Coming in June from Down & Out Books: CHARLIE-316 by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro

TAMPA, Fla. - March 27, 2019 - PRLog -- Down & Out Books is pleased to announce that CHARLIE-316 by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro will be published on June 10, 2019 in trade paperback and ebook formats.

About CHARLIE-316 …

Tyler Garrett is a model SWAT officer whose good looks, education and familial status add to that image. The fact that he is a black man in the predominately white Spokane Police Department only adds to the city administration's pride in one of their own. He's often pointed to as an example of the department's best and brightest—a young man on the rise.

One summer evening, Garrett stops a reckless driver. It's something he's done a thousand times except this time, gunfire erupts from a nearby house. As Garrett dives for cover, the driver turns and begins shooting as well. Garrett survives the ambush by killing the driver and chasing off the additional shooter.

The legend of Tyler Garrett grows and the community rallies around him.

Until the initial investigation determines the driver was shot in the back and his gun has somehow disappeared. Suddenly, the police department, city hall, and even the national news media are wondering just what happened that night? In a nation where police brutality dominates the headlines, Garrett's case has suddenly become a flashpoint.

Now, Officer Tyler Garrett must take matters into his own hands. Time is quickly running out for him to find the second shooter and to clear his name.

Advance praise for CHARLIE-316 …

"Charlie-316 is the real deal. Ripped from today's headlines, it is an intense tale of corruption, suspense and humanity that is impossible to put down. One of the best cop books I've read in years." —Terrence McCauley, award-winning author of The Fairfax Incident and Sympathy for the Devil

"A ripped-from-the-headlines police procedural so real that you'll almost think you joined the force. Conway and Zafiro effortlessly weave intricate investigative details together with raw human emotion to deliver a truly gripping read." —S.W. Lauden, Anthony Award-nominated author of Crosswise

"In Charlie-316, Conway and Zafiro, two master storytellers, have punched a hole in the blue wall in this compelling tale that offers the reader a no-holds barred, insider's view of corruption in a mid-sized American city." —Charles Salzberg, author of Second Story Man

"Few books have the ambition to cover the scope attempted here; fewer can pull it off. Charlie-316 does more than pull it off: it succeeds. Not since The Wire have I seen a better mixture of crime, law enforcement, politics, and media." —Dana King, Shamus Award-nominated author of the Nick Forte and Penns River series

"Riveting and compulsively readable, Charlie-316 is an ambitious book about many things including honor, the murkiness of politics, corruption, and a good man searching for the truth. Any fan of Don Winslow's critically-acclaimed The Force needs to be searching out and reading this book." —Dave Zeltserman, author of Small Crimes

"Crackles with authenticity and ripped-from-the-headlines urgency. This is a police procedural written by guys who know the job from the inside. It offers a full view of an incident that feels as real as they come. Charlie-316 is the ultimate ride-along." —Eric Beetner, author of All The Way Down

"Not since the glory days of Joseph Wambaugh has there been such an unflinching portrayal of working cops under pressure. In Charlie-316, Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro deftly juggle a complex cast of characters coping with the issues—racial, political, and personal—that boil around a controversial officer-involved shooting. Expect surprises. Highly recommended." —J.D. Rhoades, author of Fortunate Son, People Like Us, and the Jack Keller series

"A hard-hitting police conspiracy tale turned on its head, Charlie-316 bristles with authenticity and rich detail. Conway and Zafiro deliver an engrossing socio-political drama that packs plenty of action and intrigue, while asking the difficult questions. Corruption, conspiracy, and compromise frame the downfall of a perfect cop. And Wardell Clint is the most nuanced, fascinating detective I've read in a very long time. This one tackles tough issues and will leave no reader indifferent. Compelling." —James W. Ziskin, Anthony and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries

Meet the authors …

Colin Conway served in the U.S. Army from 1987-1991. He later served on the Spokane Police Department for five years. He's currently active in the commercial real estate field, both as a broker and an investor. He owned and operated a karate school for several years, a childhood dream that finally came to fruition. He began writing in earnest while working as a patrol officer. He found it a creative outlet and continued putting words to paper after leaving the department.

Frank Zafiro was a police officer in Spokane, Washington, from 1993 to 2013. He retired as a captain. He is the author of numerous crime novels, including the River City novels and the Stefan Kopriva series. He lives in Redmond, Oregon, with his wife Kristi, dogs Richie and Wiley, and a very self-assured cat named Pasta. He is an avid hockey fan and a tortured guitarist.

In its ninth year as an independent publisher of award-winning literary and crime fiction, Down & Out Books (https://downandoutbooks.com) is based in Tampa, Florida. For more information about the book, to request a review copy of the book, or to inquire about an interview with the author, contact info@downandoutbooks.com.