“The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart” by Shane T. Clark has been released worldwide. This 274-page novel, which has achieved Amazon Bestseller status as the #1 New Release in the “Criminal Justice” category, begins with a brutal murder inside Sherman Rehabilitation Center, a correctional facility in small-town Ohio. The shocking scene leaves more questions than answers, and soon an elderly man arrives at the local police station with a complex story to tell. 

Elmer Ray, eighty-seven years old, claims to have vital information about the crime, but to explain himself, he’ll have to look decades into the past. The ensuing story introduces Adrian, Elmer’s troubled young neighbor, and Conner, a British drifter with a sordid history and plenty of secrets. Each has a connection to the violent incident inside the prison, and Elmer is the only one who sees the big picture. 

To help the police understand, he must lay out the entire story, from his unlikely friendship with Adrian to encounters with a drug dealer, a sexual predator, and a mob boss. The interwoven threads of past and present all lead back to the murder, and Elmer’s tale connects the dots that no one else can see.

Throughout the novel, Clark not only provides gritty action and surprising twists, he also paints an endearing portrait of friendship and mentorship in the connection between Elmer and Adrian. Where most people see Adrian as a lost cause, an angry boy broken by neglect and abuse, Elmer sees someone in need of care and guidance. Among the crime and carnage, their friendship is a beacon of hope that brings warmth to this chilly thriller.

Inspired by a 24-year career working in the prison system, Clark’s attention to detail brings the novel alive with vivid imagery and unique dialogue, including Conner’s Scouse dialect. With a Master’s Degree in Sociology, the author has a deep understanding of the systems that drive criminal behavior, and uses this knowledge to create a compelling, suspenseful ride for readers of all ages. 

The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart (ISBN: 9781960142719) can be purchased through retailers worldwide, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The paperback retails for $14.95, and the ebook retails for $2.99. Review copies and interviews are available upon request. The author can be contacted via email at s.ty.clark@icloud.com or by mail at:

Shane Clark
158 Belleview Ave.
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
740-649-1443

Learn more at https://shanetclark.net/

From the back cover:

When Sherman Rehabilitation Center suffers its first murder in decades, authorities race to find a motive as the media swarms. The brutality is unprecedented, even in a prison setting. One week later, eighty-seven-year-old Elmer Ray walks into the local Ohio Highway Patrol Post, claiming he has the answers. First, they need to hear about the two most interesting people in the world: Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace.

Adrian Franklin, the young neighbor of Elmer Ray, lived a troubled life of neglect and abuse. He had a bad haircut and a worse nickname. The older man tries to take the boy under his wing in a way no one else has ever done. For Adrian, most see a quick temper and a lost soul. Elmer sees something different in him, a sense of loyalty and a yearning to be loved.

Conner Wallace, a British National, a drifter on a motorcycle, and a pugilist with a quick wit, roamed the west and lived by an unbreakable moral code that got him in more trouble than he bargained for. After a five-year bit in a Nevada prison, he finds a safe haven in the underground fight scene on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

What does a young boy and a foreigner have to do with a brutal prison murder in the sleepy town of Sherman, Ohio? Only Elmer Ray knows the answers. And his isn’t giving them until the Post Commander hears how their lives converge with an Appalachian drug dealer, a sexual predator, and a mob boss to influence the brutality in that prison cell.

The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is a shocking and raw account combining a coming-of-age tale with a disturbing psychological thriller.

“I realize that saying, The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart, Shane Clark’s gritty novel about friendship and revenge is masterfully paced and suspenseful to the utmost degree sounds like the usual promotional B.S., but honestly, people, this book kept me reading way past my bedtime, and I don’t find many that can do that these days. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.”
– Donald Ray Pollack, author of Knockemstiff, The Heavenly Table, and The Devil All The Time

About the author:

Shane T. Clark hails from Chillicothe, Ohio, where he lives with his wife and four kids. He played football at Ohio State University, including in the 1997 Rose Bowl. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree before being employed by the State of Ohio for the past twenty-four years, and he also taught Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Deviant Behavior courses as an adjunct professor for ten years.

An avid reader and traveler, he hopes to live in a van and travel nonstop around the country when he retires. The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is his first novel with at least two more on the way. 

About MindStir Media:

MindStir Media LLC is an award-winning book publisher. To learn more about publishing a book with MindStir Media, visit http://mindstirmedia.com or call 800-767-0531.

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