First published 2018
Joe King Oliver once ranked among New York's top police detectives. Then someone inside the NYPD framed him for sexual assault. He spent years at Rikers Island, where violence left him physically and emotionally scarred. Now he runs a small private investigation business with his teenage daughter as his only help. His world stays small and careful until a letter arrives from the woman who accused him. She confesses that someone paid her to lie. King decides to hunt down whoever destroyed his career and his life. At the same time, he takes on a new client, a black journalist charged with murdering two police officers. As King digs into both cases, he uncovers a web of police corruption that has targeted black communities for years. The investigation puts both King and his client in mortal danger. King must solve these intertwined cases while confronting the brutal system that nearly killed him.
Genres: african-american, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, redemption, second-chance
Setting: New York, Rikers Island
Period: 21st-century
338 pages · Kindle Edition · Little, Brown and Company
Content warnings: abuse, racism, violence