Useful Stigma: a Mac Burns novel

By Phil Perkins

In a small South Carolina town, a retired detective is pulled back into a world of crime when a missing person's case leads him to a dangerous Harvard grad. As he confronts Charlotte Temperance, he must protect his friends and face the darkness he thought he left behind.

Mac Burns, once a big-city detective in Atlanta, believed he had escaped the shadows of his former life. However, retirement proves to be anything but peaceful. His neighbor Percy, a disbarred attorney with a checkered past, seeks Mac's help to locate the missing daughter of a powerful senator. What begins as a straightforward case quickly spirals into a labyrinth of deception, orchestrated by Charlotte, a Harvard graduate with a ruthless agenda.

As Mac delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a chilling connection between Charlotte and the criminal activity he thought he had left behind. With the stakes rising, Mac is forced to navigate a treacherous landscape filled with danger. The lives of his friends, including the spirited Shelby and the enigmatic Percy, hang in the balance as he races against time to solve the mystery.

Armed with a gun for the first time since his retirement, Mac grapples with the weight of his choices and the haunting memories of his past. In this gripping tale of suspense and intrigue, Mac must summon every ounce of his detective skills to outsmart a cunning adversary and protect those he holds dear. Will he succeed, or will the darkness consume him?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FML1NCYJ
• ISBN13: 9798822978010
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"