Three Hours Past Midnight by Tony Knighton

His last job a disaster, a professional thief teams with an old partner eager for one last score—a safe in the home of a wealthy Philadelphia politician. But they are not the only ones set on the cash. His partner dead and the goods missing, he hunts for his money and the killer to find out that this may have been a job best left undone.

To learn more about THREE HOURS PAST MIDNIGHT, The Big Thrill met with author Tony Knighton:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

That a protagonist in a crime novel needn’t be Superman. There are far too many crime fiction “heroes” who know everything and are the baddest men alive. Or, they have a best friend who is the baddest man alive, whose only purpose is to save the hero. Yawn.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

I believe that my voice is unique, and that I’m writing about a place that is largely overlooked in popular culture.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

George V. Higgins and Richard Stark. Both authors wrote great dialogue, got to the point, and trusted their readers.

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Tony Knighton’s novella and story collection Happy Hour and Other Philadelphia Cruelties was published in 2015 by Crime Wave Press. His story “The Scavengers” is included in the anthologies Shocklines: Fresh Voices in Terror, published by Cemetery Dance, and Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume One, published by Comet Press. His story “Sunrise” is included in the anthology Equilibrium Overturned, published by Grey Matter Press. He has also published short fiction in Crime Factory, Static Movement Online and Dark Reveries.

Tony is a lieutenant in the Philadelphia Fire Department. To learn more about the author, please visit his website.