Chicago private eye Nick Acropolis is back with a new adventure. Billy Mansfield has been on Death Row for more than 20 years, and Nick helped put him there in his days as a Chicago homicide detective. Now he's asked to find evidence to free him. Could Billy Mansfield really be innocent?"Westerfield's Chain," the first Nick Acropolis novel, was a Shamus Award finalist."A great read," --Publishers Weekly"A pure delight for many reasons, not the least of which is the way Jack Clark celebrates and rings a few changes of the familiar private eye script...There's a memorable moment [on] virtually every page." --Chicago Tribune"A likeable protagonist and spirited, uncluttered prose." --Kirkus Reviews"Jack Clark's descriptions are beautifully haunting and his plotting is exceptional." Romantic Times.Jack Clark is also the author of "Nobody's Angel." "A gem...[without] a wasted word or a false note." --Washington Post"Heartbreaking... Captivating. Clark's true subject [is] his city. Each page turn feels like real, authentic Chicago." --Chicago Sun-Times In a strange twist of fate, former Chicago homicide detective Nick Acropolis finds himself searching for evidence that will free Billy Mansfield, convicted murderer and currently on Death Row—thanks to Nick. Now a private investigator, Nick is brought back to the case at the request of local graduate students from the Center against Injustice (shades of Northwestern University’s headline-making Center on Wrongful Convictions), who are determined to clear Mansfield’s name. Initially resistant, Nick realizes that the students may be on to something and decides to help out. His efforts are sidetracked by the appearance of his shifty buddy Andy, and by the fact that someone wants Nick off the case. Gritty and suspenseful, this novel is packed with Chicago detail and will appeal to those who like character-driven PI novels. --Rebecca Vnuk Former Chicago homicide detective Nick Acropolis finds himself searching for evidence that will free Billy Mansfield, convicted murderer and currently on Death Row -- thanks to Nick. Now a private investigator, Nick is brought back to the case at the request of local graduate students from the Center against Injustice . His efforts are sidetracked by the appearance of his shifty buddy Andy, and by the fact that someone wants Nick off the case. Gritty and suspenseful, this novel is packed with Chicago detail and will appeal to those who like character-driven PI novels. -- Rebecca Vnuk, Booklist. Jack Clark is an award winning journalist who has been writing for the Chicago Reader since 1975. He is the winner of the Chicago Newspaper Guild's Page One Award for feature writing.  His first novel, "Westerfield's Chain," featuring Chicago Private detective Nick Acropolis, was a finalist for the Shamus Award for best first private eye novel. He is also author of the oral history "On the Home Front," with his mother Mary Jo Clark. It was published by Plume in 2002. "Nobody's Angel," featuring Chicago cabbie Eddie Miles was published by Hard Case Crime in 2010. Jack was a long-haul furniture mover for Allied Van Lines for many years. He's also been driving a taxi on and off for the last 35 years. He has lived in Chicago his entire life.