The pace of this novel is unrelenting.

Having served eight years of his life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit Franky Dast finds it difficult to adjust to his new found freedom.

It is impossible as he has unresolved issues regarding the injustice that was evident even at the time of his trial. He particularly hates the police officer who still hounds him upon his release. That cop and for many others familiar with the case he’ll always be guilty.

I really enjoyed the humanity depicted in Franky’s experiences in this mystery thriller. Often stories in this genre relate to the successes of the criminal justice system in solving crimes. But as Franky finds out there are still bars on your life even after leaving prison. Your mind and spirit can remain incarcerated denying you any sense of freedom.

Michael Wiley captures this beautifully in his main character. Dast would love to work for other prisoners where convictions can be challenged but he struggles to remain objective and balanced in his approach.
There is a sense that what he has endured has changed him; being among violent men has altered his character and driven him to be less tolerant and more aggressive in attitude.

You get a sense that within prison it is clearly us and them. Them being the system and guards all working towards a day of execution. Us being a group you need to belong to, to survive and remain sane. I was moved by the sense of love towards quite dangerous inmates and the survival techniques Franky had to adopt.

In short if he didn’t commit this dreadful crime then the perpetrator remains at liberty. Dast quickly understands to find the true killer is the best way to confirm his innocence. His trial and conviction bought a silence in those who knew more and meant lines of enquiry were no longer perused.
This thoughtful book shows that a quashed conviction can be like tossing a pebble into a pond, where the resulting ripples extend far and wide. But the author hasn’t thrown a stone so much as an hand grenade as the ramification go beyond just the one case and point to corruption and conspiracy across the whole legal system.

Explosive writing with deep insights into the judgements we make over guilt and integrity. Demonstrating that truth is often an illusive quality where fear and power are exercised.

Franky Dast is a former death row inmate, released after 8 years with an apology, and is now a private investigator.

He is now working as an investigator for the Justice Now Initiative, helping others who are in the same boast as Franky was.

But when he learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge, Franky is torn. Should he help the man he hates more than any other, the man who remains convinced of Franky’s guilt to this day?

This is packed full of action from the very first page. Trying to prove his own innocence in order to prove Higby's innocence leads him into places he never dreamed of. It's a complex mystery, full of suspense.

Franky is a great character ... full of anger, but wanting to see justice done. With the help of a therapist, he's trying to live a normal life ... whatever that is for him. He has trust issues when it comes to the police, but he has to trust someone... even a girlfriend who has her own issues.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

So begins our introduction to Franky Dast and the miscarriage of justice that turned his world upside down and inside out.

Franky Dast is grabbing his chance to prove his innocence by working as an investigator with the Justice Initiative, an organisation that seeks to help those that have been wrongly convicted.

A twist of fate has Franky having to decide whether to help Detective Higby, the very man whose testimony helped to convict him. He soon comes to realise that his fate is interlinked with that of Higby and that the dark secrets that Higby hides hold the key to proving his own innocence.

Franky is a haunted, flawed character but the writer develops and fleshes out his character so that the reader has great empathy for him. The vile circumstances that lead to his incarcera-tion mean that the real killer is free to continue his spree, and his horrendous treatment in prison is all the more awful because he is entirely innocent of the crimes.

Franky is a hero in his own way because he refuses to give up on his quest to prove that he is innocent and that the real killer needs to be brought to justice. He fights to overcome his past and does not allow it to define him. The writer does not shy away from the darkest, most de-praved actions that some human beings commit and he allows his characters to fail and make mistakes and to find their way back to redemption.

I have a feeling that Franky Dast may be the next Jack Reacher and I look forward to reading more of the series.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Franky Dast is released from a Florida prison after spending eight years on death row for the rape and murder of two teenaged boys. Franky is working part-time as an investigator for Justice Now Initiative, seeking to help others in the same situation. Then Franky learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge for killing a judge's son, he is gleeful but torn. But Franky soon realizes that in order to prove Higby's innocence, he must find out what really happened that dark, wet night on Monument Road to the Bronson brothers.

