Kevin Hughes, who originally wrote under the name Charles Porter, has over 27 years of
law enforcement experience. Kevin Hughes joined the Shorewood Hills Police Department in 1974.
In 1978, he joined the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. In 1984, he was promoted to detective
and is considered a senior detective for the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. Kevin Hughes is the author
of Another Shade of Blue and Casualty Crossing.
Writing under the pen name of “Charles Porter,” he is the author of
Just Another Shade of Blue. According to the book description, “When Detective
Conrad Garrity is called to the scene of a body discovered in a remote park, he knows it will be a tough case: the victim
is a 13 year old girl who has been missing for several weeks. Internal conflict within his own agency creates instant heartburn
and fueling the frenzy is a prolific small market television reporter.
As a power struggle with an FBI Task Force evolves, Garrity and his partner try to unravel the mystery. Perseverance
pays off, and an unlikely suspect is developed. The revelation is less than welcomed by those who pursue a different theory,
but the bottom line is that gumshoe instincts and common sense still rule in police work. From the aspects of evidence collection,
a forensic autopsy, the detailed interviews and discovery of information; to the Grand Jury and to the resolution of the case,
Just Another Shade of Blue is not just another murder mystery. It's about the psyche of those
charged with finding the killer and the coping mechanisms employed by the detectives to defeat the stress and sorrow of iniquity.”
According to one reader of Just Another Shade of Blue,
“I found this book to have all the elements needed to make reading a pleasant experience. The characters take on a life
all their own. It is very apparent that Charles Porter has worked in the detective field for many years, as the plot is believable
and is interesting until the very end. This is a book that rates right up there with some of the best I've ever read and
I recommend it to anyone that takes pleasure in reading. One word of caution, make sure you don't have any up and coming
plans, the book is difficult to put down”
According to the book description of Casualty Crossing,
“An abused runaway who won’t reveal his identity. A social
worker on a mission. An outspoken police detective on the verge of losing his job. A meddling ex-wife with her own law firm.
A collision of personalities. Welcome to Casualty Crossing.
If you ask him, Detective Toby Jenkins will tell you that he’s been on the poor side of
luck for the past decade. Maybe he’s right. Now he finds himself embroiled in a battle with his bosses at the Madison
Police Department. They don’t like his attitude and he doesn’t think too highly of theirs, either.
Due to one of his miscues, TJ has been banished
to administrative duties and is dying a slow death behind a desk. But, on one fateful day when detectives are scarce, TJ is
assigned to handle the case of a battered runaway boy who wound up in a Madison hospital emergency room. TJ takes a chance
to change the child’s life and in the process, he must slay a few of his own demons in order to succeed.
A tough subject addressed with compassion
and a little humor while recognizing the realities of abuse, Casualty Crossing is more than a fictional snapshot into life:
It’s a study in character.”
