Thomas Kenniff, the attorney who co-led the defense for Daniel Penny in a widely publicized 2024 trial, has released his first novel, a legal thriller titled "Tuxedo Park." The book, published by Post Hill Press, centers on a prosecutor's race to bring an incoming president to justice.

Kenniff, 51, has received comparisons to acclaimed lawyer-turned-author Scott Turow, with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich tweeting that Kenniff is the "next Scott Turow." Blagojevich, who served prison time on corruption charges before receiving a presidential pardon, has personal experience with the political machinations depicted in the novel.

"Tuxedo Park" follows prosecutor John Palmer as he investigates the disappearance and subsequent death of his former flame, Susan Sterling. The evidence trail leads to Senator Kent Dawson, who has just been elected president. Palmer, with the help of his mentor Don Haggerty, navigates a complex web of political maneuvering, black ops, and bureaucratic obstacles to seek justice before the president-elect's inauguration.

The novel is set in Tuxedo Park, a historic gated community in Orange County, New York, known for its opulent estates. Kenniff's own childhood visits to his grandmother in the area and his uncle's work as a home builder there provided inspiration for the story's setting. He described the location as a place that seems impervious to bad things happening, adding an element of intrigue to the narrative.

Kenniff's writing journey began over 20 years ago when he submitted a chapter to a writing contest in the New York Law Review. He was a finalist in the contest, which he described as a validation of his storytelling abilities and encouraged him to continue developing the manuscript.

Throughout his career, Kenniff has accumulated extensive experience. He served as a retired major in the Army National Guard's Judge Advocate General's Corps, was deployed to Iraq, and spent two decades in private practice handling high-profile cases. He noted that these experiences provided him with "lots of raw material" for his writing.

He also incorporated advice from the late author Bart Davis, who suggested developing a more intricate backstory for the character Susan. The novel explores how the tragic end of her relationship with Palmer, including an unplanned pregnancy, continues to haunt him as he pursues her killer.

Kenniff, who is accustomed to the precise language of legal writing, found writing fiction to be "liberating." He worked to ensure the procedural accuracy and overall compelling nature of the story for a broad audience. A Manhattan court officer and longtime friend reportedly told Kenniff that the novel was "a love letter to New York City."

![Thomas Kenniff holding his novel, "Tuxedo Park."]( "Thomas Kenniff holding his novel, "Tuxedo Park." ")