Franky is having a hard time integrating back into society. He lives in a run-down motel room with a bunch of questionable characters. He finds solace watching throwback movies and starts dating Cynthia who works at the concession stand.

Franky starts harassing Higby and the dead man's family as well as the mother of the Bronson brothers with plenty of questions. Higby's partner Detective Holt warns Franky to stop but she also gives him files on the unsolved murders of other boys in the region. Then Franky is attacked by three men, friends of the dead Bronson boys. Days later, Franky is horrified to find 2 of them brutally murdered in their apartment.

As evidence starts coming together against the real killer, Holt changes her tune and actively encourages and supports Franky's search for the killer's gun at his home. And when the killer goes after a remaining witness, Franky tries to save her and clear his name for good. Unfortunately, this ending stretched the credibility of the whole story.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Severn House with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

MONUMENT ROAD by Michael Wiley is a novel about Franke Dast, a man recently released from prison, yet he is harassed by a homicide detective Bill Higby who remains convinced of Frankie’s guilt even with evidence of his innocence. Frankie also faces others in the community who still view him as a convict, making his reintroduction to society difficult along with the damage done as a result of his wrongful incarceration.

Frankie sets out to solve the mystery of the death of the Bronson boys, a difficult endeavor since most of the people he questions still are viewing him as the man responsible for the murders.

I found this to be a good novel that might be the first book in an upcoming series, and it will be interesting to see his development as an investigator in future novels.

4 stars.

Very noir. Franky, who has been released from prison after serving eight years on death row, finds himself in the decidedly odd position of investigating on behalf of Bill Higby, the very police detective who sent him to prison. He's got lots of issues, Franky does, which is to be expected but he's determined to untangle the murders that link him to Higby. There's conspiracy, there's darkness, there's lots going on here. Some of this is a bit of a stretch (the Justice Now Initiative managed, for example, to get Franky released in record time to say the least) but it's a good yarn. It's also quite atmospheric- you get a sense of the Arlington/Jacksonville area. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm curious to see where Wiley takes Franky next.

This book is described as a Florida Noir mystery and the description is apt. Wiley has captured the darkness of being poor and unjustly accused in Florida. He’s also captured the locale, which is so richly described it’s like another character. Franky Dast has just been released after serving 8 years on a murder and rape charge. Thanks to the Justice Now Initiative, DNA has proved him innocent. But PTSD still keeps him a prisoner of sorts. “I still wondered if I was even managing to save myself. Or if I had a self to save.”

Then when the detective that railroaded him is accused of a crime, Dast is anxious to see Digby get what he thinks of as “his due”. I struggled with Franky. He’s not an easy character to like. Luckily, another reviewer made a similar comment and recommended readers stick with it. I can’t say I even got to like Franky, but I was able to appreciate his motives.

This isn’t a fast moving book. It moves at a steady pace, spending a lot of time setting up the story. In the end it was an interesting book but a tad too dark for me to truly enjoy.

My thanks to netgalley and Severn House for an advance copy of this book.

