Part of Amos Decker, book 5
First published 2019
Detective Amos Decker returns to Burlington, Ohio, where a dying stranger approaches him with a shocking claim. The man is Meryl Hawkins, the first person Decker arrested for murder as a rookie detective. After twelve years in prison, Hawkins remains adamant about his innocence. The incarceration has aged him beyond recognition, and terminal illness ravages his body, but his insistence never wavers. Decker faces an uncomfortable possibility that his early career mistake destroyed an innocent man's life. His investigation into the cold case reveals disturbing connections to a contemporary crime. Racing against time, Decker must piece together evidence that spans more than a decade. The detective's perfect memory becomes both blessing and curse as he uncovers the truth. Past and present collide as Decker struggles to prevent another tragedy while confronting the weight of his professional failures.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, second-chance
Setting: Burlington, Ohio
Period: contemporary
417 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness