In one hand small-time crook Stokes holds a backpack stuffed with someone else’s money–$350,000 of it.
In the other hand, Stokes has a cell phone, which he found with the money. On the line a little girl he doesn’t know asks, “Daddy? Are you coming to get me? They say if you give them the money, they’ll let you take me home.”
From best-selling author James Hankins comes a wrenching story of an unscrupulous man torn between his survival instincts and the plight of a true innocent. Faced with the choice, Stokes discovers his conscience might not be as corroded as he thought.
Gripping – after it finishes torturing you to love the hero. Gripping. This story grips you around the neck with a couple of stomach punches thrown in. It’s not for the faint of heart, but then again do you really want your life’s tally of intellectual thinking to be the sum total of TV sit-coms on week-day evenings. Dive in to Stokes’ life and hang on for the ride.
I have enjoyed all his works Another well-crafted novel by James Hankins! I have enjoyed all his works. The main character in this story is a loser, a petty thief named Stokes, who initially inspires no positive appeal. But the reader is quickly drawn in when Stokes is reluctantly propelled on an unlikely path to redemption. The entire novel takes place in a period less than 24 hours. The feeling of tension is enhanced by repeated reminders about the passage of time. I have special admiration for the way the author…
Kidnapping, Murder, Greed Suspense Thriller James Hankins in his new book, “Shady Cross” published by Thomas & Mercer introduces us to Stokes.