by A. D. Miller
First published 2017
Tom Nyman watches helplessly as a young woman dies in Los Angeles. The murder could have been prevented, and that knowledge drives him into the city's underbelly to find answers. His search pulls him from the wealth of Beverly Hills to the desperation of Skid Row. Each lead forces Tom to confront pieces of his own history he would rather forget. The investigation reveals connections between sex trafficking, financial schemes, and corrupt politicians. These threads weave through Los Angeles like a poison, reaching from street level dealers to city hall offices. Tom must navigate both the external maze of crime and his internal struggles with guilt and memory. The case becomes personal as Tom realizes how deeply the corruption has infected the city he calls home.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, personal-stakes
Setting: Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Skid Row
Period: 21st-century
335 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: sexual-content, violence