Ties that Kill

by Fran Thomas Jr.

Only one FBI agent stands between justice and a Black man with a violent past dying in a hail of gunfire.

A brutal crime has shattered quiet Lennington, Massachusetts, a blue-collar town haunted by privilege and secrets. FBI hostage negotiator Frank McAlister is pulled from vacation into a volatile three dead, two officers wounded, and the accused, local football hero Noah Winston – a skilled marksman with a troubled past – barricaded inside his house. When a naked body is later found at the lakefront home of a wealthy industrialist, a past thought successfully buried by rich and powerful people threatens to surface.

With the clock ticking, tensions high, and his own job on the line, McAlister joins forces with investigative reporter Shannon Winters, and together they discover more suspicious deaths. How are they connected? They soon realize their true task is not to determine who killed these men, but why. With the help of Noah’s friends, they begin to unravel a decades-old coverup, while navigating the politics of race and power warring in real time on their watch.

In this gripping procedural mystery, the line between justice and vengeance blurs, and every revelation sheds light on a wrong Noah Winston would not let stand.

Genres: Thriller

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2026

Reviews

[Sue]

Ties that Kill is the first book in Fran Thomas Jr.’s terrific new series, Silent Justice. Fran is a new author for me and I found this book to be fascinating, compelling and quite suspenseful. The book has a large number of characters that we were introduced to. In the story, special FBI agent Frank McAlister was called from his family vacation to resolve a situation in Lennington, Massachusetts. He is a hostage negotiator and there is a man holed up in his home with lots of guns and ammunition. The man, Noah Winston, is a local who had a troubled past growing up there. He was respected for his football skills and had some lifelong good friends and also some shady business connections through his dad. Noah is a large black man and used his sniper skills and knowledge to work for the government on some secretive missions. Frank is assigned a second in command, Scott Duncan, to help him safely resolve this situation. They learn a police officer has been wounded and three security guards were killed. They research Noah and learn of his best friend, Ricky Hynes, who they contact for background information. Ricky is a wealth of information, telling the agents about his life with Noah from the time they met in 7th grade. As they dig into things, they discover other deaths of people who had wronged Noah or someone he cared about. Frank realizes they need to figure out why the people were killed. Some are well connected to wealthy or political people. Frank reaches out to Noah and they speak via cell phone.

A well known TV show host and former investigative reporter, Shannon Winters receives an anonymous letter questioning if one of the former players from a rival football team to Lennington during Noah’s time committed suicide. Shannon has no idea who the man is but she recognizes the city from her college roommate’s hometown. Coincidentally, it is Jamie Hynes, Ricky’s wife. She had also met Noah at their wedding and other events in the past and has learned about his current stand off. Shannon decides to go to their house and track the story and provide assistance if needed. Frank and Shannon join forces and work to solve the murders in the past as well as try to bring Noah in safely and without charges.

What an exciting story! I’m so glad this is to be a series as I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style. His use of telling about the past in conjunction with the current day’s happenings makes a great statement. The characters and their pasts were well documented and I had a lot of empathy for what many had gone through. This is a five star book that I am pleased to recommend.

I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Tule Publishing Company in exchange for my honest review.

[Elaine Coghlan]

Ties That Kill ~Silent Justice #1 by Fran Thomas Jr.

A strong start to a new series, Ties That Kill is well written with an engaging and compelling storyline. The characters are interesting and feel well-developed, drawing you into the story from the beginning.

Although the narrative includes flashbacks to the past, they are handled effectively and don’t disrupt the flow. Instead, they add depth and context to the plot. I found myself fully engaged throughout the book and eager to see how things unfold next.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and promising first instalment, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Darlene]

A thought-provoking look into the life and legend of Noah Winston. After a shootout Noah is in a standoff with authorities and the special agent in charge is Frank McAlister. The story unfolds through interviews with people who know Noah often told through flashbacks of his past. As the suspense plays out I couldn't help but "root" for Noah. The author portrayed Noah's struggles as a black man in a compassionate, unapologetic manner. Although this a book I wouldn't typically read, it was very eye opening and is one that you will think about long after you finished it. I highly recommend this page-turning book-it made for interesting discussions with those I all ready recommended it to. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Paula]

Another new author for me to read in the mystery genre, Fran Thomas Jr. with Ties that Kill. As the name implies this murder is complicated by the past that refuse to stay hidden. There is a lot of flashbacks or at least going back in time to see how all of this might have come to be. However, it is a convoluted story so you will need to pay attention. It is also a story that is interesting and then holds your attention so you will keep reading. My favorite part is the ending, right or wrong, I liked it.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster]

Fran is a new author for me and WOW what a way to begin a series. So much suspense and intrigue. I admit it was sometimes hard to follow when one persons account was mentioned before all the details were revealed but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this new series and look forward to book two very much.