“Gun violence in Gateway City is at an all-time high,” writes Chartrand. “The victims of the all-out war for control of the drug trade are claiming the lives of the innocent. Young children being gunned down by random gunfire is causing the newly elected tough on crime mayor to make bold decisions to shake up the Metro Police Department into getting results. Enter Mitch Neely. Mitch is the youngest homicide detective in the history of the MPD. Mitch’s first night on the job as a homicide detective is to respond to the random killing of a young girl, an apparent victim of yet another act of senseless violence in the city’s most troubled district.

“Mitch arrives on the scene and is troubled by what he sees. When he is tasked to talk to the victim’s mother, he promises her he will get the people responsible for the killing of her nine-year-old daughter, a promise no homicide detective should ever make.

“Desperate to keep his promise, Mitch enlists the help of his cousin Lee. A retired Army Ranger as well as an ex-con recently released from prison. As Mitch and Lee work together on this case, they are met with answers that don’t add up, leading to more questions. One of those questions being are these shootings truly collateral damage from a drug war? The other leads the rookie homicide detective into a world of corruption that knows no end. More importantly, the killing of innocents may not be accidental but something sinister. A level of evil so sick and twisted it causes Detective Mitch Neely to question his own commitment to his oath of protect and serve. This case will truly test Mitch’s commitment to the badge, as well as the belief that when it comes to family is Blood truly ‘Thicker Than Water?’”