“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Byron said.
Acknowledgments
Within Plain Sight, novel number four in the Detective Byron Mystery Series, is a testament to how incredible you, my readers, are. My first publishing contract was for three novels, a typical series offering in the publishing world. I had, it seemed, at least for the foreseeable future, all that I could handle. Among the Shadows was slated to be released in the fall of 2016. I was halfway through the manuscript for Beneath the Depths. And novel number three, Beyond the Truth, was still swirling about the gray matter inside my head. At that early stage in my novel writing journey, I couldn’t imagine anything beyond three Byron novels. But here we are, looking another Byron novel square in the eye. John Byron lives on, and for that both John and I continue to be eternally grateful to all of you.
As always, I must give thanks to the many special folks without whom I might never have gotten this far: Paula Munier and Gina Panettieri at Talcott Notch Literary for continuing to believe in me and my stories; Nick Amphlett, Danielle Bartlett, Gena Lanzi, Guido Caroti, and the rest of the Witness Impulse Team at HarperCollins; fellow bloggers at Maine Crime Writers and Murder Books; and the many great folks at the libraries and bookstores throughout New England.
My beta readers and fact checkers, Mary Simonelli, Darcel Devou, Alice Persons, Sara Coffin, Mary Pearson, and Chris Stearns. Any mistakes were my own.
The Gallant Family for allowing me to keep the memory of a very special young man alive and well. Thank you, Pattie.
My immediate family and friends for their unwavering encouragement and support along the way.
The countless men and women in the field of criminal justice, true professionals, I was fortunate to have served with, as well as those who continue to serve (these are their stories).
John Byron, Diane Joyner, and the rest of the fictional 109 team, who have become as much a part of my life as those with whom I once worked.
Lastly, and most importantly, my wife, Karen, for her love, inspiration, and infinite patience. Without you in my life, there would be no story.
About the Author
BRUCE ROBERT COFFIN is a former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement. At the time of his retirement from the Portland, Maine, police department, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine’s largest city. Following the terror attacks of September 11, Bruce spent four years working counterterrorism with the FBI, earning the Director’s Award, the highest honor a nonagent can receive.
He is the author of Among the Shadows, Beneath the Depths, and Beyond the Truth. He lives and writes in Maine.
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By Bruce Robert Coffin
Among the Shadows
Beneath the Depths
Beyond the Truth
Within Plain Sight
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
within plain sight. Copyright © 2020 by Bruce Robert Coffin. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition FEBRUARY 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-297135-7
Version 12112019
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-297134-0
Cover design by Guido Caroti
Cover illustration by Jeffrey Stevenson
WITNESS logo and WITNESS IMPULSE are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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