Slow Fire Book

One morning, Will Magowan opens his mail and finds a mysterious job offer to become the police chief of Haydenville, a tiny town in rural Northern California.

Once a highly decorated LAPD narcotics detective, Will was terminated after a devastating personal tragedy drove him to become addicted to the heroin he was charged with keeping off the streets. Fresh out of rehab but jobless and estranged from his wife, Will now lives alone in an old Airstream trailer on the fringes of L.A.

Out of options, Will accepts the job. After moving to Haydenville, he discovers that the once postcard-perfect town is being corrupted by a criminal influence that threatens to destroy it.

Haydenville’s normally law-abiding citizens begin to erupt in acts of unspeakable violence. Pets are going missing at an alarming rate. Stately Victorian homes are falling into disrepair.

With only a rookie officer at his disposal, Will risks everything in his quest to save Haydenville—entering a labyrinth of dark secrets that have remained buried for almost 40 years.

An emotionally complex and literate page-turner, Slow Fire marks the electrifying debut of a new series featuring Will Magowan.

Publishers Weekly

Mercer shows promise, but succumbs to clichés and the implausible in his debut about a former LAPD narcotics detective trying to rebuild his life after being a heroin addict. Will Magowan's new job as police chief in the tiny rural California town of Haydenville is his chance to show that he's again ready for police work. Far from an idyllic town, Haydenville has a thriving meth industry that's made addicts of many residents. “Nice place to live, if it wasn't for all the tweakers,” thinks Will, who suspects convicted murderer turned famous author, Frank Carver, who often acts as the town's patron, is up to no good. Mercer explores with finesse Will's past, the loss of his son, and his desire to reconnect with his wife, Laurie, but he uses the mayor's threat to fire Will too often, and as the most casual viewer of police dramas knows, even a smalltown cop can't just shoot a criminal or have someone die on his watch and expect to be at work the next hour. Author tour. (Feb.)