From the author of The Catch comes THE COMPASS, Part One of its stand-alone "midquel." With brand-new material as well as flashbacks to The Catch, all told from William's point of view, The Compass is equal parts hilarious, harrowing, heartwarming, and hopeful.

In 1995, twenty-year-old William Quinn's quest for reprieve after a painful breakup reunites him with Serafima "Haze" Temkina, a tattoo artist with an opaque background who's twice played a pivotal role in his life. Although their friendship and blooming intimacy promise a foothold, traumatic memories and perilous temptations threaten to bury him beneath their weight. Soon, William is losing his already-tenuous grip on himself, his mental health, and everything he values. But when he finally resurfaces, his oldest friend Haze is waiting - and this time, she bears a bombshell about William's past that could clear the way to his future.

Told in non-linear fashion, The Compass alternates between William's present and past. Equally enjoyable as a stand-alone novel, it offers an intriguing look at how William got his albatross and compass tattoos.