John Farrow's bold storytelling straddles the line between classic crime fiction and psychological thriller, drawing readers into the dark and deeply immersive world of iconic Sergeant-Detective Émile Cinq-Mars.

While recovering poorly from a gunshot wound, Cinq-Mars receives word of a triple gangland homicide. The accused is already in custody in hospital, recovering from injuries received at the scene of the crime, yet the stakes intensify when the officer on guard is found murdered in the wounded prisoner's washroom. Despite having been handcuffed to his bed, the prisoner is the only suspect in that killing as well - and is the same man who, 40 years earlier, was arrested by Cinq-Mars for murder, not once, but twice. The policeman, way back then, helped the delinquent teenager slip the rap both times. Will he do it again?

Cinq-Mars, supposedly retired, feels the need to resolve a related cold case that has haunted him from his days as a rookie detective. Did he err back then? And now, should he again rescue a not-so-innocent " old friend" - a small-time hood, one he admires - from the snare of gangland warfare?

Penetrating one gang's hierarchy, to discern who betrays whom and why, is vital to disentangle lies from truth, deceit from loyalty... and Cinq-Mars quickly finds he is racing against gangs and cops who seek their own warring justice - while knocking on death's door himself.

With its imaginative premise and intricate structure, Bright Shining As the Sun melds vivid, artful storytelling in this intellectually stimulating and emotionally affecting story of profound brotherly love that has brokered the lives of men distorted by inflamed familial dysfunction.