Romance. Revenge. Redemption.

A crusading congressional candidate, Marcus Blanchard, is framed for an election-night murder. Three powerful foes - his entrenched opponent, a drug lord, and a racist political boss – all want him dead. Accused of killing the woman hired to kill him, Marcus turns to the only man he can trust.

Brilliant but struggling with the ravages of age, Edward Mead takes the case while nursing his wife through the merciless treatments for stage-four breast cancer. Mead is thrust headlong into Cleveland’s gritty underbelly, colliding with drug dealers and thugs, race riots and protests, and an all-pervasive political corruption that enslaves its citizens in poverty while sowing the seeds of division and hatred.

John Grisham meets Agatha Christie in this fast-paced legal thriller murder mystery that grapples with the urban unrest in communities across the country. This book will leave you exhilarated and entertained, but most of all it will make you think.


With suspense on every page, Amazon #1 Best-Selling author Michael Swiger demonstrates why he is a favorite among mystery, suspense and thriller fans.

Fans of Creston Mapes, Robert Whitlow, Scott Pratt, John Grisham and James Patterson will love this thriller from award-winning and bestselling author Michael Swiger.


Reader praise for Lethal Ambition

★★★★★ Great Legal Thriller - Excellent legal read. Kept me totally intrigued. Great character development and book moved at a great pace. I highly recommend it if you like legal thrillers.

★★★★★ Better than James Patterson - In the past year I have read several James Patterson books, several John Grisham books…this is by far the best book I have read this year.

★★★★★ A real page turner! - This book grabs you from the get-go and doesn't let you leave for even a minute! The characters are great, you love them, you hate them, and you feel sorry for some of them...ok two of them. Just like a fine meal the ones you hate get their "just-deserts!" This is a must read!

★★★★★ Marvelous book - Rarely do I read a book so quickly and effortlessly. Never have I seen a book written without fluff. This could not have been an easy task ....to edit and tell the story without so much detail that the reader loses the story and gets sidetracked. All the characters were fully developed, and you got to like them and hate them because the details told you their story.
I have 2 more of your books and am putting them at the top of my TBR pile.

★★★★★ Excellently conceived and skillfully delivered - Lethal Ambition introduces us to Edward Mead, happily married to the love of his life for 52 years, and now on sabbatical from his position as a revered law professor. However, a negative prognosis of his wife’s cancer sets in motion a powerful underlying personal conflict; very real, so poignant – so touching. Further tension, produced by political aspirations and intrigue affecting one of Professor Mead’s former students is the vehicle that embroils the plot. Author Michael Swiger creates characters with distinct personalities and unique character traits that you grow either to love or loathe. Page by page, he skillfully sets the scenes that come alive, drawing the reader into the surroundings. He leads you through complex turns and plot twists that keep you drawn to the characters and riveted to the action.

All of this excitement, intensity and complexity is offered without one instance of trashy language that some “popular” authors feel obligated to include. Swiger’s solid moral foundation is just that. It does not awkwardly interfere with the characters or overpower the plot - a beautifully crafted story, excellently conceived and skillfully delivered.