First published 2013
Jon Stanton stands before another crime scene as fires consume San Diego. Entire families die in the flames while the police department's arson investigator refuses to believe a single killer is responsible. Stanton has only a troubled young witness and his own instincts to guide him toward the deadliest opponent of his career. Years later, after leaving the force, Stanton keeps the unsolved Blum family murder file at home. When a prisoner offers to confess to killing adult film stars and the Blum family, he will only speak to Stanton. The retired detective must decide whether to enter that darkness again. In Utah, a federal agent and old friend lies murdered while investigating a double homicide. Stanton leaves his fiancé behind to find answers in a case involving a female victim tied to a tree. Each investigation pulls him deeper into the criminal mind he thought he had escaped.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, cold-case, redemption
Setting: San Diego, Utah
Period: contemporary
682 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: death, murder, violence