Pawnbroker

Would you give killers what they want to get them to leave you and your family alone? Gray Bolton might, if he knew what it was. His life as a pawnbroker in a Mississippi town is good. He has a beautiful family and the future looks bright. Then he kills an armed robber and discovers that he was anything but a common criminal.

Trouble cascades upon Bolton from the police, from home, and from unknown parties who may be the most vicious of all. They all appear to be after the same thing and they will all do anything to get it. Unfortunately, Bolton has no idea what that thing is. His battle to find out will test him in ways he couldn't have imagined, and the stakes are simple: Everything.

This thriller from Jerry Hatchett snatches you early and doesn't let go. It is fast, intense, and thrumming with authenticity. The author's style is smooth and easy with remarkable pacing throughout this afterburner of a debut, resulting in a tale that you literally cannot pause.