Maryessa Jones-Rendon drowns while swimming in the treacherous current near Maui’s famous Black Rock. An apparent tragic accident, but was it? Septuagenarian retired judge Bob believes it was murder, and he is sure he knows who did it. Can he and Bebe, his wise and faithful Labrador Retriever, uncover the truth before more people die?

“Aging sucks” are the first two words of my newest book, Maryessa, and they come from the heart. The story goes on to say: “Never mind what they say about the ‘golden years,’ aging still sucks. But I’m dealing with it, more or less. There are things I can’t do as well as I once could.” Well, even though Maryessa is a thriller novel, it’s not total fiction. These words describe me. The thought of writing a novel never crossed my mind until well after I became a senior citizen. I started working on my first one, The Septuagenarian – An R-Rated Thriller, in 2016 at age 74. It’s now 2025. You can do the math. It takes a little longer, but I’m still doing it, and have now finished this, my fourth. There is no way I could have done it without the help from my wife and friends who have devoted time and effort reading and critiquing my drafts, pointing me in the right direction, and giving me encouragement.