Jack Renner first appeared in That Darkness and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Jack.
What is your name?
Jack Renner.
How old are you?
52.
What is your profession?
Homicide detective.
Do you have a significant other?
No. Not really. I mean—no.
Any children?
No.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
Yes, I have a brother and a sister.
Do your parents live near you?
My parents are deceased.
Who is your best friend?
I have a partner, Riley. He’s good man, but of course I haven’t told him the truth about almost anything about myself, so. . .I think that precludes real friendship.
Then there’s Maggie. She knows the truth, most of it at least, so I guess you could say she’s a friend. I doubt she feels the same since I basically ruined her life.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
I have a white cat named Greta, a stray who adopted my house for its warmth and food. I suspect that’s the extent of her attachment.
What town do you live in?
Currently? Cleveland.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
House, rented. I need both privacy and mobility.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
Wow. Never thought about it.
Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Steak, medium rare. Creme brûlée.
Favorite hobby?
I only have one hobby, finding and tracking the criminals so far from redemption that only execution will do. I don’t know if you’d call that a hobby. I don’t. It’s sort of a calling.
Favorite color?
Blue, I guess.
Favorite author?
I don’t read much, other than rap sheets. But if I did read, it would be David McCullough.
Favorite vacation spot?
Hah! Anywhere, at this point. Maybe a quiet beach in a place with a low crime rate.
Favorite sports team?
Diamondbacks.
Movies or Broadway?
Movies. At home. Too many people around in a crowded theater.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning by nature, but a lot of my work has to be done at night.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
I’ve been a police officer for almost thirty years, a detective for twenty.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Riley, my partner. And we always wind up needing Maggie’s help, in some capacity.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I go to work and follow up on our assigned cases, usually running down witnesses, following up on the evidence, finally arresting the bad guy when we can find them. Sometimes I have to appear in court or attend department meetings, which are close to torture. Once I can leave for the day, or sometimes on lunch hour or breaks, I research the ones who haven’t been arrested and who aren’t likely to be. (That happens for a myriad of reasons.) I have to figure out what they’ve done, what I can be absolutely certain that they’ve done, the reasons why they are never going to be stopped by conventional means, and what is the best way to approach them to get them to go with me under circumstances I can control. Afterwards, I have to leave the body where it will appear to be random violence. At least that used to be a typical day. But now that Maggie knows what to look for, it’s very difficult, nearly impossible, to do this without her knowledge. I will soon have to make a decision—continue without my work, or continue without Maggie?
You can read about Jack in Let Justice Descend, the fifth book in the “Gardiner And Renner” police procedural series, released October 29, 2019.
In a taut, brilliantly twisted new thriller from bestselling author Lisa Black, forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and Cleveland detective Jack Renner investigate the bizarre murder of a senator with secrets to hide. . .
Three days before a key election, U.S. Senator Diane Cragin is electrocuted on her own doorstep—a shocking twist in an already brutal political race. Cragin’s chief of staff is quick to blame rival Joey Green, a city development director who’s had his hand in every till in town for over twenty years.
Maggie and Jack have their own theories, especially after discovering a fortune in cash in the senator’s safe. But as they follow the money through the treacherous landscape of Cleveland politics, they find many more millions in play—and more suspects.
As Jack says, “Anyone can be dangerous, when they have what they think is a good reason.” He should know. Now a Herald reporter is perilously close to discovering the truth about Jack’s penchant for acting as both detective and executioner. With each passing hour, the stresses of the impending election expose new fractures and corruption at the city’s highest levels. And as one murder leads to another, and another, Maggie and Jack’s only hope of stopping a killer is an alliance that’s growing ever more fragile.
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About the author
Lisa Black spent the five happiest years of her life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office she analyzed many forms of trace evidence as well as crime scenes. Now she’s a certified latent print examiner and CSI in Florida and is the author of thirteen traditionally published novels. Some of which have been translated into six other languages, one reached the New York Times bestseller’s list, and one has been optioned for film.
To learn more about Lisa, visit her website at lisa-black.com.
All comments are welcomed.