First published 2017
A man escapes from his grave and plunges into gunfire and flames. Across these interconnected stories, characters chase what they cannot quite grasp. A Hollywood fixer discovers romance beside a celebrity's corpse. An obese woman dreams of escape with a jewel thief planning to rob her workplace. Another man earns the nickname Mad Dog and comes to rue it. Each person runs from something or toward something else. The law hunts some while dangerous histories drive others forward without mercy. They all search for peace, stability, even love in a world where violence rules and desperation cuts deep. Every character bears wounds and faces their breaking point. They push past limits they never thought they would cross. Harper writes with the sharp edge of crime fiction but finds complex humanity in his damaged people. These stories examine how brutality and tenderness intertwine in human hearts. The characters thirst for connection while surrounded by chaos. Their struggles reveal how love can both destroy and save us.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: damaged-people, intertwining-brutality-and-tenderness, search-for-connection
ebook · Simon & Schuster UK
Content warnings: death, violence