New from Down & Out Books …
CODE FOUR by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro
A Charlie-316 Novel, 4th in series
Publication Date: November 23, 2020
Buy the trade paperback from the Down & Out Bookstore and receive a FREE digital download of the book!
Also available from the following retailers …
Print: Amazon — Amazon UK — Barnes & Noble — IndieBound
eBook: Kindle — Kindle UK — Nook — iTunes — Kobo — Play
Synopsis … The last two years have been tumultuous ones for the Spokane Police Department. On the surface, the agency has suffered from scandal and police officer deaths. Underneath, a secret and deadly game of cat and mouse has played out.
Now the Department of Justice has sent investigators to determine if federal intervention is needed. Their presence disrupts everyone’s agenda and threatens to expose dark secrets. Goals shift from winning situations to simply surviving.
Not everyone will.
In this tense and explosive final installment of the Tyler Garrett saga, everyone’s true nature is laid bare. Garrett scrambles to maintain what he has built. Chief Baumgartner tries to protect his department. Captain Farrell’s plans crumble around him, and Officer Ray Zielinski’s career is at risk. Meanwhile, DOJ supervisor Édelie Durand diligently follows the facts where they lead. And through it all, the unflappable Detective Clint keeps his eyes firmly on the prize—Officer Tyler Garrett.
Acclaim for CODE FOUR:
“Frank Zafiro knows cops and he knows the streets—especially my streets. With Code Four, he and Colin Conway have written a timely and compelling crime novel.” —Jess Walter, Edgar Award-winning author of Citizen Vince and The Cold Millions
“For those who like their mystery/thrillers filled with plenty of action and intrigue and a realistic edge (reminiscent of Joseph Wambaugh police-procedurals), look no further than Conway and Zafiro. These two write with authority, because they actually worked the job.” —Robin Burcell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Good Place and Wrath of Poseidon
“Top-notch crime fiction…a realistic tale of murder, corruption, politics, and greed. But at its heart With Code Four is a personal and brutally honest look at the men and women of law enforcement. Those who walk a razor edge between right and wrong and risk everything for justice.” —Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron mysteries
“With Code Four is a tightly written procedural laying bare the infectious reach of corruption when officers believe the ends justify the means. Loaded with authentic detail, Zafiro and Conway deliver a thrilling, and heart-pounding conclusion to the Charlie-316 series.” —James L’Etoile, author of At What Cost and Bury the Past
“The real deal. Emphasis on real.” —Colin Campbell, author of the Jim Grant thrillers
“With Code Four is a must-read in the canon of modern police procedurals. From personal vendettas to consent decrees, Conway and Zafiro don’t shy from the inherent paradox to police work—that justice isn’t so cut and dry as we’d like to believe. We humans may be the only species that writes and enforces laws, but we’re not immune to savagery or misjudgment or corruption. Code Four is an authentic look at people who are cops…not cops masquerading as people.” —Matt Phillips, author of Countdown and Accidental Outlaws
“A timely and recommended read.” — Brenda Chapman, author of the Stonechild and Rouleau series
“Conway and Zafiro have capped their gritty police procedural Charlie-316 series the only way they could have: with booming escalation. All at once engaging, authentic and driving, they give the reader insight into the reality of cops’ lives with the added extremity of the series’ drama. See what comes from guys who’ve done the job and are now writing about the most riveting parts of it.” —Ryan Sayles, author of Together They Were Crimson
“With Code Four is a body slam to traditional procedurals with a taut line of suspense and an unblinking look at the inner workings of a major police department. A truthful tour de force of real police work.” —Gray Basnight, author of Madness of the Q
“A more than worthy finale to an outstanding series. Like all great endings, I put down the book with the idea these people’s lives were continuing, but I wasn’t going to get to see them anymore.” —Dana King, two-time Shamus Award nominee and author of the Penns River novels
“With Code Four hits with the shock and brutality of a brick through your windshield. A violent and unforgettable tale of the pull of corruption and the power of truth.” —Mark Bergin, author of Apprehension
“The story grabs you and doesn’t let go till you find out who wins—if anyone.” —Paul D. Marks, Shamus Award-winning author of White Heat and The Blues Don’t Care
“A fitting finale to Conway and Zafiro’s series of incisive police procedurals, Code Four pulls you in from the first page. It is both timely and terrifying in its portrayal of police brutality and corruption.” —Richie Narvaez, author of Noiryorican
“Code Four is a hard-hitting, complex, and unsettling read.” —Cynthia Kuhn, author of the Agatha Award-winning Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries
“Code Four is a book about cops, written by two former cops who know all about that job. It’s a book about crime and criminals, violence and the system, written by two former cops who know all about those things too. The result is a great read, full of unquestioned authenticity. The writing is seamless, tight, tense and clean. The characters are so well developed you swear you know them. Like the book title, Zafiro and Conway have everything under control and they’re in charge of the situation.” —Jim J. Wilsky, author of Sort ’Em Out Later
“This terrific police procedural explores what lies beneath the surface. An intriguing wrap-up to a suspenseful series.” —John Shepphird, Shamus Award-winning author
“Code Four is another stellar ride-along with real world police work. This series shines a mag light beyond headlines and into the day to day lives of a department on the edge. Tense, taut and rushing toward the conclusion, this is a great capper to a great series.” —Eric Beetner, author of All The Way Down