This is another new author for me and another one firmly added to my watch list. Set in Jacksonville, Florida we follow Franky Dast as he is released from jail having served 8 years for a crime he didn't commit and was convinced he was fitted up for; the who and the why very much in the forefront of his mind as he starts his new job as an investigator for Justice Now Initiative, an outfit that helps people such as himself who have been failed by the legal system. Top of his list is one Bill Higby, the Detective who led his case and the cop that pretty much broke him. The man above all men that he hates the most. So, imagine what our Franky feels when he sees a news report telling him that Higby has been slapped with his own murder charges; that of the death of his neighbour's son. The son of the Judge that sentenced Franky. Is karma finally coming into play for Franky? Freed in body but not completely in his mind, Franky is intent on clearing his name and what better way to do that but to find out who really killed the two young lads that he went to jail for. But, oh my, what a pandora's box he opens when he starts to ask questions. What started off in his mind as just a miscarriage of justice turns out to run deeper and higher and longer than Franky ever envisaged. As time goes on and his investigations appear to be causing escalations in the crimes, can he get to the bottom of things before thinks go to far?
Boy this was a cracking story. Quite hardboiled in tone with definite overtones of noir. We have secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, conspiracy theories and so much more as the crimes that Franky starts to uncover become more and more interconnected and interweaved both through their nature and the people involved; on both sides of the law. It was a story that held me nicely throughout, piquing my interest and keeping me guessing right til the end as slowly, each layer was exposed until the truth was laid bare.
I took to Franky right from the off. Not that it was all positive; far from it. But, on balance, I was rooting for him for all the way, despite some rather irritating moments of, at best daftness, at worst sheer stupidity. It took a wee while but eventually the connection was made and he slowly started to become less irritating and more impressive with his guts and tenacity and strong sense of justice, despite all he had been through. But honestly, all you needed to do to get him to do something was tell him he couldn't; he was that much of a rebel! I'm also sure he'll become less angry and more open as time moves on in this series. I'll definitely be interested in seeing where the author takes him next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the first in a new series set in Florida and featuring Franky Dast, who has just been released from Death Row after eight years, mainly due to his own efforts. Franky finds it hard to adjust, he is angry that he was wrongly convicted and is fixated on Bill Higby the detective whose evidence helped to convict him - but was his evidence sound? Franky finds himself in a seedy motel and is confused and adrift. He is employed by Justice Now Initiative which works to help those on Death Row who they believe are innocent – much like Franky. This is a minimum wage position but it provides some structure to Franky’s life and the three people running the show are keen to help Franky.

When Bill Higby is accused of murder Franky becomes involved. In many ways Franky is his own worst enemy, but equally he is a tortured soul and when he meets Cynthia he recognises something in her; a quirky, edgy character. Franky becomes determined to prove his innocence and find the real killer of the two boys, Duane and Steven, murdered on Monument Road.

I loved the character of Thelma (from Justice Now Initiative), I just don’t know what Franky would have done without her support and the support he got from the motel manager is extraordinary. Cynthia? Not too sure of her, maybe just a bit too edgy for my comfort. Franky, understandably, is a complex character and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the series. All in all, I liked him, but he did worry me a bit.

Would I recommend Monument Road? I certainly would. It is well written with a well-paced plot that kept be guessing and reading.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I tried very hard to like this book, but the prose is flat and uninteresting. The plot and characters seem a bit too clichéd.

Good storyline prisoner released after serving 8 years on death row joins a team who investigate similar cases where death row prisoners claim innocence
The detective whose testimony resulted in the prisoners incarceration is suddenly in trouble himself and is being investigated for murder.
To help the detective he must solve his own crime first and his unorthodox methods raise a few eyebrows.
Found the narrative slow and boring which slowed up my reading and enjoyment of this otherwise well written book

This is dark and enthralling Crime Noir set in Florida. 18 year old Franky Dast does a good deed, helping teenagers Duane and Steven on a dark night by taking them to a petrol station on Monument Road. The two brothers are gruesomely murdered and raped after he drops them off. In a horrific miscarriage of justice, Franky is convicted of their killing, serving 8 years on Death Row when thanks largely to his own efforts and the Justice Now Initiative, his conviction is overturned. Michael Wiley gives us one of the most interesting, complex and mesmerising protagonists that I have come across in some time. Whilst Franky is physically free, he is to all intents imprisoned in every other sphere, experiencing serious mental health issues that make him volatile, vulnerable and lost, facing fundamental issues surrounding his identity. He has no family to fall back on, his drunken father is dead and his relationship with his brother, Jared, is fraught offering little support. The cop who forced a false confession from him, Detective Bill Higby, remains convinced he is a murderer and harasses Franky continuously on his release, and he is not alone.

To pay his rent at the motel he is staying at and buy food, Franky works as a low paid investigator at the Justice Now Initiative, with Jane, Hank and Thelma, looking into freeing innocent men on Death Row. He brings his experience, his street smarts, and his ability to use the computer to look into people, organisations and issues. However, he is plagued by his emotional and mental scars. He is a mix of tough, critical to survive in the deplorable prison system, and off the wall, in that he now crosses boundaries that disturbs and unsettles others. He feels real lows that threaten any progress that he makes, although seeing Dr Patel, his psychiatrist, is of some help. After overcoming his initial insecurities, he ends up in a relationship with Cynthia, an outsider with her own issues. He finds himself in the odd position of investigating a shooting incident where Higby is arrested for killing the unarmed Josh Skooner. This case connects Franky back to the killings of Steven and Duane that he served time for. This spooks the killer to murder again. Franky walks the perilous road back into his past, helped by Detective Deborah Holt, and having to face a ruthless and dangerous serial killer.

