In his first novel, the bestselling true crime author and star of ID's hit series Dark Minds takes you into the world of a sadistic serial killer.
M. William Phelps's The Dead Soul takes you on a suspenseful journey through Boston's illicit past, where Detective Jake "Sundance" Cooper fights to redeem his crumbling career. At the same time, a sadistic serial killer known as "The Optimist"-a character based on the author's 20 years of research and writing about real serial killers-terrorizes young female victims along the city's Freedom Trail. Cooper's investigation exposes a corrupt Boston PD. It puts him at the center of a choice between blue blood loyalty and the pursuit of truth as his mentor, Detective Mo Blackhall, faces an indictment for his involvement in a scandal.
This gritty thriller provides a fascinating look into the reality of Boston's mean streets. Driven by a cast of characters reminiscent of Dennis Lehane's finest fiction, The Dead Soul offers a thrill ride of suspense, mystery, and police procedural drama.
"Read the first page of The Dead Soul and you won't stop . . . Phelps's narrative grabs you by the lapels and doesn't let go." -John Lutz,New York Times-bestselling author

Crime andmurder expert, creator/producer/writerand former host ofDARKMINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalistM. WilliamPhelpsistheNew York Timesbest-selling author of 32nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in(Investigative) JournalismAward fromtheSociety ofProfessional Journalistsand the New England BookFestival Award. A respected reporter,Phelpshaswritten for numerous publications-including theProvidence Journal,ConnecticutMagazineandHartford Courant.Diversifying his talents, he alsoconsulted on the first season of the hit Showtimecable television seriesDexterand is a constant presenceon crime filmsets.Phelpsgrew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now lives ina reclusive Connecticutfarming community just north of Hartford.