July 3, 2023
Myers (Backstory) traces the transformation of an everyman into an assassin in this enthralling Philadelphia-set crime thriller. Auto mechanic and former military man Remi Bone has devoted himself to caring for his adopted teenage daughter, Kayla, after her mother’s death. Recently diagnosed with late-stage congestive heart failure, Remi is determined to come up with the hundreds of thousands of dollars required for Kayla to attend the University of Pennsylvania before he dies. An unlikely opportunity comes his way when the police arrest heroin dealer Rolli Castillo, who cooperates with prosecutors seeking to bust up a local Dominican gang. Remi, who killed men during Desert Storm, agrees to assassinate Castillo on the gang’s behalf in exchange for a chunk of Kayla’s tuition money. Myers wrings pathos and empathy out of Remi’s morally murky situation, and fleshes out the plot with vivid supporting characters and palpable emotional stakes between Remi and Kayla. Reed Farrel Coleman fans will enjoy this hard-boiled gem. Agent: Cynthia Manson, Cynthia Manson Literary.