by Frank Zafiro
Earl Staggs, Derringer Award-winning author
“Zafiro shows his readers some of the grim realities of law enforcement.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
Heroes Often Fail
The men and women of the River City Police Department are sworn to protect and to serve. But when six-year-old girl is kidnapped off a residential street in broad daylight, each cop must rise to heroic levels. Detectives scramble to solve the kidnapping while patrol officers comb the streets looking for the missing girl. Racing against time, every cop on the job focuses on finding her. Before it is too late. Before they fail her.
Heroes Often Fail is the second River City Crime Novel
“[a] complex police procedural with multi layered characters, a rich setting, and plenty of action.”
Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer
“[An] affecting novel from a writer who knows not only the job, but the grueling toll certain cases can take on the victims and those charged with upholding law and order.”
Russel McLean, Crime Scene Scotland.
"Strap yourself in for this citizen’s ride-along! Frank Zafiro pits cop against perp in the race to save six-year-old kidnap victim Amy Dugger. The problem for the River City PD is that Amy’s abductor isn’t the only creep in town. Zafiro not only drops us right into the precinct during business hours, but he also succeeds at presenting the human side of cops. We come to know these men and women who risk everything to do their duty. We hope they become heroes. And we pray they do not fail."
Jill Maser, award-winning author of “Unspoken.”
“Heroes Often Fail is a riveting, intimate account of a parent’s worst nightmare and the men and women of the River City Police Department. The author skillfully portrays the protagonist’s inner conflict. Moving and real. Impossible not to get caught up in the emotional roller coaster crafted by this talented writer.”
T. Dawn Richard, author of the May List Mystery Series
“Heroes Often Fail delivers what we've come to expect from Frank Zafiro--sharp-edged dialogue, vivid characters, and an intimate knowledge of the way things work in an urban police department. A tense, frightening tale, and the best River City novel to date.”
John M. Floyd, award-winning author of Rainbow's End
“ Heroes Often Fail could be one of the most authentic police procedurals I've read. The story appears deceptively simple--a six-year old girl snatched from the streets, but as it jumps around between the lives of the detectives and uniformed officers trying to find her, it adds a more layered, sophisticated texture. Written in short chapters and lean, muscular prose, this is an exceptionally satisfying and engrossing read, and a book that would've made Ed McBain proud!”
Dave Zeltserman, author of Bad Thoughts
“A standout amongst police procedurals, Frank Zafiro's Heroes Often Fail does the job of not only showing the nuances of police work, but also the effects of crime on the victims. In a literary world populated (and dulled) by shiny lab technicians and ridiculously elaborate set pieces, Mr. Zafiro never forgets the dirt under the nails approach and the heart of any great story - the characters. The writing is brutally dark and jolting in places, hopeful in others, not an easy balancing act that Mr. Zafiro pulls off seamlessly. A small(er) town offspring of Wambaugh and McBain, it stands amongst the greats and finds enough room to be completely on its own terms.”
Todd Robinson, editor of Thuglit
“A riveting, suspenseful novel in both the human condition as well as storyline. Excellent!”
Cynthia Lea Clark, FMAM Magazine
“[T]he book presents a realistic and depressing look at how crime affects both the victims and the police officers who try to protect the public.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
Beneath a Weeping Sky
River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal and Detective John Tower is sure that he’ll go from rape to murder if he isn’t stopped soon.
Meanwhile, the rapes stir up ghosts for both Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm. Both struggle to put those haunted memories to rest even as they are drawn into the center of Tower’s investigation. When a series of mis-steps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved must face their old fears…or be destroyed by them.
Beneath a Weeping Sky is the third River City novel.
"Frank Zafiro channels Ed McBain and Joesph Wambaugh in this taut and frightening thriller."
Simon Wood, author of Terminated
“Frank Zafiro's River City series succeeds where so many fail of late, in not only delivering whipcrack plotlines, but characters as real as the breath in your lungs. You feel with them, rage with them, and bleed alongside these cops. Mr. Zafiro's writing deserves more than comparison with the greats of the police procedural sect, it holds it's own amongst them.”
Todd Robinson, editor of Thuglit
And Every Man Has to Die
Every city has organized crime . But only River City has a Russian gangster like Valeriy. He's meticulous, cunning, and willing to sacrifice anything--and anyone--to see his conquest through.
In Val's way are the men and women of the River City Police Department, including rookie B.J. Carson. She's trying to fill the shoes of a legend while the pressures of patrol and her own past catch up to her. She and her colleagues must unite and work together with a former River City cop turned FBI agent to face down the single biggest organized crime threat River City has ever seen.
