John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for murder, he knows that he's facing life in prison--or death by lethal injection. Then, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start again: a new face, a new home, a new beginning. In a ruined city trying to rebuild, he gets work as a carpenter, and falls in love. It seems too good to be true--and it is. It turns out this city is crawling with crooked politicians, gangsters, and dirty cops--all of whom seem to want Shannon dead.

Moving through the shambles of a town, he's got to ferret out the secret of his new life--and fast--if he wants to be left with any life at all.

"A gripping thriller."--Entertainment Weekly

"A work of intense realism pervaded by sorrow, mercy, hope--and ultimately, transcendence."--Washington Times