Books & Articles

Books by John Leonard

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What would you be willing to do to save the life of someone you love?

Could you kill for him, or her? Will your ethics stop you when you reach the line, or will you cross it when your own family is at stake?

John Sutlive’s niece is missing. Evidence suggests she was kidnapped during the night by ruthless criminals. If John waits for the police to act, he may not find Sandy in time to save her from a fate worse than death. Failure is not an option.

Fortunately, John’s best friend is private detective Robert Mercer, who has some experience with rescuing hostages. If anyone can sniff out a clue as to what happened to Sandy, it’s Mercer’s fearless German Shepherd dog named Ox, whether the trail leads to the sand dunes of Tybee Island or the full length of the Appalachian Trail.

Will Mercer and company find Sandy in time?

Contains strong language. Second novel in the Robert Mercer series.


Secondhand SightSecondhand Sight

Dan Harper is just an ordinary guy, having an ordinary day…until he ruins his tie during lunch. When he visits a thrift store near his office for an inexpensive replacement, merely touching a secondhand tie triggers a flood of gruesome images only he can see. Are they hallucinations, or suppressed memories?

Dan desperately wants these visions to be nothing more than a product of his imagination, but soon enough, he discovers real crime scenes and murder victims. Dan can no longer ignore the unseen powers forcing him to confront the demons of his past. Dark forces prod him to seek the identity of the faceless murderer haunting his dreams.

Dan’s worst fear is the suspicion he’ll eventually confront the face of this brutal killer in last place he wants to look – the mirror.

This suspense thriller is a mix of police procedural with a paranormal twist. 101,625 words. Print version is 421 pages.


Always a Next OneAlways a Next One

Have you ever tried to housebreak more than one puppy at a time, or a dog that lived his whole life outdoors? Have you ever had to convince yourself there is room for just one more? Have you ever met a cat that struck fear in a pack of dogs?

I have, and experienced great joys and the occasional sorrow as a result. This expanded edition of Always a Next One is a true account of how we went from caring bystanders to front-line animal rescue volunteers. Follow our journey of rescuing misfit dogs and unwanted cats, fostering them, nurturing them, and rehabilitating them until their perfect “forever” homes come along.

Touching, amusing and life-affirming, these stories capture the highs and lows of fostering homeless animals. 41,446 words.


Counterargument for GodCounterargument for God

When he tired of listening to the constant attacks on religion by prominent atheists in the media or academia, author John L. Leonard spent several years on a personal journey, investigating the scientific evidence that purportedly eliminated God from what he calls the Big Picture. This book is the product of that effort.

John began with modern Darwinism and biology, and then learned about the evidence found in chemistry for the origin of life as well as the physics required for the Big Bang. From that perspective he formed what he calls his Big Picture of how life, the universe, and sapient humans all came to exist.

After building a strong counterargument to any claim that science can exclude God from His creation, John offers a powerful defense of his Christian faith. Counterargument for God offers a comprehensive rebuttal to atheism, using logic, rational thought, and good, old-fashioned common sense.


CoastalEmpire. Coastal Empire

Wealthy and beautiful Sarah Reid hires private detective Robert Mercer to investigate her husband Barry, a real estate mogul whom she believes may be unfaithful. Mercer embarks on a case of possible identity theft and probable murder. He uncovers a vicious web of real estate fraud and jewelry theft that leads him to Kelly, an alluring woman with a few secrets of her own.

As Mercer pieces the puzzle together, the dead bodies begin to pile up and events threaten to spin out of control. With his canine partner Ox, a large black German Shepherd dog, and John Sutlive, an old Marine buddy, Mercer and his motley crew do battle with a small army of villains in a fight to the death for his client.

This novel, set in sultry and mysterious Savannah, Georgia, is the inaugural book in the Robert Mercer detective series of great mysteries with irresistible supernatural twists.


Divine Evolution by John LeonardDivine Evolution

For as long as man has contemplated the origin of the universe and the life within it, the search for answers has led some to religion in pursuit of a Creator, and others believe that science, especially Darwinian natural selection has all the answers. Divine Evolution represents the author’s attempt to reconcile the creationism account found in Genesis with the wealth of scientific evidence to explain life without supernaturally directed influence.

Not confined purely to religious writings or scientific textbooks, this book explores contemporary scientific evidence in support of evolution and the religious, spiritual, psychological and personal sources of information that might provide answers to the great existential questions of “Who am I?” and “How did I get here?”

Both atheists and religious people alike seek the answers to these questions. Rather than limiting the scope of the search to purely religious or purely secular sources, Divine Evolution presents an intriguing new perspective rationally developed after evaluating the physical evidence found in the fossil record, and more importantly what that evidence means. It also explores the psychological perspective of religious beliefs, and to see if any evidence exists in support for the supernatural.