A Very Simple Crime »

Grant Jerkins lives with his wife and son in the Atlanta area, where he has worked for ten years advocating for adults with developmental disabilities.

A twisting debut novel of murder and dark family secrets from a riveting new voice in crime fiction.

A murdered woman. A grieving husband. And their son-a mentally handicapped adult with a history of violent outbursts. A very simple case. Or is it?

Leo Hewitt, an Assistant DA once blamed for setting free a notorious child-killer, is eager to redeem himself with this intimate and grisly crime. As he digs below the surface he discovers more than he ever anticipated-including an emotionally disturbed wife, a husband who'd do anything to escape his disastrous marriage, and an accused young man with no apparent means of defense. But with each shocking new revelation, Leo is only led deeper and deeper into the darkness-an inescapable trap of blood bonds and twisted family secrets.

The Washington Post - Patrick Anderson

If you're looking for people to like or a hero to root for, you won't find them here. These are unattractive individuals who do terrible things to one another. But the story is well told and you have to admire the purity of Jerkins's writing: He's determined to peer into the darkness and tell us exactly what he sees.