The Hand That Takes

A Magical Artifact. A Violent Crime Syndicate. A Thief, in over his head…
Salvaturi Lorenzo seeks to make his place in the world, but first he must survive the mean streets of Dijvois. In a city run by gangsters, a life of crime is nothing short of ordinary, especially to a young thief living in Low Town.
Opportunity comes knocking after Sal is tasked with the theft of a magical locket. When the heist of the century goes awry, fingers are pointed in the hunt for a rat within the crew. Once bodies begin to drop, it is left to Sal to find the source, before he finds himself the next victim wearing a red smile.
Buy the exciting fantasy thriller, The Hand That Takes, Fall of the Coward, Book One. The perfect novel for fans of Scott Lynch, Robin Hobb, and Patrick Rothfuss.
**
Review
"This book grabs you immediately and doesn't let you go." -Alan Kunkel
From the Author
This one was a long time in the coming. Initially written as a short story, and subsequently expanded into a single, one hundred chapter novel, Fall of the Coward was eventually shoved into a drawer and left for dead. After spending a few more years writing three consecutive novels, all of which currently reside in drawers of their own, I decided to pull out Fall of the Coward.  After dusting off the word file, I proceeded to perform an autopsy upon the meandering one hundred chapter behemoth that was Fall of the Coward. After creating a new outline, throwing out half of the original novel, and dialing in on the heart of the story, the Fall of the Coward transitioned from a single over-bloated novel, into five streamlined parts of a single epic tale. And thus, the first installment to the Fall of the Coward, The Hand That Takes, was born. The Hand That Takes is the story of a young man transitioning into adulthood, and the difficulties that come with finding his place in the world. Inspired by the works of Quinten Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, George R.R. Martin, and Steven Erikson, The Hand That Takes is a truly unique property. While the novel deals with serious topics such as addiction and moral relativity, it is full of my own blend of magic, mystery, and humor.  This is my debut novel and I could not be more proud to present it to the world.