Life in remote Door County is good for Mason Mitchell.
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Far from the trauma of big city criminal defense, he enjoys a semi-retired existence in the Cape Cod of the Midwest.
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But when an October blizzard blows in off Lake Michigan and a boy goes missing, Mason must make sense of an unspeakable crime.
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Can he confront the sins of a community and find justice for a client with nowhere else to turn?
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Paperback Audible and Kindle Available Dec. 15, 2025!
REVIEWS AND PRESS
“Spare the Rod is that rare novel that stays with you long after the final page. Part mystery, part redemption story, this is that beautiful, layered novel that never strikes a false note. Lewis Allen is a storyteller to watch."
New York Times best-selling author Robert Dugoni
“A compelling and thoughtful work of contemporary crime fiction, Spare the Rod blends emotional force with procedural authenticity. Allan delivers a moody, sobering exploration of how justice can falter when a community looks away—layering family tragedy, institutional failure, and small-town complicity into a story that feels both gritty and unsettlingly plausible."
Kirkus Reviews