V. A. Sterling is the pen name of a former investigative journalist who spent nearly forty years covering the shadowy intersection of organized crime and corporate malfeasance in Chicago. Born and raised in the Rust Belt, Sterling witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of addiction on families from every social stratum?from the penthouses to the pavement.

Now 68, Sterling has traded the city beat for the quiet, rugged coast of Maine. When not writing gritty, character-driven dramas about the high price of redemption, he spends his retirement restoring vintage motorcycles and volunteering at a local community center.