My Hand Mitten by Austin Thacker

A down-on-his-luck cop is haunted by the scepter of his ailing wife as he patrols the streets of Tucson, Arizona. Mark's life changes when he pulls over a teenage drug addict, Tyler Castillo. Following Tyler in an attempt to catch him in the act, Mark and Tyler end up in an accident and then the hospital, where Mark learns the truth about Tyler and those track marks that scar his arms. Tyler's presence pulls Mark from his anger, his despair, and his unending sadness, and proves that one chance encounter can change everything. A novel about first impressions, hope, and forgiveness, My Hand Mitten is an exciting debut by a promising young author.