Ebook360 pages6 hours
Monument Road
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
“This gorgeously crafted, shudderingly dark novel blends the genres of psychological thriller and murder mystery”—from the Shamus Award-winning author (Naples Florida Weekly).
Introducing former death-row inmate turned private investigator Franky Dast in the first of an intriguing crime noir series.
Having spent eight years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, Franky Dast now works as an investigator for the Justice Now Initiative, seeking to help others in the same situation. But when he learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge, Franky is torn. Should he help the man he hates more than any other, the man who remains convinced of Franky’s guilt to this day?
As Franky delves further, he comes to realize that in order to prove Higby’s innocence, he must also prove his own. Unless he finds out what happened that fateful night eight years before, the night 15-year-old Duane Bronson and his 13-year-old brother were murdered, Franky will always be under suspicion, and the real killer will remain free. What really happened that dark, wet night on Monument Road? And is Franky prepared for the shocking truth?
“Like your noir pitch-black? So does Wiley.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Engrossing . . . Readers will want to see more of the complex Dast, who’s both fragile and strong, cynical and naïve.”—Publishers Weekly
“Masterfully setting in motion his main character’s goals and the array of blocking forces, the author carefully orchestrates the larger and smaller revelations, the successes and failures along Franky’s path, into a thundering coda of suspense.”—Naples Florida Weekly
Introducing former death-row inmate turned private investigator Franky Dast in the first of an intriguing crime noir series.
Having spent eight years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, Franky Dast now works as an investigator for the Justice Now Initiative, seeking to help others in the same situation. But when he learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge, Franky is torn. Should he help the man he hates more than any other, the man who remains convinced of Franky’s guilt to this day?
As Franky delves further, he comes to realize that in order to prove Higby’s innocence, he must also prove his own. Unless he finds out what happened that fateful night eight years before, the night 15-year-old Duane Bronson and his 13-year-old brother were murdered, Franky will always be under suspicion, and the real killer will remain free. What really happened that dark, wet night on Monument Road? And is Franky prepared for the shocking truth?
“Like your noir pitch-black? So does Wiley.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Engrossing . . . Readers will want to see more of the complex Dast, who’s both fragile and strong, cynical and naïve.”—Publishers Weekly
“Masterfully setting in motion his main character’s goals and the array of blocking forces, the author carefully orchestrates the larger and smaller revelations, the successes and failures along Franky’s path, into a thundering coda of suspense.”—Naples Florida Weekly
Author
Michael Wiley
Michael Wiley was brought up in Chicago, and now teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of three previous novels in the Chicago-based Joe Kozmarski PI series
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Reviews for Monument Road
Rating: 4.083333333333333 out of 5 stars
4/5
6 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Freed after spending eight years on death row for a crime he did not commit, Franky Dast now works as an investigator for the Justice Now Initiative. But he’s not able to move past the events that cost him eight years of his life and isn’t certain he should help the detective who testified against him all those years ago and who now faces a murder charge himself. Investigating for Justice Now, Franky learns more about the murder charge against Detective Higby; Franky hates the man and wants him to be guilty of the crime. But as he learns more about the circumstances and about the people involved, he realizes there is much more to the case than he’d first thought. Despite his release from prison, many people still believe Franky is guilty of the murders that wrongfully incarcerated him and he realizes he must prove himself innocent of that crime before he can make headway in the Higby investigation. Can Franky learn what really happened that night on Monument Road? This gritty narrative explores the psychological state of those released from prison after several years in an unforgiving prison system and offers readers a starkly realistic view through Franky’s interactions with others. By turns, Franky will make readers sad, hopeful, angry, and scared as he makes choices that seem self-destructive and yet are part of his learning how to be free after spending so many years as an innocent man on death row. The characters are well-developed and believable; unexpected twists and turns keep readers guessing until the final reveal. The narrative itself is grim, dark, stifling, and brutally raw. Sometimes it is difficult to read. But its honesty is both compelling and mesmerizing. Put this one on your must-read list. Highly recommended.
Book preview
Monument Road - Michael Wiley
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