Published September 2023

Published September 2023

Kansas City attorney Josephina Jillian Jones, 3J to her friends, has dealt with people perpetrating online disinformation, white supremacists, and clients hiding assets, so when a couple who heads up a company that builds inner city housing for marginalized communities comes to her for legal help because their longtime banking partner has shut off their funding, the case appears at first blush to be tame by comparison. But when the bank president disappears and his greed-driven brother seems the likely culprit, things heat up. And when it appears the Kansas City mob is involved, the race is on to save both the company and the bank president. Lives are at stake and the clock is ticking. 3J has a reputation for being fierce and determined, but she’s going to need both help and a little luck to save the day this time.

REVIEWS

“Richly drawn, with cinematic flair and vibrant details make scenes and settings leap off the page, fully immersing you as if you were part of the unfolding plot. . . . Mark Shaiken demonstrates a writing style that is both sophisticated and engaging, masterfully balancing narrative complexity with thematic depth.”

Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views

“There are plenty of twists throughout the narrative, and the cat-and-mouse game . .  keeps the pages flying. . . . Your next-must-read legal thriller.”

Lily Andrews for Reader Views

“Shaiken . . . strike(s) gold a fourth time . . . with a glittering new story.”

Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite

“Shaiken’s thriller, Cram Down, is extraordinary. I was intrigued from the first page until the end. All the twists and turns had me guessing until the end.”

Alma Boucher for Readers’ Favorite

“. . . deep and crafted in such a manner that the reader has to connect the dots. In true Shaiken style, an appreciation for history is highlighted and the suspense is amped up from start to finish ensuring the reader is immersed in this riveting account. . . . Cram Down is an exciting tale that provides as much drama in the courtroom as outside on the streets which makes it the perfect story for the avid lovers of the suspense genre.”

Essien Asian for Readers’ Favorite

“. . . a winding crime plot that’s enriched and deepened by touching on issues of human greed, power play, violence, class, and race. . . . A captivating crime yarn set in red-hot Kansas City.”

Prairies Review