Forgiveness Dies: A Trevor Galloway Thriller

Hensley’s solid third Trevor Galloway thriller (after 2018’s Record Scratch) finds the former Pittsburgh narcotics officer and unlicensed PI back in the real world after three years in a psychiatric facility. Still on medications and prone to hallucinations, Galloway feels ill prepared to take on any kind of investigation. Nonetheless, when Nick Van Metre, a former Secret Service agent he used to know, asks Galloway to look into a possible threat to an up-and-coming presidential candidate, Galloway is interested. After Van Metre’s body is fished out of the Allegheny River, Galloway is committed to discovering the truth, if only his psychosis will let him recognize it once he’s found it. Though the plot may cover familiar territory, it moves forward at a steady clip toward a satisfying resolution. Galloway, with all his delusions and uncertain perceptions of what is or isn’t real around him, is an appealing and sympathetic hero with all the swagger of a Phillip Marlowe. He’s supported by an eclectic cast of characters, both real and imagined. Detective fiction fans will look forward to his further adventures. (Nov.)