THIS SIDE OF GONE

A police procedural for people who don't trust the police, this captivting adult debut novel follows ex-cop Vinnie as she becomes increasingly involved in a case that she has no right to be investigating.

Vanetta (Vinnie) Taylor isn't a cop anymore. After 25 years in service, she retired from her job in spectacular fashion - working
undercover for Internal Affairs to bust a sex trafficking ring in her own Homicide Unit. Nearly beaten to death by her former
colleagues to prevent her testimony from crossing the thin blue line, Vinnie is now living a small-town life, far from the police who
tried to kill her. Vinnie is determined to put her past behind her, but the story of a teenager missing in her new hometown catches
her attention.

Avery Adair's family is notorious in Wills Harbor, Maryland. If there's a burglary, a scam, or a drug deal in this town, it's safe to
assume an Adair was involved. Which is why no one was particularly concerned when Avery went missing. But Vinnie feels a
kinship to this teen she's never met. Vinnie also grew up poor, surrounded by hard circumstances and harder people.

Celebrated children's novelist Saundra Mitchell has created in Vinnie a vivid, multi-dimensional character that readers will want to root for. While fearing for her own safety, Vinnie is attempting to stay as far away from any police officer as humanly possible. Will she succeed? This novel is perfect for fans of Tana French and Rachel Howzell Hall.

Saundra Mitchell (she/they) has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She now lives in Maryland with her wife, daughter and two terrible, perfect cats. THIS SIDE OF GONE is her first novel for adults.