Thomas Kenniff
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff
Author of Tuxedo Park
Lawyer John Palmer is awoken by an early morning phone call summoning him to a crime scene unfolding in New York’s storied Tuxedo Park, involving his old summer flame, Susan Sterling. The pair had taken very different paths since their carefree teenage days: Susan reveled in the jet-set world of fashion modeling,
whereas John charted a decidedly less glamorous course prosecuting bad guys in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Yet their worlds collide again after Susan goes missing on an evening run in Tuxedo Park.
John is asked to moonlight on the case with his old mentor, Don Haggerty. As the trail of evidence eventually leads to president-elect Kent Dawson, John is in a race against time, trying to stop a cold-blooded sociopath before he takes the nation’s highest office. To succeed, he must overcome bureaucratic obstruction, political henchmen, and his own guilt over his and Susan’s buried romantic past.
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff
Author I draw inspiration from:
I used to read all Nelson DeMille's books. I really liked how he would pick intriguing place to
set his novels, and the weave the history of the place into the story. I tried emulate a bit of that with Tuxedo Park.
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
The beach of course
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Jay Gatsby, I suppose. One of those 1920's carriage style elevators. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is one of those books that really awoken my interest in literature as a teen. Even though Gatsby is both tragic and flawed, I related to the
dreamer in him.
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Probably in 11th grade. My english teacher, Mr. Burke, really introduced us to the classics. Be it F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Hawthorne. There was part of me that thought I can do this one day, or at least try to.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardbacks are a little bit more cumbersome, but still my favorite. There is something regal about opening up a hardback novel. Paperback is a close second, easier to carry around and you feel less guilty about scuffing it up. The access of an ebook library is great, but I prefer paper. Audiobooks are great on long drives, but I confess I often tend to tune out.
The last book I read:
Open Bar by Dan Schorr. I have had the privilege of working with Dan. His book about the unraveling of sex crimes scandal on a college campus is gripping.
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Nowadays a computer. I don't outline or sketch anything. I start with an idea, that becomes a very general plot, then I start writing, and try to let the story evolve naturally, do I feel like a participant in it. I know enough legal writing, with all its formulaic structures and formalities. I don't want my fiction writing to feel anything like that--for either me or my readers.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Hmmm. Maybe the anonymous main character in Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City. I came of age in 1990s NYC, but the 80s weren't far behind. I can relate to coming to Manhattan, as young man, without much money, and a lot of student debt, but trying to live that big life. He was a lot more reckless than I was, but I'd still enjoy a night at the Odeon or Limelight with him. Maybe I could be his straight man.
Author Interview - Thomas Kenniff | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
A criminal defense attorney. It's taken this far.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 1960's, the Mad Men era. Stylish,
Sexy but still elegant.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Monaco. It's always nice to live the fantasy, even for just a while
My signature drink:
A Manhattan
Favorite artist:
I don't know enough about art to have a favorite, but if we're including music, you can never go wrong with Francis Albert Sinatra
Number one on my bucket list:
Making it to the Bestseller list
Find more from the author:
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About Thomas Kenniff:
Thomas Kenniff
Thomas Kenniff is an author and renowned criminal defense attorney, known for handling high-profile cases, including his defense of Marine Veteran Daniel Penny. He previously served as an assistant district attorney under the legendary Jeanine Pirro and was a nominee for Manhattan District Attorney.
Kenniff is a retired major in the Army National Guard Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps and a veteran of the Iraq War, where he earned the Army Commendation Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal. He is the recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award for the Advancement of Individual Liberty, the Marine Corps League Appreciation Award, and is an inductee in the Massapequa High School Hall of Fame. He lectures regularly to legal organizations, and his expertise is sought by major media outlets, including The New York
Times, CNN, and Fox News.
Kenniff is a graduate of the University of Rochester and the Hofstra University School of Law.
He lives in Oyster Bay with his wife, Emily, and their children, and plays ice hockey in his free time.
