The Gemstone Peridot

Liv Baird has dedicated her life to advocating for death row inmates. Eager as she is to retire, she sticks it out for one last case, unexpectedly finding herself in the crosshairs of a global conspiracy to destroy the very fabric of American society.

Liv’s case takes her to the small town of Atwar, Alabama to defend Ned, a death row inmate with mental disabilities. Fleeing a notorious Russian assassin, DSO agent Cole Greysen has taken up refuge in Atwar. He’s haunted by memories of his government intelligence past. He’s also filled with regret over a brutal crime of passion he never would have committed if he’d been sober.

A crooked Atwar cop and his sister—Cole’s lover—want him dead over what he knows about them and their past. They’re also watching the newly arrived legal specialist Liv Baird like a hawk. Curious as to why, Cole seeks Liv out. Their trajectories collide and trigger a global chain of events that puts the SVR—a savage Russian intelligence agency—on high alert. An assassin is dispatched from Moscow; the cop and sister team close in; and all the while, a politically motivated Alabama judge could order Ned’s execution at any minute.

An expansive cast of characters with converging motives populate this tale of small-town corruption pitted against global conspiracy. Revealing cracks in America’s judicial system and the savagery of government military operations, The Gemstone Peridot is a gripping international spy thriller pulled straight from today’s headlines.

Reedsy Discovery Review:

“Murder. Spies. Assassins. Follow the tale of mitigation specialist Liv as she tries to get a young man off of death row and finds trouble. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was one of the most thrilling mystery books I have read in a while, and Jon Hebert does an excellent job of weaving the story together from a multitude of perspectives. Each character is very well formed and the book kept my attention the entire time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a really well-written spy thriller. Only pick it up if you have plenty of time though—once I started reading this book I did not want to put it down!” ~ Kelsey Cashman, Reedsy Discovery