First published 2016
Gus Murphy once had everything sorted out. The retired Suffolk County detective enjoyed a solid marriage, two children, and a comfortable home. Then tragedy destroyed his family in one devastating moment. Now Gus drives a courtesy van for a shabby hotel where he rents a room, going through the motions of each day to keep his grief manageable. His empty routine breaks when ex-convict Tommy Delcamino approaches him for help. Four months ago, someone killed Tommy's son T.J. and left his beaten body in the woods. The Suffolk County police show no interest in finding the killers. Tommy remembers Gus as the only honest cop he ever knew. Gus agrees to look into the case. As he digs through the accumulated dust on T.J.'s murder, Gus discovers that Tommy told the truth about police indifference. Everyone connected to T.J. guards secrets, from his closest friend to a gang muscle to a mafia boss to the investigating officers themselves. They will use violence to protect what they hide. Gus takes on this dangerous work as he struggles to rejoin the living.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Suffolk County, Suffolk
Period: contemporary
353 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: death, violence