by Les Roberts
First published 2022
Brock Sheehan thought his days as an Irish mob enforcer were behind him. He lives alone on a boat, keeping distance from Cleveland and the family that rejected him. Then his nephew Linus Callahan appears with desperate news. Linus had a bar fight with a wealthy basketball player recently freed from prison after running illegal dogfights. Now the athlete is dead and police consider Linus their prime suspect. Sheehan agrees to help, diving into the brutal world of underground animal fighting across northeast Ohio. The investigation turns violent when the dead player's fans attack Sheehan and his girlfriend. His search leads him to Youngstown, where he encounters Arizona Skye, the woman who left him years ago because she could not accept his violent work. She now reports news for local television. As Sheehan closes in on the truth, he confronts the dead athlete's business partner and rescues a pit bull he names Conor. The dog's instincts guide him to the real murderer, allowing him to clear his nephew and deliver justice.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: Cleveland, Youngstown
Period: contemporary
308 pages · Paperback · Down & Out Books
Content warnings: animal-death, violence