Pushing Water

Penns River Book 5

Just because Penns River is an economic backwater doesn’t mean it’s immune from current events. An active shooter at a local discount department store leaves several people dead and the shooter in the wind. Maybe. It’s hard to say as the man arrested at the scene definitely shot someone but claims to be a Good Guy with a Gun.

Meanwhile, a Canadian fugitive lands in town and pulls a job to tide him over while his cache of cash makes its way across the border. He and his partner—a local just dumb enough to serve a purpose—see an opportunity and begin a robbery spree while the police focus on clearing the mass shooting.

The usual small-town hijinks still go on: There’s a robbery in the new strip club, an old woman wanders off, a domestic situation that starts as an argument over cookies turns violent, and the widower of a past victim needs attention. The Canadian Mountie who came to town hunting the fugitive may be helpful or more trouble than he’s worth.

Penns River’s economic status may be static, but the level of mayhem seems only to increase.

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Praise for Pushing Water

“Smart, rhythmic and relentless with a gripping narrative and a keen eye for how cops act and think.”
—Sgt. Adam Plantinga, San Francisco Police Department, 19-year police veteran and author of 400 Things Cops Know and Police Craft
“An extraordinary voice. A mix of Pelecanos, Leonard and Wambaugh.”
—Colin Campbell, Author of the Jim Grant novels and 30-year veteran of the West Yorkshire police
“Detective Doc Dougherty and his partners never lose their professional edge or hometown humanity. With twists that shock and detective work that rings true, King is among the best cop writers going.”
—Mark Bergin, Alexandria VA Police Department (retired) and author of Apprehension
Pushing Water is an engaging book that gets everything right: the people, how they speak and act, the setting, and the story. The most telling endorsement is this—after I finished reading it, I passed it on to another retired cop to read!”
—Frank Zafiro, author of the Charlie-316 series and the SpoCompton series
 

The Penns River Series