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Unraveling
Adrian Tannhauser came home from Iraq alive-but survival came at a cost.A roadside bomb killed two of his closest brothers-in-arms and left Adrian carrying scars that never truly healed. Years later, he has built a new life as a private investigator in Boston, helping others find answers while avoiding the questions that haunt him. Carrying a cane, a gun, and his ghosts, he keeps moving forward, one case at a time.
Then the last man who survived the explosion with him takes his own life.
Now, the old memories resurface, and the weight of survival grows heavier. As he sinks into isolation, Adrian must confront a terrifying saving others is easier than saving himself.
Spanning a series of interconnected mysteries, Unraveling follows Adrian through the cases that define his second life-and the personal reckoning that threatens to destroy it. Each story stands alone, but together they reveal a haunting portrait of grief, survivor's guilt, and a man slowly coming undone.
About the AuthorAndrew C. Peterson is a Boston-area writer whose work explores themes of identity, memory, service, and human resilience. Unraveling is his first novel.
Early Reviews
"Andrew C. Peterson's Unraveling is a debut collection you must read! Tannhauser lands on the scene as a crusader with a conscience. Brilliant writing!" - Seth Harwood, bestselling author of In Broad Daylight and Jack Wakes Up
"A compelling compilation filled with tension, and complex and memorable characters, Unraveling is a satisfying read for fans of classic detective fiction." -J.F. Baker, author of The Widow of Hartforde, 2025 Historical Fiction Company Book of the Year Silver Medalist
"Adrian Tannhauser works Boston as a private investigator with a knight's morals and a killer's instinct, a cane-dependent army veteran who rescues everyone but himself. One case pulls him toward the next, a forty-year-old murder, a woman fleeing her husband, a friend searching for the parents who gave him up, each closing an old wound and opening a fresh one. Peterson writes hardboiled prose stripped to the bone, where a stray smell or a chiming clock drops Tannhauser back into a burning Humvee mid-sentence. The cases are real mysteries, but the mystery that matters most is a man's own unraveling memory, and the guilt a bullet leaves behind when it touches everything. For readers who like their mysteries with scar tissue." - Tamarah Rockwood, Bainbridge Island Press
Then the last man who survived the explosion with him takes his own life.
Now, the old memories resurface, and the weight of survival grows heavier. As he sinks into isolation, Adrian must confront a terrifying saving others is easier than saving himself.
Spanning a series of interconnected mysteries, Unraveling follows Adrian through the cases that define his second life-and the personal reckoning that threatens to destroy it. Each story stands alone, but together they reveal a haunting portrait of grief, survivor's guilt, and a man slowly coming undone.
About the AuthorAndrew C. Peterson is a Boston-area writer whose work explores themes of identity, memory, service, and human resilience. Unraveling is his first novel.
Early Reviews
"Andrew C. Peterson's Unraveling is a debut collection you must read! Tannhauser lands on the scene as a crusader with a conscience. Brilliant writing!" - Seth Harwood, bestselling author of In Broad Daylight and Jack Wakes Up
"A compelling compilation filled with tension, and complex and memorable characters, Unraveling is a satisfying read for fans of classic detective fiction." -J.F. Baker, author of The Widow of Hartforde, 2025 Historical Fiction Company Book of the Year Silver Medalist
"Adrian Tannhauser works Boston as a private investigator with a knight's morals and a killer's instinct, a cane-dependent army veteran who rescues everyone but himself. One case pulls him toward the next, a forty-year-old murder, a woman fleeing her husband, a friend searching for the parents who gave him up, each closing an old wound and opening a fresh one. Peterson writes hardboiled prose stripped to the bone, where a stray smell or a chiming clock drops Tannhauser back into a burning Humvee mid-sentence. The cases are real mysteries, but the mystery that matters most is a man's own unraveling memory, and the guilt a bullet leaves behind when it touches everything. For readers who like their mysteries with scar tissue." - Tamarah Rockwood, Bainbridge Island Press
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy
Unraveling
By Andrew C. Peterson
This book took hold of me, threw me into the passenger seat of Adrian’s truck, and didn’t let me duck for cover until I reached its end.
The tales of Adrian Tannhauser, a collection of modern mysteries, feel entirely authentic, with a neo-noir delivery that suits the material perfectly, as does Peterson’s writing style, which drew me into the tales long before I knew what it was I was getting into. It is a style which has a visual quality that easily draws one into the scenes as if you were a fly on the wall during the stories; familiar with both the locations and the people that populate them. They are so very vivid, that midway through, I was left wondering how long it would be before these stories become some kind of cable series on one of the many streaming platforms Unraveling’s tales would slide into.
Tannhauser’s journeys through the changeable expanse of both urban and rural Massachusetts provide a setting that is at all times both tinged with nostalgia and gut-wrenchingly modern as the stories weave their way from case to case.
