Let It Die: Blood for Blood, a Soul for a Soul
A Literary Crime Thriller by Glen Hellman

When Vengeance Becomes a Way of Life

Greg Newsome thought he'd left the violence behind. But when mob boss Benny "The Knife" Santini's family is brutally murdered in a sniper attack at their Long Island estate, Greg is pulled back into a world where loyalty demands blood and justice means crossing moral lines that can never be uncrossed.

A Descent Through Grief's Dark Stages

Structured around the five stages of grief, Let It Die follows Benny's transformation from devastated father to instrument of vengeance. Alongside Greg and his partner Izzy—a former FBI agent increasingly troubled by the cycle of violence—they track the conspiracy from Washington's suburbs to Mexican cartel territory, from the Danube's ancient fortresses to Belfast's troubled streets.

Where Literary Fiction Meets Crime Thriller

This is not your typical revenge tale. Hellman crafts a sophisticated narrative that explores:

• The corrupting nature of vengeance, even when "justified"
• How violence perpetuates itself across generations - The psychological toll on those who live by the sword

Whether some ethical lines, once crossed, can ever be redrawn

• A Standout Voice in Crime Fiction

With prose that recalls Dennis Lehane's moral complexity and Elmore Leonard's sardonic wit, Hellman delivers:

• Richly developed characters struggling with impossible choices
• Meticulously researched international settings
• Action sequences that serve character development
• Philosophical depth wrapped in propulsive plotting

About the Series

Let It Die is the sixth Greg Newsome thriller, but stands alone as Hellman's most ambitious work—a recontextualization of his entire series that examines how "Danger Boy" became a one-man crime wave magnet, and what it costs him and those he loves.

Perfect For Readers Who Appreciate:

• Morally complex crime fiction
• International thrillers with authentic settings
• Character-driven narratives with literary ambitions
• Stories that question rather than glorify violence

Content Warning: This novel contains graphic violence, profanity, and mature themes. Hellman pulls no punches in depicting the consequences of revenge.

Glen Hellman is a Distinguished Faculty member at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering and author of both the Greg Newsome thriller series and the non-fiction leadership book, Intentional Leadership. His unique background—spanning startup executive, NSF I-Corps instructor, and executive coach—informs the authentic corporate and criminal worlds he creates.