The Truth We Chase

The Truth We Chase is, at its heart, the story of a man who spends years trying to outrun his past, only to discover that the past has a way of catching up with you, no matter how far you travel. When I wrote Joseph Ryebank’s journey, I wanted to explore what happens when a single message—just a few words from someone long forgotten—can dismantle the fragile peace a person has built for themselves.

The novel begins in Newark’s Ironbound district, a place Joe has come to call home. Vibrant, multicultural and full of life, it represents the stability and sense of belonging he has long been searching for. I wanted readers to experience the warmth and diversity of that world from the outset. In Chapter 4, I captured its unique spirit through a conversation between Joe and Luciana:

"Do you know what’s really weird, Luciana? I’m an English man, in America, talking about my Brazilian girlfriend with our Venezuelan friend in an Ecuadorian club, listening to Puerto Rican music whilst drinking Mexican beer under palm trees… in Newark… I mean… palm trees in Newark, what’s that about?"

Beneath the humour lies something far more significant: he's a long way away from home and the life he left behind. Joe's life is imperfect but secure, and for a man who has spent years burying trauma, that sense of safety means everything.

But then Jill emails him. Jill is the childhood friend he hasn’t seen in seventeen years, since the night that horrifically ripped two families' lives apart and shaped both the boy he was and the man he became. Her email forces Joe back to Manchester, back to the life he’s tried to forget, and ultimately into the centre of a murder investigation that threatens to destroy him.

The courtroom chapters are intentionally stark and claustrophobic. I wanted readers to feel Joe’s disorientation as he faces a narrative about his life that he barely recognises—media portrayals, assumptions, and accusations that twist him into someone he doesn’t believe himself to be. The trial becomes a crucible, revealing not only the truth of what happened but also the truth of who Joe is.

The final chapter takes Joe and Luciana to the Jersey Shore town of Avalon, Cape May County, where Joe attempts to rebuild his life. This chapter is quieter and more contemplative, filled with sea air, early morning runs, and the gentle companionship of Molly, his golden retriever. But even in this coastal sanctuary, the past continues to echo. Jill appears to him—not as a ghost in the supernatural sense, but as a manifestation of grief, memory, and neurological damage. Her presence is both comforting and devastating, and it leads Joe towards a conclusion he has long feared but finally accepts.

The Truth We Chase is a novel about trauma, friendship, found family, and the fragile architecture of identity. It’s about the secrets we carry, the people who shape us, and the courage required to face the truth. Writing it allowed me to explore the complexities of memory, the psychology of loss, and the quiet resilience that emerges when life forces us to begin again.

For readers who enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth, psychological tension, and a strong sense of place, this is a journey that I hope will stay with you long after you close the book.