Without Conviction

by J.T. Brown

Abbottsville, at its surface, is a charming border-town on land never meant to be settled. It’s land that some say is cursed, but that many others have made a suspiciously lucrative living; at a cost that is often unchallenged by its citizens. However, when a young woman, Megan Wilson, goes missing the silence is broken. Unrest is felt amongst the Town as her family accuse an influential leader.

As faith is lost in the local authorities a renowned investigator, John Tarot, is hired by the Mayor to find Megan. Tarot has a clairvoyant gift that once made him a celebrated asset in military intelligence—until his wife was killed and he turned to drink and cynicism. Now working as a private investigator he keeps his gift a secret; but as he arrives in Town his talent is mysteriously no longer available to him.

With the premonitions he once heavily relied on to solve his cases stripped away, Tarot is left to navigate blindly as he uncovers the bizarre underworld that fuels Abbottsville’s prosperity and encounters one perplexing puzzle after another.

Is his on-again, off-again gift finally gone for good? Without it, how can he penetrate the multiple layers of intrigue, greed and conspiracy that lie between him and Megan before it’s too late? Will he ever recover the optimism he had before he lost his wife and, along with her, his faith in humanity?

Without Conviction is an entertaining blend of whodunit and hard-boiled noir for adult fans of classic private eye thrillers.

222 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2025

Reviews

[Allison Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without Conviction hooked me from the start. Abbottsville is one of those eerie small towns where everyone knows more than they’ll admit, and following John Tarot an investigator who has lost both his gift and his faith made the mystery even more compelling. It mixes classic noir tension with underlying themes of importance of community and respecting land and nature over human greed. I loved the atmosphere, the moral grey areas, and the steady build of tension. If you enjoy gritty private eye stories with a supernatural edge and thoughtful themes beneath the surface, this is definitely a read for

[Allison Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without Conviction hooked me from the start. Abbottsville is one of those eerie small towns where everyone knows more than they’ll admit, and following John Tarot an investigator who has lost both his gift and his faith made the mystery even more compelling. It mixes classic noir tension with underlying themes of importance of community and respecting land and nature over human greed. I loved the atmosphere, the moral grey areas, and the steady build of tension. If you enjoy gritty private eye stories with a supernatural edge and thoughtful themes beneath the surface, this is definitely a read for you.