Hand Off

Praise for Tom Barber's work: 'Nonstop, heart throbbing suspense thrillers that have you on the edge of your seat' 'Barber's books are roller coaster rides, extremely entertaining.' 'Great writing; full of suspense' 'Been reading this series one after the other and can't put them down...fast moving action and clever twists' From the author of the Amazon bestselling Sam Archer thriller series comes a prequel novel focusing on two familiar characters early in their careers, before they both became forces of nature in the NYPD. New York City, late October, 2004. It's the week leading up to Halloween. As born-and-raised New Yorkers, NYPD officers Matthew Shepherd and Jake Hendricks know from past experience, something seems to get in the air at this time of year. Shep is finally finding his feet after a rough start in the Department, and his partner Jake is doing his best to learn the job and serve the city after taking a few steps down the wrong path before becoming a cop.But then, a famous athlete is found dead in a Manhattan hotel; it appears he took his own life at the peak of his career. Another athlete is discovered badly beaten inside a strip-club toilet. And a masked vigilante launches a series of late-night assaults on men accused of domestic violence, administering payback, street-justice style. Shepherd and Hendricks are still young officers and not yet senior enough to be involved in investigations. But in the city that never sleeps, and before the time when the pair would become leaders of two elite investigation squads in the NYPD, the two cops are slowly drawn into the cases. As quiet, unofficial investigators.But also, as suspects.