Steve McManus

After two decades behind bars, a convicted murderer is hours from unexpected parole when the woman who freed him discovers that someone plans to kill them both to keep the truth of what really happened twenty years ago a secret in THE INNOCENCE MISSION, my 92,000-word standalone thriller about injustice and the dangers of fixing history. Driven by an irresistible heroine with deep convictions and a hair-trigger temper, THE INNOCENCE MISSION will appeal to fans of gritty and atmospheric books like THE DRY by Jane Harper and INNOCENCE ROAD by Laura Griffin.

Amateur web sleuth and certified conflict-magnet Evelyn McCurdles spent eighteen months dismantling the case against Charlie Hayward, who confessed to murdering two girls twenty years ago. Now Charlie’s coming home, and Evelyn intends to be there when he does. Rural Sawyerville, CA is limping toward economic extinction, and in a place with fewer tomorrows ahead of it, the murders still feel like yesterday. Talking with anyone who was involved in the case, from the district attorney to the town drunk, Evelyn faces growing hostility from a community that blames her for returning the bogeyman they thought they’d banished forever.

Helped by a cynical local goth girl who thinks she’s the most interesting thing in town, Evelyn confronts conflicting memories, personal agendas, and a population eager to take its frustration out on someone. With the hours barreling toward Charlie’s freedom, the lies, corruption, and violence that tie a longstanding conspiracy together begin to unravel—and Evelyn and Charlie become targets of people who are suddenly on the verge of losing everything.

steve@stevemcmanus.com