Maine author James Hayman’s novel “Darkness First” is taut and twisting, starring two unforgettable heroes in a gruesome thriller about a small town rocked by a savage crime.

In the dark shadows of a summer evening, a young woman is brutally slain by a remorseless killer’s razor-sharp blade. Learning that her closest childhood friend was nearly killed in the same incident, Portland Detective Maggie Savage rushes to the scene to join the State Police investigation. Maggie soon discovers the killer’s name is Conor Riordan. There’s only one problem. Conor Riordan doesn’t exist.

The only person who can provide a clue as to who Riordan is in reality, is the victim’s 11-year-old sister, Tabitha. And now Tabitha has gone missing. Soon Maggie and her longtime partner, Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe, find themselves in a desperate race against time to find the missing child before she becomes a vicious killer’s next victim.

Hayman spent more than 20 years as a senior creative director at one of New York’s largest advertising agencies. He and his wife now live in Portland, Maine. His previous two books are “The Cutting” and “The Chill of the Night.”

This novel goes on sale Tuesday, Oct. 1, as an ebook. To locate a book seller, visit the publisher’s site at www.harpercollins.com.

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