First published 2018
The assistant district attorney sees the same pattern repeat itself. Battered women arrive at his office, bruises fresh, only to whisper those familiar words: "I want to drop the charges." Each case drags him back to his own violent childhood, to the monster who raised him. He knows how little the law can accomplish against men who rule through fists and fear. Then Marisol Pierce walks in. She carries a photograph of her son and something different in her eyes. She might be ready to leave the man who hurts her. The prosecutor sees his chance to break the cycle, to save someone the way no one saved him. He makes a promise he cannot keep, one that will risk his career and everything he has built. MacLeod's title novella anchors this collection of crime stories originally published in Shotgun Honey, Beat to a Pulp, and Shock Totem. The volume spans noir and hardboiled territory, even venturing into EC Comics inspired suspense. Author notes and an interview complete the package.
Genres: domestic-fiction, abuse, suspense, mystery, crime, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cycle-of-abuse, redemption, social-commentary
186 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, domestic-violence