CIRCLEVILLE, OH (July 12, 2025) — Former Pickaway County Juvenile and Probate Judge Jan Michael Long has traded in his judicial robe for a writer’s pen, releasing his fourth book, “Chasing Jack Danning: Thy Will Not Be Done”, now available in print and on Amazon.
Judge Long, who served on the bench for 24 years before retiring in 2021, also spent a decade in the Ohio State Senate. Now living in Florida along the Gulf Coast, the longtime public servant has turned to storytelling — and despite the distance, his stories never stray far from home. Every one of his books is rooted in Circleville, Ohio, the town where he spent much of his professional life.
“My most recent is titled “Chasing Jack Danner.” It’s about a judge from northern Ohio who retires to live in Circleville and encounters several mysteries, including the discovery of a despicable murder 100 years ago in town and another mystery involving a foreign company bribing Ohio legislators to enacted a law allowing electronic wills that are then altered by artificial intelligence to benefit the foreign company.,” said Long in a recent statement.
His first release, an autobiography titled “My Life as an Ohio Juvenile and Probate Judge,” offers a candid look at his decades in public service and his reflections on the challenges and triumphs of the Pickaway County court system.
His second and third novels, “It Happened One Pumpkin Show” and “Return to the Pumpkin Show”, form a dramatic two-part crime thriller series centered around Circleville’s iconic Pumpkin Show. Both books follow a federal investigation into Russian human trafficking operations that threaten the safety and fabric of the town. With themes of justice, resilience, and small-town grit, the stories weave together suspenseful narratives set against the backdrop of Ohio’s largest fall festival.
This week, Long released his latest work, “Chasing Jack Danning: Thy Will Not Be Done.” The thriller follows recently retired Judge Jack Danning, who relocates to Circleville in search of a quiet life. But his curiosity about a decades-old murder pulls him into a web of danger. As Danning uncovers a second unsolved crime, he stumbles onto a broader conspiracy involving artificial intelligence, elderly financial scams, and a corrupt attempt to change estate law through bribery. With his life on the line, Danning’s pursuit of justice reveals long-buried secrets that shake his adopted hometown.
All four titles are currently available on Amazon click here to view: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jan-Michael-Long/author/B0B7C535Q3?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=7ed83cd2-f29d-4cd1-8d8c-bd538e3bf241
