by Eugene Izzi
First published 1998
Terry Moran once climbed the police department ranks with impressive speed. That trajectory ended abruptly when colleagues accused him of murdering his sister-in-law. The charge never stuck, but the damage was complete. Two decades later, Moran remains an outcast among fellow officers, his career destroyed and his spirit crushed. He moves through his days mechanically, trapped in despair and isolation. Then investigators find a young woman's corpse in a downtown alley. The killer has butchered her with savage precision, carving out her heart and leaving a gaping wound. The discovery ignites fresh waves of suspicion. Moran finds himself once again in the crosshairs, fighting to prove his innocence while battling the ghosts of his past. The new case forces him to confront the accusations that ruined his life and the colleagues who turned against him.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, redemption-arc
Period: 20th-century
352 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: murder, violence