Dan Groat

Pianos and Penance Dan Groat

From the Tulsa Book Review: "This sequel to Monarchs and Mendicants is a fast-paced thriller written in a similar style as James Patterson's Alex Cross series. Readers who enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher, or any thriller that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, will welcome this tale."




Death follows Gifford Ulrich. He lost his fiancee to a drunken driver, his two Seal buddies to an IED in Afghanistan, and his three homeless companions to the streets of St. Louis. Now, his friend, Renee Edwards, who played piano and sang the blues in a local club, has been murdered. Hired by her father to investigate, Giff seeks help from a blind, retired homicide detective, a computer-geek neighbor, and an ex-military workmate. The team discover that other women have been killed in the same manner as Renee, and they work to find a connection despite the interference of a small-town police chief. They match wits with a ruthless serial killer and struggle to connect the dots before someone else dies. With his team in increasing danger, Giff is forced to rely on himself and his hunches in an interstate manhunt that draws him into a life-and-death trap. Pulled by his desire for both justice and revenge, he fights to uncover the unimaginable secret behind the killings. "This author of major significance has produced a page-turning intense drama that will immerse the reader in the emotions of the hunter and the prey."