The supporting characters have clear dimension and one begins to either care for or hold them in disdain rather quickly.
Told both in the present and through the use of flashbacks that define our “hero”, Peterson moves from one to the other with a perfect sense of timing and relevance.
As the first installment of this character’s adventures, and Peterson’s first published collection of stories, came to a close, I couldn’t help but crave more from both.
By Andrew C. Peterson
This book took hold of me, threw me into the passenger seat of Adrian’s truck, and didn’t let me duck for cover until I reached its end.
The tales of Adrian Tannhauser, a collection of modern mysteries, feel entirely authentic, with a neo-noir delivery that suits the material perfectly, as does Peterson’s writing style, which drew me into the tales long before I knew what it was I was getting into. It is a style which has a visual quality that easily draws one into the scenes as if you were a fly on the wall during the stories; familiar with both the locations and the people that populate them. They are so very vivid, that midway through, I was left wondering how long it would be before these stories become some kind of cable series on one of the many streaming platforms Unraveling’s tales would slide into.
Tannhauser’s journeys through the changeable expanse of both urban and rural Massachusetts provide a setting that is at all times both tinged with nostalgia and gut-wrenchingly modern as the stories weave their way from case to case.
The supporting characters have clear dimension and one begins to either care for or hold them in disdain rather quickly.
Told both in the present and through the use of flashbacks that define our “hero”, Peterson moves from one to the other with a perfect sense of timing and relevance.
As the first installment of this character’s adventures, and Peterson’s first published collection of stories, came to a close, I couldn’t help but crave more from both.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Received an early copy from the publisher. Unraveling is a gripping collection of interconnected mysteries that delivers far more than clever detective work. At its heart is Adrian Tannhauser, a private investigator haunted by his military service in Iraq, whose battle with PTSD and survivor's guilt makes him one of the most compelling protagonists I've read in a long time.
Adrian is the kind of character you can't help but root for. He carries a cane, a gun, and emotional scars that never fully healed, yet he continues dedicating his life to helping others find answers. His vulnerability, resilience, and quiet heroism make every page impossible to put down.
Each mystery is engaging on its own, but together they build a powerful emotional journey as Adrian is forced to confront the trauma he's spent years trying to outrun. The result is a story filled with tension, memorable characters, and genuine heart. The exploration of grief, PTSD, and survivor's guilt is handled with sensitivity and authenticity, adding real depth to the suspense.
If you love detective fiction with complex characters and emotional stakes, Unraveling is a must-read. Adrian Tannhauser is a character who will stay with you long after you've finished the final page.
Adrian is the kind of character you can't help but root for. He carries a cane, a gun, and emotional scars that never fully healed, yet he continues dedicating his life to helping others find answers. His vulnerability, resilience, and quiet heroism make every page impossible to put down.
Each mystery is engaging on its own, but together they build a powerful emotional journey as Adrian is forced to confront the trauma he's spent years trying to outrun. The result is a story filled with tension, memorable characters, and genuine heart. The exploration of grief, PTSD, and survivor's guilt is handled with sensitivity and authenticity, adding real depth to the suspense.
If you love detective fiction with complex characters and emotional stakes, Unraveling is a must-read. Adrian Tannhauser is a character who will stay with you long after you've finished the final page.
September 17, 2026
Andrew Peterson writes with the soul of a poet hero. His prose and storytelling are terse and yet so much is said in those few words. He gives us a front row seat to his protagonist, Adrian Tannhauser, his inner demons, his morals, and the conflict between them. As each connected story comes to a close, it is only partial, a breath, and you will find yourself turning to the next chapter with your hopes poised on the edge of a cliff. Tannhauser reminds us of the truth that when we are at our worst, heading for the bottom, we can't save anyone, let alone ourselves. But as Peterson would have it, maybe there could be grace in the unraveling. I sincerely hope that Peterson will tell us more about this complicated man.
Review of advance copy
I am an avid reader who judges a book by whether it hooks me instantly, has distinct dialogue(some books you have to reread a paragraph to know who is speaking), builds an emotional bond for me with characters, stays unputdownable (read it in 5 hours), and not wanting the story to end.
This novel hits every nail on the head.
Smart setup, clever turns, atmospheric, immersive storytelling, evocative, beautifully descriptive, and stars characters I felt as friends. WELL worth the read.
Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend it!
I hope Andrew C. Peterson has more Aiden stories in him. I'm hooked.
This novel hits every nail on the head.
Smart setup, clever turns, atmospheric, immersive storytelling, evocative, beautifully descriptive, and stars characters I felt as friends. WELL worth the read.
Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend it!
I hope Andrew C. Peterson has more Aiden stories in him. I'm hooked.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews