By Jenna Collins

“Rook to Bishop” is an action-packed, heart-racing novel that captures the audience as soon as protagonist Liam Maguire, and the trouble surrounding him and his sister, is introduced.

Paul Garvey, a 2005 graduate of Suffolk, has pushed his Finance degree aside and put his heart into what he enjoys- writing. “Rook to Bishop,” Garvey’s third novel,  is a compelling story about two Bostonian siblings, Liam and Penny Maguire, who find themselves on the wrong side of a very powerful drug lord, John Bishop. Lost as to what to do in their situation, the Maguire’s enlist the help of an old law enforcer, Nick McNulty, with a long history of using brute force to get his point across and a reputation that earns respect from even the worst of the criminals making Boston their stomping grounds. McNulty has been running the streets of Boston for as long as he can remember. His time operating behind the law has him battling with himself about the rights and wrongs of his decisions during those years, but the most important decision he must make is whether he should help the Maguire siblings, no matter what the cost may be.

Garvey’s novel is something special compared to everything being published today. He doesn’t line it with unrealistic events and saviors. “Rook to Bishop,” is entirely realistic. Everything these characters are experiencing could happen to anyone. He doesn’t shy away from the reality of drug lords and crime bosses, but instead embraces the violence that occurs behind the law.

There is also something extremely satisfying about reading a book and knowing the places the author is mentioning. Garvey’s love for Boston and the city life shines through in his novel. When an author is passionate about they are doing, it is ingrained in their work and a reader is easily able to pick up on it. I would recommend “Rook to Bishop” to anyone that enjoys the Boston atmosphere and loves a tortured character who is silently begging you to cheer for them.

As for Garvey, he is currently living in Dublin, Ireland, a city he says reminds him a lot of Boston. Garvey has just released his fifth novel, “Blackpool Knights,” which is the first of a new series.

Q&A with Paul Garvey

Q. What inspired you to write “Rook to Bishop?”

A. I wrote two books before “Rook to Bishop” (it’s part of a series, but each can be read stand-alone)… McNulty is kind of a peripheral character in [the first novel, Tomorrow’s Sun], but when I thought about the writing process for [it]…I remembered laughing to myself while writing any scene he was in. I hate to choose, but he really was my favorite character and I knew I needed to write about him again … McNulty needed a nemesis. John Bishop is a character in [the second novel, Green Wings to Eden]. I won’t say he was my favorite from that book, but in retrospect he was probably the strongest written and deserved a chance for main character billing. I was trying to write a chapter for a different book one night … but instead had a funny conversation play out in my head that I jotted down on a notebook next to my bed. The next day I looked at it and realized it was McNulty giving some young kid shit (who would become Liam Maguire). The story pretty much wrote itself after that.

Q. What were the challenges and struggles you encountered while writing “Rook to Bishop?”

A. I’m not lying when I say “Rook to Bishop” felt like it wrote itself. It might have taken a month or two for a first draft to materialize, but that’s it. Seeing those characters and the story come to life so quickly was a joy by itself. Part of that is because “Rook to Bishop” is a short book. All of mine are, by design really. I’m trying to grab the reader, hook them into the story, blast out some witty dialogue and action, and then let everyone get on with their lives. For better or worse, I live with a sense of urgency and a short attention span … the biggest challenge I have is being discovered by readers. At times it feels futile, especially without a good marketing budget behind you. If I’m working on a story and I start thinking about sales and publishing and everything else, it can put me off trying. So I try to focus just on the story and characters during the creative process.

Q. How did you choose the book’s title?

A. I thought it was witty and sounded good. I had read that a Rook (from chess) was from the Persian meaning for a chariot (a heavily armored war chariot) and thought it using the play on words (with Bishop’s last name) I could subtly describe the final showdown between McNulty and Bishop. I don’t know, maybe it was too subtle, my barber back in Quincy asked me why I wrote a book about chess.

Q. Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

A. McNulty and Billy Carson … are both loosely based on my father, at least elements of them. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I love my father and we’re very close. I never outwardly said they’re based on him, but he’s a big supporter of my work and it’s probably pretty damn obvious to him. That’s why I dedicated the book to him. I didn’t knowingly base any other characters on real people.

Q.  Do you plan on writing any more books involving the Maguire’s, Billy Carson or McNulty’s best friend? What about a sequel?

A. Carson, yes, he’ll be in another book or two in at least some capacity definitely… I haven’t started writing it yet, but likely my next book is going to be a story involving Vinny Bruxelles, [from Tooth & Nail MC] and will include to some degree Billy Carson. Sorry if that’s confusing, I never set out to write a series with these ones, it just happened and I’ve been working to tighten it up.