Retired lawyer Gary Fields described his debut novel, The Book of Judges, during Episode 35 of The Miami Book Hub podcast. The book follows a chase through South Florida that blends ancient secrets with modern technology, according to the podcast host, who is also an author.
Fields practiced law in Palm Beach County for more than 30 years and previously worked as a computer systems analyst. He and his wife, Debbie, both attended the University of Miami School of Law while working, and he said he commuted from Broward and studied on weekends. After almost 40 years in Florida, he moved to California to be near his children and grandchildren, but he said a large part of his heart remains in the state.
The plot opens with a murder in Kendall. Young lawyer Josh witnesses the killing of his mentor, an appellate judge, and escapes with the judge’s virus-infected laptop. With help from a doctoral candidate and a technically gifted friend, Josh tries to uncover an ancient secret while killers pursue them over three days. Dream sequences take the story back about 2,000 years to judges who face human rights cases.
The idea came about 20 years ago, when Debbie urged him to try writing a novel. He completed a first draft after three years of late-night work, then set the project aside until he retired. After two years with an editor and 15 drafts, he said the manuscript was ready.
Fields is working on a sequel and envisions a trilogy. He also welcomes book club discussions, including by Zoom. Information about the book and booking is available at GaryFields.com.
