Tamar Anolic has penned an intriguing tale of human slaughter and its many outcomes. In MURDER IN THE BARRACKS, a much-revered West Point cadet is found by a fellow student with blood pouring out of his lifeless body, perched in a chair in his dormitory room. 

As Brooks Jenson narrates, his friend, Jed Figueroa, has been sliced open with a huge knife. But why, and by whom? And who is the mysterious cadet Brooks saw stalking out of the barracks moments before he discovered the corpse? Brooks, who is a “firstie” --- a fourth-year student --- knows just about everybody, but this man is a stranger to him. 

"MURDER IN THE BARRACKS undoubtedly will attract Anolic’s current fan base and draw in many newcomers across a wide spectrum of ages and interests."

After screaming his discovery to the campus, Brooks is interrogated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. He is put on temporary suspension while his former quarters are cleared as this savage occurrence is being dealt with and his testimony thoroughly examined. Brooks calls his parents, who immediately come to stay with him during this traumatic time. He also takes comfort from mutual friends like his chosen girl companion, Mara, and professional support by esteemed female professor and former combatant Colonel Zac Madison. 

Anolic’s twisting tale illuminates the regulations and relationships that impact military personnel at all levels and will both help and hinder Brooks as he observes the progression of the murder investigation, which for weeks shows no signs of a possible perpetrator. Memories of his pleasant past, tight-knit family and genuine ambitions to be pursued after West Point are contrasted with his fears and deeply harrowing aftereffects of losing Jed, who was known to all as an admired star athlete. Mara offers what comfort she can while keeping a discreet distance as the investigation seems to yield no new revelations. 

But when Brooks is pressed for further information, with the oversight of Colonel Madison, certain details about his private life and that of Jed are brought to light, along with his sudden sense of recognition of the unknown cadet who had been near the crime scene. His most carefully guarded secrets lead to the identification and arrest of the killer, along with a sharp turn in his future successes at West Point and beyond. As he tells himself on the day of his graduation, it’s “time to fly.” 

Tamar Anolic is a widely known, prolific writer and practicing lawyer whose deftly crafted fictional works have garnered much-deserved attention and awards. Among them are stories for middle-grade and young adult audiences (A SUMMER LASTS FOREVER), sci-fi (the Vanguard Warrior Trilogy), and historical fiction (THE LONELY SPIRIT), which is her favorite genre. Her action-packed wordsmithing features vibrant, empathically credible personalities mixing and matching while battling, literally and figuratively, enemies both earthly and ethereal. 

MURDER IN THE BARRACKS undoubtedly will attract Anolic’s current fan base and draw in many newcomers across a wide spectrum of ages and interests.