In this novel, Frank Zafiro explores what honor and courage mean on both sides of the law, weaving a complex and engrossing story of crime, justice, and relationships. There are plotters and detectives, usurpers and leaders. Plans within plans. And in the end the price of victory and justice can both be high... and every man has to die.
And Every Man Has to Die is the fourth River City novel.
“The novel has a complex plot...that Zafiro has woven together with seeming ease."
Debbi Mack, author of Identity Crisis and Least Wanted
"Possibly the most complicated and hard hitting novel in the series...Frank Zafiro has created another gem."
Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer
"...the crime genre prides itself on pacing, and this is where Zafiro delivers."
The Inlander
“I’ve always been amazed over how well Zafiro handles the female perspective in the past books--mostly through MacLeod’s point of view-- and in And Every Man Has to Die he proves that strong believable characters is definitely his forte, no matter which gender they are. If you like well written, fast paced novel with great characters, then the River City series is definitely for you.”
Asa Bradley, bark
“There are many wonderful things to savor in the novel.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
"This book should put Frank Zafiro on the fast track."
Wil A. Emerson, BookFetish
“This was a compelling read...even though I had to use a Kindle app on my PC. I soon forgot that as I scrolled faster and faster through the involving story. This book deserves wider recognition; perhaps someone will bring it to the attention of a film-maker, as it would make an excellent movie with its short, sharp scenes and rapid pace.”
Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader Magazine
Dead Even: A River City Anthology
Detectives and mobsters, missing mummies and a shootout with Gypsies – here are fifteen stories featuring major and minor characters from the novels of Frank Zafiro, now given their own chance to shine. The good, the bad, and the in
-between of River City come together in this fast-paced collection of theft, mystery, murder and detection, where the heroes of River City will keep fighting until the scales of justice are once again…Dead Even. Some of these stories are action packed, others heart-rending, but all will leave you satisfied.
"The range of different character voices that Zafiro masters is amazing."
Asa Bradley, bark
“Frank Zafiro’s work is the kind readers won’t soon forget. It strikes deep into a reader’s mind and heart creating people and situations so real, they stick with you long after you’ve read the work. From the details of a crime in progress to police banter on and off the job to the gritty particulars of life in River City, Zafiro is a winner. He becomes his characters and you see life and crime and police work through their eyes. It’s impossible to choose a favorite in this collection, they are intertwined and work together in a way that creates a resonance in those who read these tales. Frank Zafiro’s work is powerful and memorable, two things every writer strives for in their work.”
Joseph R.G. DeMarco, author of Murder on Camac
“While Dead Even is a great introduction to the characters of Frank Zafiro’s River City novels, it is also a superb collection of short stories. From the heartbreaking, “The Worst Door” to the lethal combination of “Pride Goeth” and “And a Fall Cometh”, Zafiro has something for everyone. These aren’t just crime stories, they are stories that touch on the human emotions of both the cops and the criminals while taking readers on a roller coaster ride through the streets of River City.”
Sandra Seamans, short story author
“Frank Zafiro’s stories possess a ring of realism that can only be created by someone who has actually lived the life of a police officer. For readers who are seeking to get as close to the action as possible without being exposed to the dangers of police work, DEAD EVEN: A RIVER CITY ANTHOLOGY will be a real treat. They’ll be transported to a world where they’ll be able to actually see, hear, taste, and smell what it’s like to be a cop—but they’ll get to live to tell about it. Frank Zafiro continues to impress with this one.”
BJ Bourg, Chief Investigator, Lafourche Parish DA’s Office
“Hyper-realistic fiction at its best. Come ride along with cops in DEAD EVEN: A RIVER CITY ANTHOLOGY by Frank Zafiro. It's like being in a squad car, taken to a crime scene.”
O'Neil De Noux, SHAMUS and DERRINGER Award Winning author of the LaStanza New Orleans Police novels.
“It's rare to find a collection of characters where each one is fantastically well defined-- and particularly rare in the case of crime fiction, where the crime often dominates. Better still, the crimes that Frank puts out for these characters are both plausible and intriguing-- nothing rehashed or recycled. Compelling characters, engrossing plots, and overall, a fantastic collection of shorts, though I would expect nothing less from the author of the River City novels. I would have read it one sitting-- and certainly tried-- but my infant son doesn't understand why I don't want to put down the Frank Zafiro story I'm reading. At least not yet.”
