Gary McAvoy
A native Californian now thriving in the Pacific Northwest, Gary McAvoy began writing early in life, for a small-town newspaper and regional Southern California magazines, then corporate communications for his own businesses and client projects, and on to published nonfiction books. As a technology industry veteran, Gary developed and edited “Cracking the New Economy: Business Tools for the Entrepreneur,” published in 2000 by the Washington Software Association, on whose Board he served as Vice Chair and a Director for six years.
From 1999 to 2005 Gary worked closely with primatologist and animal ethicist Dr. Jane Goodall, serving as Seattle Base Camp Chair for the Jane Goodall Institute, managing Northwest fundraising efforts in support of the institute’s global initiatives. In 2003 Gary convinced Jane she should speak to global food issues, and in 2005 they co-authored "Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating" (Warner Books) with Gail Hudson.
Nurturing a lifelong passion for collecting handwritten history, in 1997 Gary founded VintageMemorabilia.com, featuring authentic signed letters, documents, manuscripts, books, photographs, and other memorabilia of historical or cultural significance. Those who share this passion know that few things compare to holding history in your hands—a letter written by Abraham Lincoln, for example, or one by Truman Capote discussing work on his book "In Cold Blood."
It was this last acquisition, in fact, that sparked the adventures leading up to Gary's latest book, "And Every Word Is True" (Literati Editions, 2019), a fresh look at the investigation of the infamous 1959 Clutter family murders, heinous crimes chillingly portrayed in Capote's landmark nonfiction novel. Having prevailed in a four-year lawsuit brought by the State of Kansas—a tenacious campaign of suppression and intimidation to prevent the book’s publication—"And Every Word Is True" pulls back the curtain for a suspenseful encore to the true story of “In Cold Blood.”
Works

The Magdalene Deception
For two thousand years, believers have relied on Christ’s Resurrection as the bedrock of Christian faith. But what if the Vatican had been blackmailed into suppressing a first-century manuscript revealing the Resurrection to be a myth—and that long-hidden document suddenly reappears?
Michael Dominic, a young Jesuit priest expert in the study of ancient writings, is assigned to the Vatican as an archivist in the Church’s legendary Secret Archives. Hana Sinclair, a reporter for a Paris newspaper whose privileged family owns a prominent Swiss bank, is chasing a story about Jewish gold stolen by the Nazis during World War II—millions of dollars in bullion that ended up in the vaults of the Vatican Bank.
When Dominic discovers a long-hidden papyrus written by Mary Magdalene—one that threatens the very foundations of Christianity—he and Hana, aided by brave Swiss Guards, try to prevent sinister forces from obtaining the manuscript, among them the feared Ustasha underground fascist movement, Interpol, and shadowy figures at the highest levels of the Vatican itself.
Based on illuminating historical facts—including the intriguing true story of Bérenger Saunière, the mysterious abbé in the French village of Rennes-le-Château; and the Cathars, fabled keepers of the Holy Grail—“The Magdalene Deception” will take readers on a gripping journey through one of the world’s most secretive institutions and the sensitive, often explosive manuscripts found in its vaults.
The Magdalene Reliquary
And Every Word Is True
The Clutter Murder Files
Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating
Cracking the New Economy
Awards and Recognition
- "And Every Word Is True" named as a Finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
- Gary` was named a semifinalist for the 1995 Pacific Northwest Inc. Magazine/Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in 1998 received the Governor's Award for distinctive leadership in Washington State's software industry.
Press and Media Mentions
- WALL STREET JOURNAL: In the half-century since Truman Capote published “In Cold Blood,” investigative journalists and scholars have documented countless instances of inaccuracy and fabrication in the so-called true-crime book.
- DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD: After new evidence emerged in the 1959 murders of the Herbert Clutter family, made famous by Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood, Glass Entertainment Group and Daniel H. Birman Productions have joined to produce a limited series based on what is one of the most famous crime stories in American history.
- LOS ANGELES TIMES: Judge frees original 'In Cold Blood' files for publication
- SALON.COM: The new “In Cold Blood” revisionism: What if Capote’s classic wasn’t fully true?
- THE GUARDIAN (UK): A new take on In Cold Blood? Judge allows agent's 'jaw-dropping' files to be published