In the cold hours of darkness on the last out shift, anything can happen. A profound incident occurs in South Philadelphia that affects every cop in the city and generates headlines worldwide. Although the death of his young son still haunts him, fifteen-year veteran Officer Tom Tabbozzi reluctantly agrees to train Nick Avner, a recruit fresh out of the police academy. Twelve years have passed since the rookie's dad was tragically killed in a construction accident, but he still feels the loss of his biggest fan. On the first day patrolling the inner city streets, Nick overcomes his fear when he quickly learns what it means to be a cop from Tommy's patrol wagon philosophy. Working together for five years, the two men become best friends, but after that fateful winter night, as he seeks out the truth, one of these officers will find himself investigating a life-changing case that mystifies the world. Set in the 1980s and 90s, The Long Last Out is a methodical page-turning police mystery featuring a memorable cast of characters and a twisting plot driven by humor, science, and suspense. Michael E. Riley, a retired sergeant from the Philadelphia Police Department, had a twenty-five-year career assigned to the Patrol Bureau, the Narcotics Special Operations Division, and the Detective Bureau. His many years within the law-enforcement field provided him with an abundance of material and characters to draw upon for his first police procedural mystery. He lives in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, with his wife Denise enjoying his retirement and writing novels.