Almost two years have passed since Aaron Custer supposedly set a fire at a house in Columbus that killed three college students, including the young woman with whom he had argued just hours before. Prosecutors had an ironclad case against Custer, a convicted firebug whose fingerprints were found on the lighter that started the blaze and who quickly pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty.Private investigator and fallen Ohio State football star Andy Hayes is skeptical when Custer's grandmother asks him to reopen the investigation by finding a mysterious witness who may have seen the real culprit that night. Andy's doubts fade as he uncovers a tangle of motives for the victims' deaths, implicating the state's natural gas fracking boom, drug dealers, and more. But to delve deeper, Andy must once again make amends with his past. TV reporter Suzanne Gregory, a former fiancee, has more information on the Orton Avenue fire than any journalist in town, but asking for her help means reopening old wounds-just as Andy has embarked on a new relationship he's determined not to screw up. As Andy follows Custer's trail down ever-darker paths, he must revisit his past and decide whether he can afford to forfeit his future.
Author and reviewer Bill Osinski called Fourth Down and Out, the first of the Andy Hayes mysteries, "A tall, frosty stein of Middle-American noir, backed with a healthy shot of wry." In this second installment, Andrew Welsh-Huggins draws on real events and current affairs to bring his city to life-warts and all.

Almost two years have passed since Aaron Custer supposedly set a fire at a house in Columbus that killed three college students, when it starts to seem likely that the wrong man is in prison.

About the Author
Andrew Welsh-Huggins is the Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes private eye series; author of the standalone crime novel The End of the Road; and editor of the Columbus Noir anthology. His short mystery fiction has appeared in multiple magazines, including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and in many anthologies, including The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021; Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties; and Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon. His nonfiction book, No Winners Here Tonight, is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio.

Reviews
"Even more gripping than his debut novel, this second installment firmly establishes Welsh-Huggins as a rising star in the genre. Expect a late-and rewarding-night of addictive reading." * Richmond Times-Dispatch *
"Andy gets a lot wrong before getting it right, but his dogged digging is fun to follow." * Publishers Weekly *
"With snappy dialogue and a hard-boiled protagonist, Slow Burn is a timely, refreshing return to the pulp novels of long ago. It's a wonderful mix of vintage detective work with a modern nod toward Mike Hammer."
"Great fun to read.... Grade: A" * Cincinnati CityBeat *
"Brisk pacing and a convoluted plot make Slow Burn a juicy, satisfying thriller as Andy follows multiple improbable but increasingly convincing leads...a rousing read that will gratify the most jaded of mystery fans, with added interest for those familiar with Columbus." * ForeWord Reviews *
"Slow Burn starts strong and gets better. It's a solid mystery firmly anchored in the private eye tradition, but not weighed down by the cliches of it. The Andy Hayes series, featuring a detective with a tarnished past working out of Ohio's capital city, has a lot of potential. I suspect that it will wear well."
"Welsh-Huggins scores again with the second book in his Andy Hayes mystery series, a tale that will seem familiar to those who recall a 2003 house fire that killed several students near the Ohio State campus. The author's narrative fits comfortably in the realm of American mystery writing, and he remains true to his mission of making Columbus a co-star."



Book Information
ISBN 9780804011785
Author Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint Swallow Press
Publisher Ohio University Press