Winner of the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger Award for Best First Crime Novel
Before the New York Times bestselling success of Defending Jacob, William Landay wrote this critically acclaimed first novel of crime and suspense—perfect for fans of John Grisham, Scott Turow, and Dennis Lehane.
 
“Landay writes with eloquent intensity.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
By a shimmering lake in western Maine, a body lies sprawled in a deserted cabin. The dead man was an elite D.A. from Boston whose beat was the city’s toughest neighborhood: Mission Flats. For local police chief Ben Truman, investigating the murder will mean leaving his quiet home and joining a vengeful manhunt in a world of hard streets and harder bargains. The cops have zeroed in on a suspect, a ruthless predator targeted for prosecution by the murdered D.A. But Ben distrusts the Boston police—especially when he uncovers a secret history of murder and retribution stretching back twenty years. As past and present collide, as tribal loyalties threaten to lynch an innocent man—or let a guilty one go free—one thing remains certain: The most powerful revelations are yet to come.
 
Includes an excerpt of Defending Jacob
 
“A crackling debut that answers the question: Who will be the next Grisham?”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“An inventive, gripping suspense debut . . . Landay deals out pertinent details with the finesse of a poker player. . . . A rich, harrowing and delightful read.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“[Landay’s] tale is reminiscent of his fellow Beantown writer Dennis Lehane, which is a true compliment.”—Rocky Mountain News
 
“Waiting for a new Landay novel is like waiting for a guy from Cremona to build a violin: anxious but worth it.”—Lee Child