I understand this is the first of a series, and I really cannot wait for the next book. Michael Wiley has done impressive research on miscarriages of justice and the psychological states of those Death Row prisoners released, after serving years of torture in an unforgiving prison system. This research has informed the complicated creation and development of Franky Dast. I found myself feeling a range of emotions towards him, from rooting for him, afraid for him and even irritated with him. However, I was never less than compelled and gripped by him and it made sense that he connects with Cynthia, a woman who has her own demons. A unique and superb beginning to this series which I highly recommend. Thanks to Severn House for an ARC.

Franky Dast has just been released from prison,having been cleared of murdering two boys 8 years earlier although there are some who still believe he did it and that he should have been executed as his sentence required- unfortunately one of these is the detective who arrested him.
Despite coming from a poor family, Franky is bright and has spent his years in prison and Death Row trying to clear himself and prove his innocence. Once out he works for the Justice Now Initiative lawyers trying to help others who are in the same situation. Then he learns that the detective who falsely accused him has shot his neighbour's son and been arrested. Whilst looking into this case of this man whom he hates he starts to learn things about what happened 8 years ago and realises he must confront his own past before he can really move on with his life.
This is a slow burner but once I got into the book I found this a compelling read. Told in the first peson by Franky the novel offers a chilling insight into what can happen to sombody who is wrongly accused of a crime, particulary in the US where they still have the death penalty. There is no going back once someone has been executed, Fortunately Franky escapes this fate but others are not so lucky.
The characters are very well described, particularly Franky and Cynthia, his girlfriend, who is also damaged in some ways but so good at helping Franky work out what he needs to do.
I believe this is the first in a series and I will definitely be looking out for the next book when it is published.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley. It in no way changed or pressured my honest opinion of it.

I really enjoyed this book. I have gotten into mysteries more than ever lately, and this book hit the spot. I flew through it, and was left wanting more. It had me hooked from page 1. While it can be read as a stand alone, it is part of a series. I do wish I was aware of this before I started, for my own satisfaction,but still was happy with the results.

Loved the cover and description. Book lived up to it. It had a great plot. Good twists and turns. Nice characters. well written

This started a bit slowly, it was a little tough for me to identify with the protagonist. But as his life seemed to move forward, he realized he had to go backwards in order to live with the past. He was just released from prison after a conviction from a terrible crime. His chief accuser finds himself in an ironically similar position.
It is the resolution of all the stories that makes the book. I did enjoy the final revelations.
The ending was a bit Soprano's like, not sure about that. Satisfying and really interesting perspective.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House for an advance copy of Monument Road, the first novel to feature Franky Dast, a man recently released from prison after being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for murder.

On his release Franky gets a job with the lawyers who freed him. It's not much of a job and he's not much of an investigator as he's constantly worrying at his own case, trying to work out what really happened and why he was framed by detective Bill Higby. In the meantime the state of Florida is counting down to Thomas LaFlora's execution and the team aren't getting far.

I enjoyed Monument Road. It has a good plot and some unexpected twists and turns which kept me reading and held my attention throughout. In one sense you could say that there isn't much new in the plot - man fights injustice and corruption - but Mr Wiley makes it seem very fresh with his unusual protagonist, his approach and the way it all comes together. It makes for an interesting read.

I can't say I took to Frankie Dast but it's early days in his character development. He is constantly angry and violent which cause him to act before he thinks. This is probably to be expected after spending his youth firstly on death row and then the violent offenders wing but it doesn't make him an appealing character. I do, however, think that he is very well drawn. I was surprised that he's so impulsive when much is made early on in the novel of his intelligence as I had just assumed that he would have had played a longer game. Surprise is good as it keeps the reader engaged.

Monument Road is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.