In a world where right and wrong are rarely clear, Franklin's Bennies follows Peter Cleary, a mental health counselor working inside a state prison, who is used to helping others navigate their worst decisions-not making dangerous ones of his own.That changes when he agrees to do a seemingly simple favor for Franklin, a charismatic inmate with a hidden past and secrets tied to a long-forgotten fortune. What begins as a quiet act of compassion quickly pulls...

Jobless and divorced, Pat Riordan takes a little-sought-after teaching job at the district's school for the hard-to-handle, Wolfcreek. Dispirited by their banishment to the at-risk program, students refer to themselves as "bricked." But Riordan sees potential in the behaviors others have deemed unmanageable.Together with other school staff, Riordan works to bring structure and inspire hope, unraveling the troubles and trauma behind disruptive behaviors and...

When former teacher and reluctant sleuth Pat Riordan attends a colleague's funeral, he expects grief-not suspicion. But when the widow presses a cryptic letter into his hand and quietly asks for help, Pat is drawn into a troubling mystery that won't let go.Joe was a good man. Thoughtful. Careful. He'd recently launched a university course digging into local cold cases-an unusual move in their quiet college town. Then he took a fall. Went to the hospital. And died.Now, with ...

Jobless and divorced, Pat Riordan takes a little-sought-after teaching job at the district's school for the hard to handle, Wolfcreek.His sense of loss makes him a good fit for the boys of the school who call their banishment from the mainstream "bricked".Doug Donovan, the school's principal, agrees with Riordan that gentle, but firm teaching strategies are the best way for their kids to learn. But ego-driven administrators who want the school location for more promising st...

A triumphant story of the spiritThis is for anyone who thinks teaching's a cushy job, who thinks teachers are only in it for the money. Pat Riordan's in it for the kids.Sometimes you have to put aside your own sense of loss to inspire others to rise above theirs.Together with other school staff, Riordan works to bring structure and inspire hope, unraveling the troubles and trauma behind disruptive behaviors and learning delays. Wh...