NEW RELEASE

BRUSHED BACK

 "Dignity is best defined as how well you rise after you have fallen.''

Richard Paloma’s second novel, Brushed Back, delves into the case of a small city police officer investigated for the murder of his wife and a maverick police sergeant, looking for a second chance in his career, trying to find the true killer. Brushed Back, is a chapter-driven police procedural story exploring redemption, romance, and justice.

From the quote, ‘Dignity is best defined as how well you rise after you have fallen,' Police Detective Gino Spinelli must rebuild his police career and credibility after he’s linked to the suicide of his ex-girlfriend. Spinelli escapes disciplinary action by taking a sergeant’s position with a nearby small suburban city. After a few months at his new department, Spinelli receives a late-night phone call informing him one of his fellow officers is accused of murdering his wife. Spinelli is assigned to monitor the case and takes the unfavorable position of the officer’s innocence. He relies on his instincts, putting his career on the line and following leads to other potential suspects.

Spinelli, who is no stranger to trouble and controversy, confronts obstacles to the case including the US Marshals Service protecting a federal witness, a stagnant and paranoid police chief, disputes with other police agencies, and technology advances he’s not equipped to understand. During his investigation, Spinelli whose self-described love life includes ‘two ex-wives and a handful of past live-ins’ encounters his former high school sweetheart and rekindles the relationship. In the end, Spinelli comes through in his law enforcement career and courtship with several personal discoveries and paradigm shifts.

Spinelli narrates the story in a no-nonsense tone, taking on and aggravating various authorities as he reveals his loyalties and devotion to those he cares about. The plot takes the reader through various Northern San Joaquin Valley locales as Spinelli follows his beliefs in pursuit of the true killer.

Richard Paloma uses his law enforcement experience to bring the characters to life and take the reader through the inner workings of a police department. Not only is the reader treated to the process of following leads through an investigation, but also the romantic intrigue of reawakening a past love.

 "Rich Paloma tells a story like only a cop in the trenches can."  --Kathleen Antrim, Bestselling Author of Capital Offense