The Alley — Michael Manley

17-year old Simon Gallagher stumbled on a murder in progress in an alley in his hometown. It was 2am. Onlookers from emptying saloons muddled the area almost immediately. He was unable to identify the killer. The following day, an attempt was made on his life. The murder was never solved. Now 20 years later, Gallagher, an FBI agent, has yet to come to terms with the trauma of those events. His assignment is a triple murder case in Lancaster County, PA. He learns that the victims were present in the alley the night of the unsolved murder 20 years ago. He is teamed with Connie DeAngelis, a savvy, sexy, FBI psychologist-profiler who wears her gun "like a bustier". There's Jimmy, an intellectually challenged young adult who provides a pivotal clue to solving the crimes; Monsat, a rogue federal agent who carries two pistols, and claims that "his guns are another word for justice"; and Tillis, a gun for hire, who kills for thrills. The story ends with a running shoot-out battle and confrontation on board a 90 year old steam engine locomotive. A twisted sense of justice, seedy characters, and an old-fashioned romance coupled with hiccups, self-doubt, and gentle overtures are backdrops to this swashbuckling mystery. Did I say romance?