What is a day in my life? Interesting question. Six months ago, this would have been easy to answer because it would have been much like any other homicide detective in America. Get up. Kiss my wife and kids, grab coffee, go to the office. Work the current case with my former partner, Max Simon. Or maybe get a new case. Perhaps make an arrest or appear in court. Go home. Rinse, repeat.

Post-explosion, things are different. Max isn’t here. A blind woman can’t work homicide. I’ve been sidelined, resigned to answering phones, doing paperwork or research for others, and staring at her empty desk, wondering how long it’ll stay that way. How long my benching will last. I go to therapy, but it’s bull. I’m fine. Everyone has nightmares on occasion. Why shouldn’t I?

Yes, I’ve been wound up but that’s because I’m not working. Not real work. I should be on the streets of Niagara Falls catching bad guys. Not pushing paper. This isn’t what the city pays me to do. I’m not supposed to be a glorified secretary.

At least that’s what I tell myself. But at night, when it’s me with my thoughts, I know better. But I can’t admit it. Can’t tell anyone I’m broken inside. No one will let a defective person solve crime. But this is my job, my life. I can’t take care of the people I love if I say those four letters my therapist keeps bringing up: PTSD.

I think Amy, my wife, knows. And Max, of course. Blind or not, she doesn’t miss a thing. It wouldn’t surprise me if she and Amy were in cahoots about something and that “something” is me.

But things are looking up. I’ve been cleared to return to full duty on Monday. I know that means a new partner – eventually. With luck, I’ll catch a case and prove to everyone that I am indeed fine. Peachy even. Things can get back to normal.

At least, that’s the plan.

Shattered Sight, A Jackson Davis Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Police Procedural
Release: March 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

NIAGARA FALLS POLICE DETECTIVE JACKSON DAVIS IS LIVING A LIE.

He has the perfect life: married, two children, a home, a promising career.

Underneath, however, he battles self-doubt and guilt over the explosion during the pursuit of a suspect that cost his partner her sight and her career. He denies having PTSD or any trauma related to the event, but those around him know better.

When Jackson returns to active duty and is tapped to lead the investigation into the death of a prominent local businesswoman, all of this comes to the forefront. He must learn to work with a new partner and deal with his personal demons if he is to catch the killer—or he risks losing it all.

Shattered Sight by Liz Milliron is perfect for fans of Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming, Don’t Look Down by Hilary Davidson, and The Walt Longmire books by Craig Johnson.

About the author
Liz Milliron is the Shamus award-nominated author of The Homefront Mysteries, The Laurel Highlands Mysteries, and The Jackson Davis Mysteries. Liz is a member of Pennwriters, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and The Historical Novel Society. She is the current Secretary of the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Education Liaison for the National SinC board. Liz lives in the Laurel Highlands with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound.