WHEN IT'S TIME FORLEAVING

Al DeLucia is about to have the worst week of his life. After his girlfriend dumps him and a drug dealer sends him flying off a bridge, Al quits the New Haven Police Department with plans to start fresh in LA. But his new beginning is derailed when he learns that his estranged father, Big Al—whom he thought was dead—is not only alive but suffering from dementia and about to enter a nursing home. To top it off, Big Al has left him the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency in Savannah.

Reluctant and resentful, Al is determined to sell the agency and leave as quickly as possible. However, his plans go awry when he stumbles upon a dead body on the agency's dock. Faced with mounting complications, including an attractive but formidable detective named Max who turns out to be his superior, Al finds himself reluctantly entangled in the case.

As he juggles his father’s repeated escapes from the nursing home and his own dwindling finances, Al is forced to confront unresolved issues from his past. When Big Al disappears, Al and Max must join forces to find him and solve the murder. Their journey takes them through the treacherous terrain of Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp, uncovering old secrets and confronting dangerous truths that illuminate both the case and Al’s complicated relationship with his father.

. . .

"Solid, spare and completely terrific. And though the talented Ang Pompano may wince at this—it's absolutely charming. With an authentic knowing voice and a confident hand, Pompano honors Robert B. Parker's legacy of wry, laconic PIs--smart and engaging detectives with history, honor, and heart."

~ Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author

of The Murder List

“Ang Pompano’s debut novel, When It's Time for Leaving, is a corker. Thoroughly likeable former cop, Al DeSantis, wants to get out of the crime business but inherits one that, fortunately for readers, won’t let him go.”

~ Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author

of Careful What You Wish For

“In When It's Time for Leaving, debut mystery author Ang Pompano has created the most unusual and appealing duo of detectives since Holmes and Watson.”

~ Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author

of A Deadly Feast

“Author Ang Pompano serves up the PI for the double 20s. Al DeSantis is a classic, damaged gumshoe but with a youthful energy that pulls you through the pages.”

~ Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries

and winner 2019 Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction

“Crime fiction has boasted some famous fathers and sons, from Inspector Richard Queen and his son Ellery to Jim Rockford and his dad Rocky. Add to that list the unforgettable duo of Al DeSantis and Big Al—building on that tradition but with some provocative twists. Ang Pompano’s first novel proves tough-minded and warm-hearted in equal measure. A fine, multi-layered debut.”

—Art Taylor 2019 Edgar, Anthony, Agatha,

Macavity, and Derringer Award-winner