Sting of Mercy: A Novella

by Casiman Grey

119 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2026

About the author

Every great thriller is built on a powerful contradiction. For Casiman Grey, it was a deep love for stories paired with a severe childhood battle with dyslexia. The system told him he couldn't read, so Grey fought back. He became a primary school teacher at twenty-two just to look the old doubts in the eye. For twenty years, Grey lived a double life – teaching by day, but dreaming on the bus. That's where his protagonist, the clinical criminal auditor Chris Lara, was born – a creative distraction scratching at his skull for two decades. The flashpoint came in 2022. Knocked flat by Covid, Grey used the downtime to study the mechanics of suspense under Lee Child and Harlan Coben. The directive hit like a punch to the jaw: Sit in the chair. He did. Today, Grey lives in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, with his partner and blended family. The unlikeliest beginning. The ultimate payoff.