Down & Out Books to Publish Debut Political Thriller by University of Chicago Law Professor

TAMPA, Fla. - Aug. 9, 2017 - PRLog -- Down & Out Books has announced that it will publish MENTAL STATE, the debut political thriller by distinguished University of Chicago Law professor M. Todd Henderson. The book is scheduled to be released in late 2018.

MENTAL STATE is about one man's desperate search to find his brother's killer. When law professor Alex Johnson is found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, everyone thinks it is suicide. Everyone except his FBI agent brother, Royce. Agent Johnson's rogue investigation into his brother's murder tracks the killer from the ivy-covered halls of an elite university to the streets of Chicago to the steps of the Supreme Court. MENTAL STATE is about two brothers learning about each other in death, and about the things people will do when convinced they are in the right.

"I've always been intrigued by the ways in which we justify the taking of human life," said Henderson. "Whether it is to satisfy our taste for revenge, to pursue justice, or to serve the common good, man is always excusing being a wolf to other men. As a law professor, this inquiry sits at the heart of what I teach and write about. Writing a novel, based loosely on my own life and experiences, allowed me to explore the question in a different way."

"I was excited to learn that Todd was interested in having us publish his new thriller," said Eric Campbell, publisher of Down & Out Books. "This is the kind of book that appeals to me as a reader: fast-paced and dynamically written with a strong and topical theme. It will be a solid addition to our library of titles."

M. Todd Henderson is the Michael J. Marks Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School. He received a civil engineering degree from Princeton University and worked for several years designing and building dams in California before law school. After graduation, he served as a clerk in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and subsequently practiced law in Washington, DC at Kirkland & Ellis and then worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company. He joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 2004.

Alexander Hoyt Associates represents MENTAL STATE for film and foreign-language rights. Elaine Ash serves as developmental editor.

Celebrating six years as an independent publisher of award-winning literary and crime fiction, Down & Out Books (DownAndOutBooks.com (http://downandoutbooks.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=...)) is based in Tampa, Florida. For more information about the book, or to request an interview with the author or publisher, contact lance@downandoutbooks.com.