stay Frosty” is more than apt as the well-paced plot promises bullets and bombs from all sides along with a litany of compelling characters in this well-written work."
Philip Zozzaro, Chicago Book Review