Del City, OK -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/13/2015 -- While not everyone gets the best start in life, nobody will deny that the past has a canny knack for catching up with its victims. Nothing proves this more powerfully than LaWanda Butler's new novel – a gripping and shocking display of time's ultimate inability to heal.

'The Good Ones' plays out amid street crime, gang culture and one man's unwavering search to find the only person he could ever trust. The problem is that, if he does find her, someone could be driven to pay with their life.

Synopsis:

Two wrongs are about to meet one right. When Mark was a kid his parents were part of a crew that robbed banks. They were having a successful run—until they ripped off the wrong guy. When a crew of dirty cops came to gun them all down, they left the kids and missed one woman, Teresa who escaped with her daughter, Sonya, the closest thing Mark ever had to a sister…

Now a cop and still plagued by the memories of that horrific day, Mark starts his own investigation in search of Sonya. Turns out the crew had robbed the Scar Backs, one of the city's deadliest gangs run by the ruthless gangster Mick. When Sonya's mother escaped she went to Mick and offered a straight-up trade: Sonya for her life.

Mick liked the first part of the deal but declined the second and killed Teresa, turning Sonya into the daughter he and his wife had longed for since they had lost their own. But Mark's memories won't let go and the need to rescue the only person left in his life that feels like family is all he can think of. To do that, he's going to have to go after Mick mano-a-mano and take down the most dangerous criminal he's ever faced. Mick has other plans, however, and when the bullets start to fly Mark is about to find out just how far in over his head he really is.

"Surprise becomes one of the narrative's over-riding themes," explains the author. "Mark knew he had to dig deep to find Sonya, but he had no idea where the investigation would ultimately lead. Little did he know that he was actually charting an altered course for his future, all to be determined and haunted by his past."

Continuing, "Reviews for the novel have been fantastic, with readers crying out for new installments. What more could an author ask for?!"

Butler is absolutely right; the novel has been received with critical acclaim. The Kindle Book Review commented, "A great sense of time and place is set, the concise, snappy style of writing sets the fast pace along with the gritty dialogue. It is quite a complex plot though and I had to concentrate to keep up. The novel has tension and atmosphere and larger than life characters, many surprises including the ending. It is quite an edgy read but very intriguing. This is the first book I have read by this author but look forward to more."

Kristina Armentrout adds, "I love this book!!!! I like how it shocks you with surprises you didn't expect. Love the cop versus a big crime syndicate! I was on the edge of my seat then it left me hanging. Noooooo! Please bring out another book so I can know what happens next!!!!!"
'The Good Ones' is available now: http://amzn.to/1KzuIr2.

For more information, visit the author's official website: http://www.lawandabutler.com

About LaWanda Butler
LaWanda Butler was born in Texas. She grew up as a military dependent and has a very creative mind. She has worked in television for over eight years. She comes from a big family, and is currently not married and has no children. Her book The Good Ones is the first of many to come from her, and she hopes that everyone will enjoy each and every story that she has written.