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The Shadow Box
Not yet published
Expected 4 Mar 27They took his badge. They took his body. Now they're coming for the truth.
Detective Ray Oak "Ro" Luna's world is upended when an attempt on his life leaves him disabled and deemed unfit for duty. All that remains of his career is his badge, returned in a shadow box like a coffin built to contain his honor.
With his future uncertain and raising a teenage son alone, Luna grudgingly accepts a job as an investigator for the public defender's office, a move that brands him a traitor to many former colleagues. His new role pulls him into a web of drug-fueled murders, including the killing of his ex-wife, as a serial predator lurks behind a maze of deception and escalating danger.
Each step leads Luna closer to a conspiracy in his old department and to enemies willing to kill to protect the secret.
The Shadow Box, based on actual cases the author investigated or experienced during his thirty years in public safety, delivers procedural urgency, emotional depth, and a deeply satisfying moral engine.
Detective Ray Oak "Ro" Luna's world is upended when an attempt on his life leaves him disabled and deemed unfit for duty. All that remains of his career is his badge, returned in a shadow box like a coffin built to contain his honor.
With his future uncertain and raising a teenage son alone, Luna grudgingly accepts a job as an investigator for the public defender's office, a move that brands him a traitor to many former colleagues. His new role pulls him into a web of drug-fueled murders, including the killing of his ex-wife, as a serial predator lurks behind a maze of deception and escalating danger.
Each step leads Luna closer to a conspiracy in his old department and to enemies willing to kill to protect the secret.
The Shadow Box, based on actual cases the author investigated or experienced during his thirty years in public safety, delivers procedural urgency, emotional depth, and a deeply satisfying moral engine.
360 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 4, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read close to 200 books a year, and The Shadow Box is the best crime thriller I’ve read this decade. David Lane Williams delivers a rapid-paced story with real procedural grit, a compelling conspiracy, and a protagonist who has to rebuild his life when the career he’s dedicated himself to is taken away.
"Ro" Luna is the kind of character readers will root for from the first page, and his fight for justice makes this more--so much more--than a standard police procedural. Fans of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels will find plenty to love here, but Williams has created a hero who deserves a series of his own. I sure hope there’s another "Ro" Luna book in the works!
"Ro" Luna is the kind of character readers will root for from the first page, and his fight for justice makes this more--so much more--than a standard police procedural. Fans of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels will find plenty to love here, but Williams has created a hero who deserves a series of his own. I sure hope there’s another "Ro" Luna book in the works!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Hands down, this was one of the best detective stories I’ve ever read—thrilling, fast-paced, and authentic. I read it in under three days. Detective Luna is a very likeable protagonist, and his best friend Conklin, along with all the other characters, both good and bad, felt genuinely believable. I enjoyed gaining insight into the world of detectives and investigators, including their banter and sarcastic exchanges. The action felt real, but the cynical humor felt even more so. A big five fist pumps for this well-crafted and believable tale!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews