Ken Malovos has been practicing law in Sacramento
for over forty years. He spent twelve years with the Public Defender’s Office
and twenty-five years as a business litigator. He now serves full-time as a
mediator and arbitrator. Ken has written two previous Mike Zorich novels and
both have been recognized by Chanticleer Book Reviews. Contempt of Court was a
First Place Category winner in the legal genre of the Mystery and Mayhem
competition in 2014. Fatal Reunion was a finalist in the
Thriller and Suspense competition in 2016. Ken and his wife live in Sacramento.
His latest book is the legal mystery, ONE
NIGHT IN AMBOISE.
1. Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
Neither. I write during the day, when I find time between my regular job of being a mediator and arbitrator. I do try to write in sequential days, just to keep everything fresh in my mind.
2. Do you outline or are you a pantster?
I am a little of both. I am moving toward being more of an outliner, but I started as a pantster. This is my third novel and I am seeing the importance of planning things out in advance. Being a true pantster is a lot of work with editing.
3. Which comes first – plot or character?
Plot. I have to have an idea of something that works over the long haul. The characters will come along right with it, but for me it starts with a plot.
4. Noise or quiet when working on your manuscript?
Quiet. I work in a very quiet environment and cannot imagine anything else.
5. Favorite TV show?
The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
6. Favorite type of music?
Oldies (50’s and 60’s), followed closely by light classical.
7. Favorite craft besides writing?
Reading.
8. Do you play a musical instrument?
No. I used to play the piano and the clarinet but now I get to enjoy listening to my grandchildren play the piano and guitar.
9. Single or married?
Married.
Two grown children, each with their own families.
11. Pets?
None now. Used to have dogs, Shelties.
12. Favorite place to write?
At my computer, at my office, away from everything.
13. Favorite restaurant?
Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento. Best wine selection in California.
14. Do you work outside the home?
I do. I am a mediator and arbitrator, after having practicing law for over 40 years. I spend quite a bit of time as a mediator and arbitrator and absolutely love the idea of helping people resolve disputes without going to court.
15. What was the name of the last movie you saw?
Dunkirk. I love WW2 and everything about it, so I loved seeing this movie. A small moment that almost gets forgotten, as it happened so early in the war.
16. Favorite outdoor activity?
Walking, especially along a river or the ocean. It is such a special time to just think and put ideas into some kind of logical order.
17. Pet peeve?
Bad drivers, especially those who drive on your rear bumper on the freeway and then pass on the right. I have been driving for a long time, but this still really gets me.
18. Your goal in life?
To help people in any way I can. My life as a lawyer was and is an effort to assist people who are in need. Now that I am a mediator and arbitrator and no longer practicing law, I try to help people resolve their disputes before they go to court. It brings me great satisfaction.
19. Your most exciting moment?
Two events: 1) Driving a car in a motorcade with Robert F. Kennedy in the front seat with me, when he was running for President in the California primary (June of 1968).. Unfortunately, he was killed one week later.2) Arguing a death-penalty case to a jury, asking the jury to spare the life of my client who killed two people. Fortunately, they did.
20. The love of your life?
My wife, Michele. All my books are dedicated to her. We have been together for almost 50 years.
About the Book:
Title:
ONE NIGHT IN AMBOISE
Author: Ken Malovos
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 289
Genre: Legal Mystery
Author: Ken Malovos
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 289
Genre: Legal Mystery
BOOK
BLURB:
JIM HANSEN AND CORINNE LARSON are overseas college students
at Amboise, France.
After meeting at a local bar they leave and encounter a drunk. JIM hits him and
the man may be dead. At the manor house where they live, they kiss and make
love. The next day she accuses him of rape but does not formally charge him. He
denies the charge. The police investigate the killing of the drunk.
After they return to California,
CORINNE struggles with the whole incident, wondering if she was at fault. She
talks to her sisters and then seeks professional help after turning to
alcohol. JIM goes to law school and
becomes a deputy district attorney, always wondering if the allegation of rape
will surface and whether he did the right thing. He marries another overseas
student from Amboise.
ALICIA OBREGON contacts JIM and asks him to dismiss the
criminal case against her husband. She informs JIM that she knows all about Amboise
and threatens to expose him. He throws the case, thereby allowing a guilty
person to go free. Over time he pays her money.
JIM is appointed a judge and ALICIA continues to blackmail
him. CORINNE’s husband comes to Sacramento
and confronts JIM in his chambers. JIM says he is sorry about the whole thing.
JIM goes to a rehabilitation facility but in a few weeks he leaves, feeling he
has resolved all of his concerns.
ALICIA is found dead. ALICIA’s husband is charged with her
murder but he implicates JIM because he knows all about the blackmailing
scheme. JIM then is arrested and must stand trial for the murder of ALICIA. The
prosecutor focuses on JIM’s motive. JIM asks noted trial lawyer MIKE ZORICH to
represent him. JIM turns down a plea
bargain and a sensational jury trial follows. JIM is not truthful with his
wife, his attorney or the jury. CORINNE’s husband testifies. The jury cannot
reach a decision and JIM must live with a tarnished reputation amidst unsettled
questions whether he killed ALICIA and raped CORINNE.
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