Ashes by Now

Sharman's ninth finds him asked to clear an unfairly convicted man's name

Nick Sharman stumbles home with two exotic dancers, Sandi and Mandi (aka Tracey and Dawn), which is fun for him until he gets a phone call from the past that ruins everything. Sailor Grant has just been released from prison, doing hard time for a crime he didn’t commit. A police officer’s daughter had been found raped and murdered. Someone had to be found, so Sailor Grant the local sex offender was sent down. Sharman always had his doubts, but that part of his life is over. Sailor keeps phoning and wants Sharman to help get justice, Nick tells him to leave him alone. The next day Sailor is dead and has left Sharman a note. The coppers Millar and Collier invite him to read the note, and then they beat him half to death. Lying in hospital, Nick realizes that he must solve it before those close to him are killed. So with a little help from his friends Charlie, Chas, and Monkey (a burglar, who can break into anything), Sharman must find the truth about the events from his past.

Mark Timlinis the author of more than 30 novels, including All the Empty Places, Answers from the Grave, Guns of Brixton, and Stay Another Day, as well as Gangsters’ Wives and Lipstick Killers under the pseudonym Lee Martin. His Nick Sharman novels were made into a television series starring Clive Owen.