Franklin, IN – In Chasing Evil, author William C. Oakes crafts a gripping, multilayered, decades-spanning crime novel weaved together with tragedy, vengeance, and the relentless pursuit of truth. The back history is of small-town Indiana… Oakes gives readers a story that is both haunting and deeply sentimental, with the grit of police work and the emotional depth of a family drama.
The novel begins in 1995. In Noblesville, Indiana, a terrible home invasion shatters the lives of two families. Conrad Cavanaugh, a local contractor, becomes the unlikely survivor of a violent encounter that sends ripples far beyond his normally quiet community. Years later, his son Conor Cavanaugh, now a decorated Indiana State Police captain and Afghanistan war hero, is called to head a new Cold Case Task Force. What starts as a political ploy by the governor quickly becomes very personal when Conor discovers one of the unsolved cases on his desk involves the crime that forever changed his family.
With taut action and strong, authentic dialogue, Oakes pulls readers into a web of corruption, hidden motives, and the long shadows cast by evil left unpunished. As Conor juggles duty, politics, and the ghosts of his past, Chasing Evil becomes more than a mystery; it’s a rich journey of loyalty, loss, and redemption.
Why This Book?
In a nutshell, Oakes wrote Chasing Evil to explore how the impact of a single violent act ripples out across generations to shape lives long after the crime itself is committed. He wanted to look beyond the investigation to the cost of justice: on families, on faith, and on those who carry the scars of what they’ve seen.
Why Is It the Best Pick To Add In The ‘To Be Read’:
Chasing Evil is suspenseful yet emotive; a true, character-driven thriller that will leave readers spellbound. It has the realism of crime fiction and the heart of a family drama-mixing authenticity with moral and deep emotional complexities, perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, John Sandford, or C.J. Box. Oakes weaves authentic detail, moral complexity, and deep emotion into a story that will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page.
About the Author
William C. Oakes is a former journalist and lifelong Hoosier whose background in public affairs and local politics informs his storytelling. Chasing Evil is his first novel and the first in a planned series following Detective Conor Cavanaugh and the Indiana State Police Cold Case Task Force.
Chasing Evil is available now in print and digital formats.
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Company Name: William C. Oakes
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Country: United States
Website: https://williamoakeswrites.com/