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In The
Merciful (Haywire Books, 2021) by Jon Sealy nineteen-year-old
Samantha James is killed while riding her bike home from work in a
small coastal town one dark summer night in South Carolina. It’s a
hit and run, and when they learn who did it, the townspeople want
Daniel Hayward, the alleged driver, to pay for his crime. The
headlines are compelling, but the truth is unclear. Everyone has an
opinion - the media, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, Daniel,
and Samantha’s family. Delving into each of the characters, the
author pauses to reflect on culture, social pressures, family, and
history. Ultimately, The Merciful is a morality play about one
moment, one accident, one decision, and the way an instant can change
the course of a life forever.
Jon
Sealy is the author of The
Whiskey Baron, The
Edge of America, and The
Merciful, as well as the craft
book So You Want to Be a
Novelist. An upstate South Carolina
native, he has a degree in English from the College of Charleston and
an MFA in fiction writing from Purdue University. He currently lives
with his family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, where he is the
publisher of Haywire Books. When he's not writing or editing, you'll
probably find him lifting weights in his garage, playing "swing
monster" with his kids, or rafting on a river.
I
interview authors of beautifully written literary fiction and
mysteries, and try to focus on independently published novels,
especially by women and others whose voices deserve more attention.
If your upcoming or recently published novel might be a candidate for
a podcast, please contact me via my website, gpgottlieb.com.
G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series and a prolific baker of healthful breads and pastries. Please contact her through her website (GPGottlieb.com).