First published 2011
Matthew Scudder battles his own sobriety while investigating a murder that hits close to home. His childhood friend Jack Ellery turns up dead, apparently killed while working through his Alcoholics Anonymous amends process. Scudder takes on the case reluctantly, armed with only one clue: Ellery's AA list of people he had wronged during his drinking years. Each name represents a potential suspect, someone who might have harbored enough resentment to kill. As Scudder digs deeper into his friend's past mistakes and attempts at redemption, he confronts his own fragile recovery. The investigation pulls him back into the world of bars and alcoholics, threatening to derail the sobriety he's fought to maintain. Scudder must solve the murder while resisting the bottle that once defined his life. The case becomes a test of his resolve as much as his detective skills.
Genres: addiction, suspense, mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, character-driven, redemption, sobriety
319 pages · Hardcover · Mulholland Books
Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse, death, murder