Will Finch Mystery Series by D. F. Bailey
Will Finch Mystery #1
Five Knives_Thriller_Series Prequel
D. F. Bailey
One Reporter.
Three Dead.
Five Knives.
FIVE KNIVES welds the intensity of Jack Bauer’s “24” to the scorching heat of THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST.
“The author is a great talent.” — Aaron C. Brown, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer
When a man plummets to his death from an apartment tower, Will Finch’s shock soon becomes a nightmare. As he studies the open windows above the corpse, Finch notices a lamp blinking erratically behind a drawn curtain on the eleventh floor.
When he investigates the distress signal, Finch discovers a woman handcuffed to a bedpost. Over the following week, he uncovers a conspiracy that ties the murder to a series of bombshells. The victim’s bankruptcy. A global stock fraud. A murder spree that began in Baghdad and is now haunting the citizens of San Francisco. Is this the work of a serial killer, a copycat — or both?
But before he can file his report for The San Francisco Post, Finch’s leads evaporate. Within days, three victims are dead. Does a pattern of five knife wounds provide a clue? Can he unravel the mystery before he — and his fiancée — are caught up in the web of murder?
Five Knives is the prequel thriller in the Will Finch crime series — a novel that opens on the first day of Will Finch’s journalism career. Everything that Finch learns about crime reporting begins with Five Knives.
Dear Reader,
If you're like me, then you love reading novels by Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, Nora Roberts, Jeffery Deaver, John Sandford, Philip Kerr, Martin Cruz Smith, Patricia Highsmith, Stieg Larsson, Elmore Leonard and Jo Nesbo. Among many others.
And if you like those writers, then I invite you to have a look at my crime series. You can buy them all on Amazon, or pick up a free / discounted novel at my website, dfbailey.com.
Writing crime fiction isn't always easy, but it's always a thrill. When you read my novels I hope you'll share the buzz, the excitement and the adrenaline rush with me.
Like all writers, I love readers who enjoy my books, especially those who are kind enough to leave a review. Hopefully, you will, too.
Happy reading,
D. F. (Don) Bailey
**Review
"A great read. Action that does not let up until the end. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for their next novel."--A. Patterson
"Don't count on starting it and then putting it down! A page turner."--Ed B.
"A good mystery on its own, but if you have ever read any of the other of the series this one will fill in the gaps about how Will began."--R. Jack
"Good story with believable characters. Very entertaining."--Kec
"This story shows the darker side of human nature and how to bring the bad guys to justice. I loved the book. It's a quick read."--Darcy Y.
"A definite winner! A very believable book. If you haven't read any of the series, start with this one, you won't be sorry." -- L. Day
"Will Finch is not a super hero, but he is a man with soul. Anyone tempted to read just one of the Will Finch series, start with this one."--E. I. Hood
"Very believable. The plot is very exciting, with some excellent action to keep it rolling on at a great pace."--Godiva
High intensity tension that pulls the reader towards the breaking point."--W. Scott
Five Stars. "Does the five knives pattern have a hidden meaning.....like more deaths coming?"--Bev
From the Author
Author Interview with D. F. Bailey
Q. Not every crime writer publishes a prequel to their crime series. What inspired you to write Five Knives and set it up as a series prequel?
DFB. Frankly, the prequel took me by surprise. I'd just released Second Life (the fourth book in the Finch series) and I was planning the next novel. Then in a moment of inspiration that lasted less than ten minutes, almost all the elements for Five Knives appeared at once. I was walking down to my local cafe when it came in a flood. The concept, the conflict, the characters. It felt like a gift delivered by the muse. I'm not particularly superstitious, but I knew that I had to drop everything else and dive into writing Five Knives or I'd lose the intensity of the story.
Q. The novel's dedication page states that Five Knives is based on true events. Can you be more specific?
DFB. Readers who lived through the Great Recession might recall that Wall Street introduced something called Mortgage Backed Securities to the world. Billions of dollars of worthless paper were traded. Lives were ruined. Companies, banks, and private businesses dissolved. Several countries teetered on the brink of collapse. The people who created and sold MBSs are at the heart of this novel. As far as I know, Five Knives is the first book to examine this real catastrophe in a work of fiction.
Q. What do we learn about Will Finch that we don't already know from the first four Finch novels?
DFB. In the previous books, Finch's early life remained a minor mystery. This time out we learn about his parents -- and their untimely deaths -- and his four years of service in Military Intelligence in Afghanistan and Iraq. We also meet the woman about to become Finch's wife, Cecily who is the mother of his son, Buddy. More important, we see Finch's instincts, intelligence, and physical grit at work as he tackles his first story as a crime reporter.
Read online
Will Finch Mystery #5
