Gravesend

A roller-coaster ride worthy of Coney Island…

On an afternoon in early February, the neighborhood is stunned and horrified when the lifeless body of an eight-year-old boy is discovered abandoned on the roof of an apartment building.

The body has been mysteriously mutilated.

No clues, no witnesses, no apparent reason.

When a second boy is found two days later in the same condition, Homicide Detectives Samson, Vota and Murphy of Brooklyn's 61st Precinct quickly deduce that the two boys were victims of the same killer.

The brutal murders of the two young boys have Samson questioning his strength as a protector of his children and his continued commitment to law enforcement.

Vota searches for a homeless man who may be witness to a fatal street shooting.

Murphy is trying to locate his brother, a suspect in a robbery homicide, before the situation turns much worse.

A killer who believes he is following a mandate from God is handing out Old Testament retribution to those he identifies as responsible for his torment.

Slowly, the insanity and tragedy behind the killer's motives are revealed through cryptic messages left at the scenes of the crimes and delivered in anonymous notes.

All of these lives intersect and collide leading to a furious and dramatic conclusion on the turbulent streets of Gravesend.

Praise for Gravesend …

"In our top five for best of 2012 is J.L. Abramo's GRAVESEND. The discovery of a boy's body on the roof of an apartment building sets off a chain of events that will tie together a group of people in profound ways. Homicide Detectives Samson, Vota and Murphy of Brooklyn's 61st Precinct link the body to that of another boy; with no solid clues. As each detective works the case, each is also torn by other cases and other traumas; some very close to home. This is a remarkable book that will tie you in knots as you wait to see how it all plays out. A truly exceptional novel." — Crimespree Magazine

"J.L. Abramo's new novel GRAVESEND is a blurb-writer's dream: compelling, electrifying, believable. It has scary action but is filled with likeable and well-drawn characters. The parts that are grim are leavened by comic relief which is never heavy-handed. It's probably a lot like how a real-life homicide squad would banter in order to cope. Abramo wishes to explore how people react to adversity and succeeds admirably." — John Dantzler, oo-author of Hiking South Carolina.

"If you are looking for a solid straight-up police procedural, GRAVESEND fits the bill like a favorite t-shirt … or more accurately … like a pair of bloody examination gloves. No punches pulled in this one." — Kenneth Wishnia, Author of The Fifth Servant.

"Written by a son of Brooklyn, GRAVESEND is a novel filled to the brim with characters with heart, humor, compassion, excitement, pain, hate, love, revenge, fear, and courage. It is a page turner that moves with the pace and power of some of the best crime novels you will ever read." — Stageplay, Denver

"J.L. Abramo's GRAVESEND raises the bar for gritty police procedurals in this fast paced thriller. The action never stops as Brooklyn Detective Lieutenant Samson juggles mob wars, murders and mayhem during a search for a biblically obsessed killer." — Bill Moody, author of Czechmate: The Spy Who Played Jazz.