Clair Dickson, author of Bo Fexler mysteries
“Whether you’re already a fan of the River City novels and stories or discovering Frank Zafiro for the first time, you’ll love this book. Every tale provides exactly what his
readers have come to expect: fascinating characters, authentic police work, and spot-on dialogue. Dead Even is an exceptional—and deliciously entertaining—collection of stories.”
John Floyd, award-winning author of Rainbow’s End , Midnight , and Clockwork
“[T]he characters are interesting and worth spending time with.”
Mysterious Reviews
“Anyone who enjoys crime fiction should buy this book. Anyone who enjoys great dialogue, gallows humor or strong female protagonists should buy this book. Anybody who has ever driven through Hillyard should buy this book just to see how many places from Spokane they recognize.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
“Zafiro has consistently used his experiences as well as ones of other fellow police officers to make the characters he writes about alive for the reader…[He has] a terse writing style filled full with emotion and nuances.”
Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer
No Good Deed: A River City Anthology
An ex-cop looking for redemption...an American man and an Irish lass intertwined in love and violence...a cop with a conscience that he doesn't always listen to...a retired cop looking to repair a broken relationship with his drug-addicted son...a Yankee cop in the West Texas...these are the characters you'll meet and explore in No Good Deed .
“Frank's style is akin to Dan Brown's and other writers who have "OMG - I can't put this down" quality - keeping you engaged and yearning for more about the characters and the story. The intriguing, well designed action moves you to want to know more about each of the people involved and how the stories end. THIS IS A GREAT READ!”
Tom Sahlberg, from a four star Amazon review
The Cleaner: A River City Anthology
A frustrated crime scene cleaner...an off duty cop in a jam...a patrol officer who believes in a strange fate...a holier-than-thou Internal Affairs whose world gets turned upside down...plus those that are crazy, surrounded in sadness or just trying to get by - these are the many and varied characters of River City, brought to life in 17 short stories by the author of the River City crime novels.
“This guy can write a story…Zafiro is exciting to read. I had a hard time putting the stories down and was always ready to go back to them. I will search out his other books.”
Brian Howe, from a five star Amazon review
The Last Horseman
Sandy Banks is the last of The Four Horsemen, a vigilante group of ex-cops determined to right the injustices of a broken court system. But now the project is disintegrating, putting him in the middle of chaos. Betrayed by his final partner, blackmailed by the project head and pursued by federal agents bent on busting the case wide open, Sandy scrambles to escape this mayhem with his soul intact.
“A fast-paced, suspenseful story about crime, corruption and street justice.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
“Frank Zafiro has stepped up his game considerably in this thriller/police procedural/crime novel. The plot is packed with startling plot twists, one after the other, that knit together as a whole as seamlessly as any book I've ever read…this book kept me turning the pages late into the night…highly recommended. As if I have to spell that out.”
Debbi Mack, author of Identity Crisis and Least Wanted
Waist Deep
When disgraced former cop Stefan Kopriva is asked by an old high school classmate to find a runaway sixteen year old girl, he reluctantly accepts. Driven by guilt over a terrible mistake that drove him from the force more than ten years earlier, Kopriva battles old injuries, old demons and long ago memories as he unravels the mystery of the missing Kris Sinderling... and seeks his own redemption..
“A powerful tale of corruption and redemption.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
“This book...brought Humphrey Bogart to my mind. This is his sort of story, and if there were an actor of that type around today, this book could make a confronting and probably prize-winning film...definitely worth the price of admission.”
Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader Magazine
“ Waist Deep is a hard-hitting story of a flawed hero trying to exorcise his demons. the subject matter explores dark moral territory, it's arguably not horribly shocking compared to certain real life situations taking place today. Further, in the best hardboiled tradition, finding the truth involves unearthing the s
cum from beneath the veneer of respectability.”
Debbi Mack, author of Identity Crisis and Least Wanted
Lovely, Dark, and Deep
In this sequel to Waist Deep , a city councilman is dead of an apparent suicide. Ex-cop Stefan Kopriva finds himself drawn into the case, serving an unlikely client. Once involved, he discovers that things are not as they seem.
Kopriva is quickly embroiled in dirty city politics. Along the way, he encounters pimps, prostitutes, gangsters, contractors, and the police as he tries to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. That is something no one wants, so Kopriva must risk his own freedom and his very life to find the answers, no matter how deep the corruption goes.
“Zafiro does a masterful job of taking noir detective genre conventions and turning them on their heads just a little. Kopriva wants to be like Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, but he just doesn’t quite have the skills or the moral fortitude to completely succeed at it.”
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com
“Zafiro nails the truth like a properly thrown jab/cross combo. You won’t see it coming until it smacks you in the nose.”