A SHATTERED MAN. A CORRUPT CITY. ONE LAST CHANCE TO SET THINGS RIGHT—BEFORE EVERYTHING FALLS APART
Chicago is rotting from within.
Forensic accounting investigator Sam Halloran is still reeling from a brutal case in Guatemala. Doubting his purpose and his future, he throws himself into a new investigation inside Chicago Public Schools—expecting routine fraud. What he uncovers is anything but.
The deeper Sam’s team digs, the uglier it gets: political greed, mob pressure, and buried secrets powerful enough to destroy lives. Chicago’s power brokers don’t just ruin people—they bury them. And this time, they’re waiting for Sam.
Then Catherine Jennings steps back into his life—sultry, sharp-edged, unforgettable. Once his student. Briefly, his lover. Now, he learns that she's the daughter of the CEO at the center of his investigation. Their connection is a legal and personal disaster… but desire ignores boundaries, and neither is ready to walk away.
As duty and desire collide, Sam is forced to confront the failures and ghosts he’s outrun for decades—his family, his father, and the lingering fear that his life’s work has lost its meaning.
When betrayal turns deadly, Sam must decide what justice truly means—and how much he’s willing to sacrifice to find it.
About the Sam Halloran Thriller Series
Each novel in the Sam Halloran Thriller Series stands on its own. While Sunday Night Fears explores how Sam Halloran’s past shaped the man he becomes, later books like One Honest Soul and Echoes of Deceit plunge directly into high-stakes financial fraud investigations. New readers can start with this book—or anywhere in the series.
Available in paperback, Kindle, hardback, and audiobook formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Echoes of Deceit about?
Echoes of Deceit is Book 3 of the Sam Halloran thriller series. It follows forensic accounting investigator Sam Halloran as he investigates fraud inside Chicago Public Schools – expecting routine financial crime but uncovering something far more dangerous: political greed, mob pressure, and buried secrets powerful enough to destroy lives. The investigation is further complicated when Catherine Jennings – once Sam’s student and briefly his lover – reappears as the daughter of the CEO at the center of his case. As betrayal turns deadly, Sam must confront his personal ghosts while deciding what justice truly means and how much he is willing to sacrifice to find it.
Is Echoes of Deceit based on a true story?
Yes. Echoes of Deceit is inspired by a real fraud investigation Tom Golden led inside the Detroit Public Schools, where his forensic accounting team uncovered a network of embezzling principals. All twelve defendants received federal prison sentences and the case was later featured on American Greed. While Echoes of Deceit is set in Chicago Public Schools with fictional characters, the investigative experience and the dynamics of institutional fraud it depicts are drawn directly from Golden’s real-world investigation.
Is Echoes of Deceit the last Sam Halloran book?
Echoes of Deceit is the third book in the Sam Halloran series. Whether additional books follow will depend on Tom Golden’s writing plans. Each book in the series stands on its own, so Echoes of Deceit delivers a complete and satisfying story regardless of what comes next in the series.
Can I read Echoes of Deceit without reading the earlier Sam Halloran books?
Yes. Echoes of Deceit stands completely on its own and delivers a full, satisfying story whether or not you have read Sunday Night Fears or One Honest Soul. New readers can start here and enjoy everything the book has to offer. Reading the earlier books will give you the full character arc and backstory, but it is not required.
What formats is Echoes of Deceit available in?
Echoes of Deceit is available in paperback, hardback, Kindle ebook, and audiobook formats. It can be purchased on Amazon and through major book retailers.
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