Naive

EARLY PRAISE FOR NAIVE:

“Is Micah a modern day Mr. Ripley, or is he not? What a ride trying to figure it out!” —Celia S., Seattle

“I totally missed picking up my kid from school the day I finished this book.” —Shara T., Nashville

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In Charles Royce’s new mystery suspense thriller novel Naïve, Micah Breuer, an accomplished art director living in present day New York City, comes home to find his husband Lennox lying naked on their living room floor in a pool of blood. Lennox has been brutally stabbed over 30 times but is still alive. Struggling to keep his husband breathing, Micah’s efforts end up killing him, and he is arrested for the murder.

Mysterious items are found at the crime scene, some suggesting a connection to the company he works for, while others point to an elusive heroin dealer known as Ghost. With a trial looming, Micah’s lawyer hustles to defend him. Together, they are catapulted into multiple dark realities of corporate corruption, Manhattan’s drug underworld, a questionable and overzealous prosecution, and the possible betrayal of a close friend who may have masterminded a murderous scheme that could land Micah in prison for life.

As Micah wrestles with his naiveté, his friends and enemies begin to question their own.

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WOULD YOU LIKE THIS BOOK?

Fans of Patricia Highsmith (Talented Mr. Ripley) and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) will hopefully relish in the intricate contemporary tale of manipulation and naiveté, propelled by a strong protagonist in a fight for survival. Similarly, fans of Paul Hawkins (The Girl on a Train) should enjoy a modern domestic murder with unexpected twists and turns. Mix in some Michael Connelly (Lincoln Lawyer, Chasing the Dime) police procedural elements, some John Grisham (The Firm, The Last Juror) courtroom drama and some Richard Price (Lush Life) Manhattan lower east side nuance, and you have a delicious tale that should appease fans of all of these authors.