The Prison Guard's Son

Search for monsters long enough and you might become one.

Thirty years ago, Jacob Vance and Raymond Turner committed a gruesome crime that shocked a small West Virginia town. Only nine years old themselves, they kidnapped and murdered four-year-old Josh Baker. The two boys were quickly arrested, tried and convicted, but were released after serving only eight years in a juvenile detention facility.

Because of the heinousness of their crime and the town's thirst for retribution, the government gave Vance and Turner new identities and relocated them to parts unknown.

Now, the victim's father has hired Finn Harding to find his son's killers so he can levy the justice that was denied so long ago.

Along the way, Finn clashes with a tenacious US Marshal determined to protect the killers' new identities and crosses paths with an infamous triggerman hired to do what the courts didn't.

What begins as a typical job for Finn quickly spirals into a moral struggle between revenge and forgiveness as he learns details about the lives Vance and Turner have been living. As he fights with his conscience, Finn learns that monsters truly exist, you can't hide from your past, and some cases should stay buried.

'Dark, twisted, and remarkably clever. Trace Conger is establishing himself as one of the most original voices in crime fiction.' - Gregory Petersen, author of Open Mike. 

'The Mr. Finn series breathes new life into the P.I. genre...These are some of the most fully realized characters I've encountered in a long time, and this is one of the best detective series I've ever read.' - Gumshoes, Gats and Gams 

'Conger's writing is direct. It moves clearly and quickly, perfect for thrillers...' - Ronald Tierney, author of the Deets Shanahan Mysteries.