Phelan Tierney sees his mission in life as coming to the aid of the lost, the broken, the despised. This reputation as the justice system’s St. Jude compels a woman named Marcheline Whalen to seek him out and ask for his help. Her brother—an Iraq War vet—stands accused of killing a cop. Not just any cop – the most widely respected and deeply loved officer on the local force. What Phelan learns, and what he’s obliged to do, will reshape his notions of justice, honor, and compassion forever. David Corbett is the award-winning, Edgar-nominated author of the writing guide The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible” – Elizabeth Brundage) and five novels – including 2015’s The Mercy of the Night (Starred Review, Booklist) and Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book), which was described by Patrick Anderson of the Washington Post as “one of the three or four best American crime novels I’ve ever read.” John Lescroart remarked, “The line runs through Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene straight on to David Corbett. I'm not kidding. He's that good.” His short fiction has twice appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, and his non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Narrative, Writer’s Digest, Bright Ideas, MovieMaker, and numerous other outlets. www.davidcorbett.com Cover Design by David Drummond.
Author
David Corbett is the author of seven novels: The Devil’s Redhead (nominated for the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel) Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running (Spinetingler Award, Best Novel—Rising Star Category 2011), The Mercy of the Night, The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday (nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery), and The Truth Against the World (June, 2023). David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories. In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format. In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books). He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction. Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.
