Death is something the retired DC Metropolitan
Police Department Detective is very familiar with, professionally and
personally. Graham Sanderson has quiet working homicides in Washington, DC, and
moved into his dad’s house in upstate New York. Most of his possessions sit in
storage as he came to the house to help his brother, Tommy, after dad died. Tommy
is agoraphobic and has not left the property in many years. With dad’s death,
he had nobody to help him, so Graham came with a few things and moved into a
guest bedroom in the house.
He came with some clothes and a few
mementos. That includes the urn with his late wife’s ashes. It sits, top off,
next to his bed and he talks to her on a daily basis. The grief remains strong
and he is coping with that, and other issues, as best as he can. With no
hobbies and the memories of a lifetime of police work, he has far too much time
on his hands to think and brood.
In the hours after the service for dad, William
Finn, who is the Chief of Police, asks for his help as the small local
department is very short staffed. A patrol officer was just recently promoted
to investigator. The guy is good, or he would not have been promoted, but Chief
Finn would like Sanderson to consult as they have a serious problem.
There has been a killer at work in the area
and clues are scarce. Suspects are non-existent. Chief Finn wants to keep the
investigation in house and not ask for outside agency help as the second, and
most recent, victim was his nephew. He wants Sanderson’s help. Something
Sanderson is reluctant to do at all as he is burned out, adjusting to being retired,
mending a relationship with his younger brother that he has not seen in many
years, losing his dad, among other things, and does not want to annoy anyone
inside or outside the department.
But, Chief Finn is persistent, and
Sanderson finally agrees to review the case file to this point and take an
impartial fresh look. The rookie investigator, Mike Gottert, welcomes him with
open arms and quickly invites Sanderson to go along as he goes back to the
scene of the second body with a plan to recanvass the area, knock on doors, and
poke around.
Before long, while not carrying a shield,
Sanderson is almost as involved in the case as if he were a member of the
department. Working helps occupy his mind, even if the case keeps coming closer
and closer to home. A case that may have also, once again, made him a target.
From the Dust: A Novel by David
Swinson is a complex and extremely enjoyable police procedural. With its rich
characters and storytelling, it is also a testimony, in a way, about coping
with complex mental health challenges in a world that often does not understand
what folks are dealing with on a daily basis. This is one of those books that
comes fully alive for the reader in a variety of ways and keeps the reader
turning pages long after one should quit for the night.
All in all, From the Dust: A Novel
by Doug Swinson is a mighty good read and very much recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ccY7vQ
My digital ARC reading copy came by way
of the publisher, Mulholland Books, imprint of Little, Brown and Company,
through NetGalley with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
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